Germany is a nation of travellers and the national passion for
travel is serviced by a strong network of German travel sellers.
Tourism New Zealand has built strong relationships with travel
sellers in Germany and these relationships are managed from our
Europe office, based in London. German travellers are well known
researchers and our distribution channel research findings, below,
provide some market insights.
Market Key Facts
Sources: CIA World Factbook (Currency, Population,
Language)
Reiseanalyse_RA09 (Total Outbound
Travel)
| Key Source Regions/Cities |
Hamburg, Berlin, Frankfurt, Stuttgart, Munich |
| Direct Routes into New Zealand |
None |
| Airlines |
Singpore Airlines, Lufthansa/Air New Zealand (no direct AirNZ
long-haul flight out of Germany), Qantas, Cathay Pacific, Emirates,
Korean Air |
| Leave Entitlement |
5-7 weeks per annum |
| Population |
81,305,856 (July 2012 est.) |
| Languages |
German |
| Currency |
Euro (EUR) |
| Total Outbound Travellers |
73,000,000 (2011) |
| Peak Booking Periods |
September - November
January - February |
| Peak Travel Periods |
November - April |
Doing Business in Germany
- New Zealanders have a positive reputation among Germans, being
seen as uncomplicated and direct - qualities the Germans
admire.
- There are numerous commercial centres in Germany and travelling
between them can be both costly and time consuming. This should be
taken into account when planning a travel schedule.
- For the business environment, the dress code is formal in
Germany. A casual but smart dress code is expected for any leisure
activities involving business partners. Jeans, shorts or sneakers
are normally not acceptable.
- For correspondence or at official events, people address each
other formally, i.e. by their last name. Don't assume everyone will
have English language skills.
- Attention to detail is most important. Ensure that proposals
are backed up with a lot of logical, supporting arguments and
concrete examples. Germans are very schedule-oriented and business
communication is very agenda-based.
- It is not appropriate to request appointments from large
organisations at short notice. Long lead times are generally
expected. Punctuality with appointments is vital and German
companies expect overnight replies to business correspondence.
- Entertaining is commonly used to establish and maintain
business relationships. Alcohol should be handled carefully. A lot
of German companies now have an alcohol-free policy in place for
lunch appointments, but business dinners with alcohol are common
and often seen as an important way to create closer
relationships.
- It is advisable to avoid conducting business in the months of
July and August, as this is Germany's main summer holiday period
and many business contacts take extended leave. The actual
Christmas break is relatively short and most people are back at
work during the first week of January. Also avoid scheduling
appointments on Friday afternoons as some offices shut by 2:00 pm
or 3:00 pm on Fridays.
See below to download more information on working in the German
market.
Distribution Channel Research
Find out how German visitors plan and book their holidays. See
our Distribution
Channel Research.
Want to know more about doing business in Germany?
Visit the New Zealand Trade & Enterprise
corporate website