Tourism & Hospitality | Sunday 22 April, 2018 3:38 am |

The German National Tourist Office (GNTO) for the Gulf countries has put on a spectacular feast of German delicacies at the Jumeirah Al Qasr hotel as a celebration of this year’s asparagus season. The dinner was organised in support of the GNTO’s annual ‘Culinary Germany’ campaign, which launched this year in a bid to promote ‘Destination Germany’as one of the world’s best culinary destinations.

 

Sigrid de Mazieres, Director for the Gulf countries at the German National Tourist Office, said the following about the dinner: “The white asparagus season is a special occasion for most Germans and a seasonal highlight on Germany’s culinary calendar.” 

 

She added: “Throughout history and across all cultures, food and drink has always been about bringing people closer together, and we are pleased to now share these gastronomic delights with the local community and to provide inspiration for their upcoming summer travels.” 

 

The asparagus season starts in April and officially finishes at the end of June. Asparagus represents the Germans’ affinity for fresh, seasonal produce as well as Germany’s strong and innovativefarming culture, especially as white asparagus only grows under very particular conditions. It gets its intriguing, white colour as a result of growing under temperature-controlled mounds of soil that completely block out sunlight, much unlike the way the more common green variety, which is grown above ground.

 

The dinner is not only a celebration of the asparagus season, but also an opportunity to showcase the rest of Germany’s culinary offerings throughout the year. It forms part of the GNTO’s diverse marketing initiatives in the GCC region to promote ‘DestinationGermany’as an attractive year-round travel destination.

 

According to a recent survey, 7% of tourists that visited Germany on holiday said that the quality and variety of food and drink available was their primary consideration when selecting it as their holiday destination. After sightseeing, they stated that eating out at restaurants and cafes was their second favourite activity.

 

Germany has more than 300 Michelin-starred restaurants and its major cities, such as Berlin, Frankfurt and Hamburg, are fast becoming world-class hubs for travellers looking for more unique dining options. These could include food markets, street food stands, diverse and authentic cuisines, high-quality coffee shops and fine dining experiences.

 

The GCC is one of the top 20 source markets for Germany and the third largest non-European source market, after China and USA. In 2016, Germany ranked top among GCC travellers, even ahead of UK, Turkey and France. 

 

For the eight consecutive year, the number of international visitors to Germany in 2017 reached record levels, showing a 3.6 % increase overall to 2016. According to the Federal Statistical Office, there were 83.9 million international overnight stays recorded in accommodation establishments with at least ten beds.