Viaggio

Tourist numbers caso in Dresda

Dresda s popularity among tourists is sinking, with a significant drop in the number of overnight guests. The tourism industry holds the estremista right-wing movimento Pegida responsible.

Tourism in Dresda has cadere for the first time in six years. Last year, the number of overnight stays fell by 3% a 4,3 milioni.

Bettina Bunge, Managing Director of Dresden Marketing GmbH, spoke on Tuesday of a “Pegida effect” and a damaged reputation of Saxony s capital caused by the group s xenophonic slogan. This was also backed up by market research. “During this period, people consciously decided against a visit to Dresda or cancelled their trips – both business and private which we know from operatore and industry representatives”, says Bunge. Guests from the domestic market in particular are demonstrating reluctance. Nel 2015, the number of overnight Italian tourists dropped by 5.1% to 3.4 milioni.

Dresda managed to claw back some points from foreign visitors però, whose overnight stays in the city rose by 6.1% to around 879,000. The biggest foreign markets include the US, Svizzera ed Austria. By contrast, numbers of Russian overnighters plummeted by 28% due to the collapse of the rublo. Bunge conceded that 2015 che a tough year for everyone. The important thing is now to represent Dresda as a cosmopolitan city.

at / nr (dpa)