The U.S. stands up for its piece of the German market

U.S. tourism is widely represented at the Berlin Tourism Fair in an effort to highlight its importance in the German market now that the chances of Washington declaring war against Iraq grow with each passing hour. Americans believe their long-run prospects in the German market look pretty good.

The Berlin International Tourism Marketplace (ITB) –the largest tradeshow of its kind in the world- gets underway a week after the approval of a state-sponsored $50 million aid package aimed at the promotion of the U.S. leisure industry, the first one ever granted by the U.S. Commerce Department since 1995.

The flow of German travelers to the United States skidded slightly last year after taking a spectacular 25 percent plunge in 2001, the U.S. Commerce Department reported.

According to Elizabeth Powell from the U.S. Trade Service, the number of German bookings for the United States went up in January and February. As we speak, though, the market is seriously bogged down.

Nevertheless, read what Jacques Casez from the Germany-based Visit USA has to say: “Business will go back to normal as usual as soon as the war is over, or at least as soon as the Iraqi situation is worked out.”

Both Mr. Powell and Mr. Casez warn the greatest danger in the short run for German travelers moving to U.S. destinations is Germany’s own economic woes that have unfortunately spawned 4.7 million jobless people.