Oberammergau wins bid from German National Tourist Board for Germany Travel Mart (GTM)
The German National Tourist Board (GNTB) is organising the Germany Travel Mart (GTM) 2022 in the municipality of Oberammergau. Two weeks before the premiere of the 42nd Oberammergau Passion Play and one week before the Youth Days, the most important sales event for the international marketing of Germany as a travel destination will be held in a rural area for the first time from 2 to 4 May. After big cities like Cologne, Dresden or Nuremberg, the Ammertal community has won the bid.
"It is a special honour for the municipality of Oberammergau to welcome the GTM," says 1st Mayor Andreas Rödl. "Through the Passion Play, our centuries-old tradition of wood carving, the "Lüftlmalerei" (wall paintings in fresco technique) and our unique tourism region in the heart of the Ammergau Alps Nature Park, we can offer a diverse repertoire of tourism opportunities that are synonymous with Bavaria and Germany in the world."
The sustainable positioning of the Passion Play in the following years as well as the strengthening of regional tourism not only for Oberammergau but for the entire district are the main focus. Up to 400 professionals from the travel industry and about 150 media representatives are expected to come to exchange and inform themselves about the latest developments and products in the tourism sector in Germany.
After the two virtual realisations of the GTM 2020 and 2021 due to the restrictions of the Corona pandemic, the GTM will again take place as a face-to-face event in 2022.
The origin of the Passion Play goes back to a vow made in 1633 by the people of Oberammergau to avert the then rampant plague. 103 performances are planned for the 42nd Passion Play in 2022. Around 2,400 participants from the village will be on stage next year, including almost 500 children. The premiere is scheduled for 14 May, the last performance is on 2 October. The Passion Play Theatre in Oberammergau has 4,500 seats, making it the largest open-air stage with a roofed auditorium in the world.
From left to right: Walter Rutz, CEO Passionsspiele Oberammergau Vertriebs GmbH & Co. KG, Oberammergau's 2nd Mayor Eugen Huber with 1st Mayor Andreas Rödl, Gerhard Griebler, CEO Passionsspiele Oberammergau Vertriebs GmbH & Co. KG (Photos: Sebastian Schulte)
About the GNTB
The German National Tourist Board (GNTB) has its headquarters in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. It works on behalf of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairsand Energy (BMWi) to represent Germany as a tourist destination and is funded by the Ministryin accordance with a decision taken by the German Bundestag. The GNTB develops and communicates strategies and products to promote Germany's positive image abroad as a tourist destination and to encourage touriststo visit the country. The GNTB has 27agencies around the world, covering over 40 markets worldwide,to support its activities.