One of Europe's most renowned cities is urging holidaymakers to visit amid widespread anti-tourism protests in popular Spanish and French destinations.
German capital Berlin is presenting itself as a remedy to the crowds, sweltering temperatures and anti-tourist fury seen in some of Europe's most popular visitor hubs.
Berlin, famed for its art scene and nightlife, has fallen behind the post-pandemic visitor boom to other much-loved city destinations like Paris, Rome and Madrid.
According to the Berlin-Brandenburg statistics office, the German capital attracted 5.9 million visitors in the first half of 2025 - down by 1.8 per cent compared to this time last year.
The German capital of Berlin is presenting itself as a remedy to the crowds, sweltering temperatures and anti-tourist fury
|REUTERS
During the same period, hotel occupancy in Berlin stood at around 52.8 per cent, falling behind Madrid at 65 per cent and Paris with 79 per cent.
The city's restaurants, hotels and attractions remain relatively affordable - with hospitality bosses hailing low-cost days out.
"Prices in Berlin are absolutely moderate," said Jan Philipp Bubinger, managing partner of the Staendige Vertretung restaurant.
Berlin, famed for its art scene and nightlife, has fallen behind the post-pandemic visitor boom to other much-loved city destinations
|REUTERS
While Christian Taenzler, a spokesman for the VisitBerlin tourism board, said: "We really don't have a problem with over-tourism.
"The city is large and people spread out... Especially in summer, when Berliners are away, there's quite a lot of space."
Some German tourist boards are holding out hope that hotter weather will cause a shift in demand as visitors could choose cooler destinations for their holidays.
A European Commission Joint Research Centre study found that heatwaves are making southern European destinations, such as Spain and Greece, less appealing in the height of the summer season.
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A European Commission Joint Research Centre study discovered that heatwaves are making southern European destinations, such as Spain and Greece, less appealing
|GETTY
Adrian Prettejohn, an economist for Capital Economics, said: "While this theme may well emerge over the coming years, there is little evidence of it so far."
Mr Taenzler highlighted that Berlin, where the weather rarely exceeds 25C in the summer months, could be a top location for tourists seeking to avoid sky-high temperatures in the coming years.
He said: "We are a very green city, with a lot of water and swimming options, and a lot of shade.
"I think that will gain in importance in the future."
Figures within the tourism industry have have blamed the lower international visitor numbers on the city's new airport, Berlin-Brandenburg, which opened its doors in 2020.
Ultra-low cost airline Ryanair announced last year that it would be cutting flights to the new airport by a fifth following repeated complaints from CEO Eddie Wilson over taxes and visitor capacity.
Budget cuts to the city's cultural sector has also been touted as another factor in explaining the drop in tourism.
The Senate of Berlin is pushing to slash some €130million (£112million) from the city's culture budget this year.
The Green Party Berlin spokesman for tourism, Julian Schwarze, said: "What's being done here is catastrophic budgeting.
"If the impression arises that culture is being lost, then I'll save myself the trip to Berlin."