Munich beer festival gets a boost from China

CGTN Europe

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.

Transcript

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.

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