About us

BTW - Umbrella organisation of a strong industry

As an umbrella organisation of the German tourism industry, the Federal Association of the German Tourism Industry (BTW) represents and campaigns for the sector’s common, overlapping interests and needs.

The tourism industry is an extremely heterogeneous but economically immensely strong sector:

• Almost 3 million people in Germany work in the tourism industry – this is 7 percent of Germany's total workforce. In addition, the industry contributes 4.4 percent to gross value added. In Germany, it is almost at eye-level with sectors such as the automobile industry or mechanical engineering. 
• Approximately 280 billion is spent on travelling and in the scope of travelling in Germany per year – about 240 billion thereof by German travellers and nearly 40 billion by tourists from abroad.
• Far more than 400 million overnight stays by domestic and foreign guests can be annually registered in Germany with a growing number of foreign guests which has been above average for many years.
• The Germans themselves spend almost 1.7 billion per year on private days of travel on day tours and longer journeys here in Germany and abroad. Furthermore, there are almost 200 million business trips in Germany.
• For their international trips alone, Germans spend more than 70 billion euros per year.

No doubt: Germany is a tourist country – this applies to both as a source market as well as a popular holiday destination.

BTW - Coalition of the important players in the tourism industry

Approximately 40 of the largest companies and associations from all areas of the tourism industry in Germany make up the solid basis of the BTW. The spectrum ranges from air, road and rail transport sectors through hotels and the catering sector, travel agencies and congress centres up to tourism marketing. It comprises private tourism as well as the business travel sector.

Our members:

BTW - Political communication and network, studies and events

The BTW’s work has the goal of maintaining and optimizing mobility in order to ensure the attractiveness of travelling. The point is to convey to politicians and the public how strong this industry is, what they accomplish and what framework conditions are necessary in order to meet the enormous travel desire of the people and, at the same time, to continue to function as a strong business factor and job motor. A level playing field – i.e. similar conditions of competition for domestic and international players, for representatives of Old and New Economy – is inevitable for this. Furthermore, it is important to create a reasonable balance between the necessary foundations for a viable and sustainable economy on the one hand and climate and consumer protection on the other.

Therefore, the BTW communicates with the political decision makers and applies itself with its positions and arguments for instance within the framework of legislative processes. At the same time, the association functions as an important network. It provides a platform where representatives of the sector can exchange information not only with each other but also with representatives of politics and science and establish new contacts. Last but not least, the BTW generates facts and figures by means of studies that illustrate the relevance of the industry and can be used within the framework of public and political argumentation.