GNTB brings US travel leaders and German tourism industry together at Lake Constance - Get updated on what's happening in tourism!

The German National Tourist Board (GNTB) will host the workshop of its 2026 US Advisory Board Meeting on 29 September at the Inselhalle conference centre in Lindau on Lake Constance. The event will bring together representatives of the German tourism industry and leading decision-makers from the US travel sector to discuss market developments, consumer trends and future business opportunities.

Held in cooperation with Internationale Bodensee Tourismus (IBT) GmbH and Lindau Tourismus und Kongress GmbH, the workshop offers German tourism businesses direct access to key players in one of the country's most important long-haul source markets. Lufthansa will support the event as the official airline partner.

USA remains one of Germany's strongest inbound markets

According to GNTB Chief Executive Officer Petra Hedorfer, the United States continues to play a crucial role in Germany's inbound tourism. In 2025, visitors from the US generated almost seven million overnight stays and spent a total of €9.6 billion during their trips to Germany.

Demand has remained resilient in 2026. During the first five months of the year, overnight stays by US visitors increased by 0.6 per cent. Stable air fares and the competitive value offered by Germany's hotel sector compared with other European destinations have supported continued growth.

"River cruises, as well as authentic cultural, culinary and nature experiences, are particularly popular in the American market," said Petra Hedorfer. "Our AI-supported market forecast expects further growth of 1.8 per cent over the coming months. With the GNTB US Advisory Board Workshop, we are providing our German SME partners with valuable impetus to make targeted use of these market opportunities and further strengthen their positioning in the North American market."

Lake Constance highlights its international ambitions

For the Lake Constance region, hosting the event underlines the importance of the North American market.

"The US market is of great importance to our region. We are therefore delighted to host this year's US Advisory Board Meeting at Lake Constance," said Nina Hanstein, Managing Director of Internationale Bodensee Tourismus (IBT) GmbH. "The Four-Country Lake Constance Region stands for high-quality nature and cultural experiences, as well as genuine hospitality. Through direct dialogue with the leading decision-makers in the US travel industry, we aim to generate fresh momentum and further strengthen our international visibility as a destination."

AI, market trends and industry networking

The annual GNTB US Advisory Board Out-of-Country Meeting is hosted at different destinations across Germany and brings together senior executives from the American travel industry with German tourism partners.

This year's programme includes a keynote by Brennen Bliss, CEO of the digital marketing agency Propellic, on "The New Playbook for Travel Marketing in an AI World". The agenda also features market analyses, expert presentations and panel discussions involving representatives from USTOA, Tauck, Exeter International, Globus Family of Brands, Kuoni Tumlare, Tripadvisor, the Lufthansa Group and Rail Europe.

Networking sessions and one-to-one meetings will provide additional opportunities for participants to establish new business contacts and deepen existing partnerships.

Registration for the workshop is open until 31 August 2026 via the GNTB Activity Board.

Image Credit: © AI generated illustration