Nürnberg’s tourism sector maintains record-level performance in 2025, supported by strong domestic travel and a surge in winter visitors during the city’s famous Christmas market season.
The German city records 3,866,470 overnight stays in 2025, a slight increase of 0.1 percent compared with the previous year and equivalent to 1,969 additional overnight stays. Tourist arrivals rise by 2.5 percent to 2,147,101, showing continued stability after the record-breaking year of 2024.
The results are largely driven by domestic visitors. Overnight stays by travelers from within Germany increase by 1.1 percent, while international overnight stays decline by 2.1 percent during the year.
Dr. Andrea Heilmaier, Nürnberg’s Head of Economic and Science Affairs, said the figures demonstrate the city’s resilience as a travel destination.
“The tourism figures impressively demonstrate how strongly Nürnberg is positioned as a destination. Particularly pleasing is December 2025 as the strongest individual month since records began – also thanks to our flagship Christkindlesmarkt. When international leading trade fairs, strong events and the attractiveness of our city center come together, a strong appeal is created. Retail, gastronomy, the hotel industry and many other sectors benefit from this – and above all the people whose jobs are secured here. Tourism is not an end in itself for Nürnberg, but a central economic driver with a sustainable effect,” said Dr. Andrea Heilmaier, Head of Economic and Science Affairs.
December 2025 becomes the strongest month ever recorded in Nürnberg’s accommodation statistics. The city registers 400,578 overnight stays during the month, an increase of 3.3 percent compared with December 2024.
The figure marks the first time a single month has surpassed the 400,000 overnight stay threshold in Nürnberg. December 2025 replaces July 2025 as the previous record holder.
City tourism officials say the Christkindlesmarkt Christmas market continues to act as a major draw for winter visitors, reinforcing Nürnberg’s reputation as one of Europe’s best-known festive destinations.
Yvonne Coulin, Managing Director of the Congress- und Tourismus-Zentrale Nürnberg (CTZ), said the results confirm the city’s steady tourism development.
“The current figures confirm the continued stable tourism development of Nürnberg. The positive development in the domestic market and strong leisure months have particularly contributed to maintaining the record level of the previous year. Achieving this despite a trade fair year that was regularly weaker underlines the city’s broad tourism positioning,” said Yvonne Coulin.
Domestic travelers remain Nürnberg’s most important market, accounting for 67 percent of all overnight stays. Around 2.6 million domestic guests stay overnight in the city in 2025.
International tourism shows a decline, with around 1.3 million overnight stays recorded from foreign visitors, a decrease of 2.1 percent. Of these, 872,274 overnight stays come from European countries, representing a 3.0 percent drop.
Among Nürnberg’s international source markets, only Austria and the Netherlands record growth. Overnight stays from Austrian visitors increase by 2.7 percent, while visitors from the Netherlands grow by 2.2 percent.
Other key international markets decline more sharply. Overnight stays from Italy fall by 13.4 percent and those from Poland decrease by 11.6 percent. The United States, Nürnberg’s most important long-haul source market, records a 2.9 percent decline in overnight stays.
Tourism officials say the decline in international visitors is partly linked to the trade fair calendar. Several globally significant industry fairs that normally attract international business travelers do not take place in Nürnberg in 2025.
Despite this, the United States remains the city’s largest international source market, followed by Italy and Austria.
Alongside visitor growth, Nürnberg continues expanding digital tools designed to help travelers explore the city. The “Nürnberger Quartiere” web app now includes Unschlittplatz, adding another historic district to its digital guide.
The platform provides information on restaurants, shops, cultural venues and local landmarks, helping visitors navigate different neighborhoods and distributing tourism flows more evenly across the old town.
The web app has around 50,000 users and records 270,000 page views, with an average session duration of about two minutes and thirty seconds.
Tourism marketing initiatives are also continuing in 2026. The city’s “Nürnberg klingt nach!” campaign, launched to promote Nürnberg through its music festivals, will return with expanded programming.
Two major anniversaries will headline the campaign in 2026. The Bardentreffen music festival celebrates its 50th anniversary and the 450th birthday of historical figure Hans Sachs, and the festival will be extended by an additional day.
The Music Festival ION will also mark its 75th anniversary, further strengthening Nürnberg’s cultural calendar. The campaign will additionally incorporate Rock im Park, expanding the portfolio with an event that has international reach.
Looking ahead, tourism officials are also preparing for the planned reopening of the Documentation Center at the former Nazi Party Rally Grounds in 2026.
The reopening is expected to attract significant international media attention and will form a key part of Nürnberg’s tourism communication strategy in major markets including the United States, the United Kingdom and Austria.
With strong domestic demand, internationally recognized events and landmark attractions such as the Christkindlesmarkt, Nürnberg’s tourism industry continues to demonstrate resilience while building momentum for future growth.
Photo Credit: saiko3p / Shutterstock.com
