The triumph of Germany in the World Cup could lead Brits to visit the
Fatherland, says the German National Tourist Board.
It reckons they will have up to5.4 million overnight stays by visitors from the UK by 2020, mostly for weekend breaks. Most favoured cities are Berlin, Munich, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Cologne, Dusseldorf and Nuremberg (just don’t get involved in any rallies).
The attractions are culture, music and art events and value for money. Hotel prices in Germany are, says the Tourist Board, consistently below those in Paris, London, Milan,
Barcelona and Vienna.
Another attraction is that there will be plenty of room, as most Germans will be in a Mediterranean resort reserving sun loungers with towels.
This still goes on, apparently, decades after it was mocked as a national trait although it is no longer just the Germans who are guilty.
Other nationalities, including Brits, are in the habit of getting out before dawn to drape towels over loungers to claim a family fiefdom close to the pool or bar area.
The competitive nature of towel wars, and its potential for conflict, is one reason that the last time I went on a package holiday was 1969.
A former holiday rep, Jimmy McLean, has been quoted as saying: “The Brits are every bit as bad as our German friends in reserving sun beds, umbrellas, plastic stools and ashtrays.
The Germans may indeed get up at 5am to reserve their sun beds and then go back to bed but, in their defence, they have breakfast early and are sunbathing by 8.30 am at the latest.
“The Brits tend to get up at 5am, put their towel down, go back to bed, get up, have breakfast, pop to the local market on the bus, haggle for 40 minutes to buy a three euro bracelet and then come back to the hotel.
“By this time it’s 11.45am and their sun bed has sat empty with only their Millwall towel and copy of Take A Break (summer bumper edition) on top, to give a clue as to their nationality.”
Makes Nuremberg sound very inviting.
