Tourism in Saxony: Nature, history and Christmas as top drivers

Nature and landscape in combination with the cities are the strongest drivers for Saxony's tourism. History, tradition and customs as well as the cultural, leisure and sports offerings also make the Free State attractive as a travel destination. These are the results of a so-called tourism brand driver analysis presented in Dresden on Thursday. According to the study, the topic of Christmas is particularly important, as no other federal state has such a strong focus on it - due to the Ore Mountains and the Dresden Striezelmarkt, among other things.

The aim of the study was to find out what Saxony stands for as a travel destination and what makes it attractive to tourists. It shows "that we are already on a very good path, but that we can still work on some adjustments and sharpen our profile", said Tourism Minister Barbara Klepsch (CDU). The data is to be further analyzed and also looked at regionally. For Tourismus Marketing Gesellschaft Sachsen (TMGS), it provides "a solid scientific basis for deciding what we will "showcase" in terms of tourism in the future", said Managing Director Veronika Hiebl. All destinations and tourism stakeholders in the state would benefit from a strong tourism brand for Saxony.

According to the press release, Brandmeyer Markenberatung conducted over 2,000 interviews across Germany to find out what is associated with Saxony as a travel destination, what makes it attractive and which themes, places, sights, events and activities attract visitors. Culture, history, traditions and customs are more important in the west. In addition to the well-known beacons of Dresden with Elbland, Leipzig and Saxon Switzerland, there are insider tips with different weightings - Oberwiesenthal, for example, is a beacon for respondents in the east, but still an insider tip for those in the west.