Munich beer festival gets a boost from China
Outbound tourism from China continues to rise, following COVID.
While short-haul destinations remain the top choices - events further afield continue to tempt travelers - including Germany's world-famous Oktoberfest. Natalie Carney reports.
While short-haul destinations remain the top choices - events further afield continue to tempt travelers - including Germany's world-famous Oktoberfest. Natalie Carney reports.
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00:00Chinese tourists are enjoying travel once more following the end of COVID restrictions.
00:05While most people still choose to travel within China, some are venturing further afield to
00:10exciting cultural events. Natalie Carney reports from Germany's world-famous Oktoberfest.
00:18It's on many people's bucket list. The world's largest beer festival draws in more than six
00:23million people annually from all over the world. And according to travel agencies, more and more
00:29of these people are from China, such as Duqiang and Xianbing who come from Guizhou province.
00:36We have known about Oktoberfest for a long time. We love German culture. It's our first time to
00:42come to Germany. We came here to visit our friends and family. We also came here to
00:47understand what the differences are between Germany and China.
00:55We will tell our friends the history and culture of Oktoberfest when we are back.
01:00We will also tell our friends how lovely and hospitable the Germans are.
01:07Yang Hao, a Chinese robotics student in Munich, brought both his roommate and his
01:12mom to Oktoberfest for the first time. They've come to experience the customs and culture of Bavaria.
01:21I just came to see my son who is studying here and encountered this beer festival which is
01:25great and lucky. It's very lively, very clean, beautiful, crowded and has a national atmosphere.
01:34I think the beer festival is very lively. It is a local traditional festival.
01:38Many people come here and we can experience the atmosphere. I feel very happy.
01:43According to Germany's national tourist board, arrivals from China have been steadily increasing
01:49since long-haul flights resumed after Covid, with Munich and Bavaria being the top choice
01:54for overnight stays. But those numbers are still only half of the 2019 figures
02:00and many beer tents at Oktoberfest are still noticing their absence.
02:06We had a lot of Chinese tourists, visitors, guests here. Fantastic. You often recognize them.
02:12They wear funny costumes. They look like Little Red Riding Hood. But you knew they were from China.
02:18They're in a good mood, funny. But since the pandemic it's decreased. Now I notice a gap in
02:24Chinese guests. There's a shortcoming there. I cannot find an explanation. I see
02:32Chinese or from Asia people running around and having a lot of fun. But the request for
02:40reservations, I would say only one or two percent that comes from China. One reason for this could
02:46be that thirsty visitors should expect to pay between $15 and $17 for a liter of beer. That's
02:53almost four percent more than in 2023. Another change at this year's event is the increase in
03:00security measures following a series of violent acts across Germany, including a deadly knife
03:06attack at another public festival in the city of Solingen in August. Yet beyond this, the appetite
03:12for beer festivals amongst the Chinese is certainly brewing, with China's very own Munich-
03:18inspired Oktoberfest in the city of Qingdao, offering more than 2,000 beers from over 40
03:24countries and regions. Organizers of Germany's event are expecting a more significant uptick
03:30in Chinese patrons next year. Natalie Carney, CGTN, in Munich.