Tourism Report 2025

Dresden, 27 February 2026. In what was, on the whole, a challenging market environment, the Dresden Elbland destination successfully held its own in 2025. “We are closing the tourism year with a solid result of 5.6 million overnight stays and 2.5 million visitor arrivals. In addition to the inherent appeal of the city and the region, events and outstanding cultural offerings in particular have attracted visitors from both home and abroad. On this stable foundation, tourism in Dresden Elbland can continue to develop healthily. Targeted investments are paying off, for example in the MICE sector, for which we successfully launched the Dresden Congress Fund in October 2025,” says Annekatrin Klepsch, Councillor for Culture, Science and Tourism for the state capital of Dresden.  

Overall, Dresden Elbland in 2025 is slightly below the previous year’s level, with a 2.0 per cent decline in overnight stays and a 4.0 per cent decline in visitor arrivals. “We are comparing ourselves with a strong previous year, which was characterised by events attracting particularly large numbers of visitors, such as major concerts and conferences, and the Caspar David Friedrich anniversary. At the same time, we are feeling the effects on purchasing power due to national economic crises and the geopolitical situation. In 2025, the FINALS, the World Transplant Games, the Dresden City Festival, the diverse cultural offerings and the city’s appeal as a Christmas destination generated significant tourist demand,” Annekatrin Klepsch continued.  

Domestic market provides a stable base for tourism – Poland, the USA and Austria lead the way among international markets  

At 83 per cent, the largest share of overnight stays comes from domestic visitors, with figures for 2025 showing a 2.4 per cent decline in overnight stays and a 4.6 per cent decline in arrivals. The international market remains stable compared with 2024, with a 0.1 per cent increase in overnight stays and a 1.1 per cent decrease in arrivals. The largest overseas markets in terms of volume in 2025 remain Poland with 109,000 overnight stays, followed by the USA (80,300), Austria (77,000), Switzerland (60,000), the Netherlands (63,000) and the Czech Republic (50,600). Above-average growth is being recorded in particular by smaller source markets such as the UK (up 10 per cent) as well as Denmark and Spain (both up 8 per cent).  

Brandmeyer City Brand Monitor: Dresden ranks 4th among the strongest city brands  

In a nationwide comparison, Dresden ranks among Germany’s leading major cities. The latest Brandmeyer City Brand Monitor, a nationwide survey conducted every five years on the perception of major German cities, ranks the city on the Elbe fourth out of a total of 50 cities in the brand ranking and fifth in the ‘attractiveness’ category. Dresden is also in the top three city break destinations, ranking fourth in the ‘Uniqueness’ category, fifth in the ‘Place to Live’ category, sixth in ‘Likeability’ and eighth in ‘Image’. “This high level of appreciation is of great significance to us, as 83 per cent of overnight guests in Dresden and the Elbland region come from within Germany. Accordingly, we are continuing to invest in our strong brand and are systematically expanding the profile of our destination brand, Dresden Elbland,” says Corinne Miseer, Managing Director of Dresden Marketing GmbH (DMG). 

Next week, DMG will be presenting the latest travel opportunities for Dresden Elbland at ITB Berlin, the world’s largest travel trade fair. In addition, the umbrella marketing organisation is taking part in the month-long exhibition project ‘Central Germany in Paris’ at the Carrousel du Louvre and is supporting the Sächsische Staatskapelle. Alongside the special theme ‘Discover Romanticism’, which focuses on Carl Maria von Weber and Richard Wagner and their connection to Dresden, the DMG is continuing its digitalisation drive, including video formats as part of digital out-of-home advertising in major German cities, its successful social media communications, and online advertising in high-reach media.  

Events as a driver of tourism: the hospitality sector calls for infrastructure expansion  

Events are a key driver of tourism and generate millions in revenue for the city. Having already demonstrated the significant importance of major concerts for tourism in representative studies, the DMG conducted further surveys in 2025. According to these, one in three visitors to the Canaletto. the Dresden City Festival is a tourist. This equates to a total of 765,000 overnight stays. The revenue generated by visitors to the City Festival over three days across the entire city amounts to 92 million euros.  

Dresden’s development as a sporting city is also paying dividends for tourism. Sectors such as the hotel industry, retail and the hospitality sector benefit from both grassroots and professional sporting events. Almost half of the €55 million in revenue generated by the FINALS 2025 was generated by tourists. Over four days, the event generated a total of 450,000 overnight stays by guests and visitors.  

Sebastian Klink, General Manager of the Bilderberg Bellevue Hotel Dresden and Chairman of the Board of the Dresden Tourism Association (Tourismusverband Dresden e.V.), comments: “To maintain Dresden’s appeal at a high level, it is crucial to remain ambitious and not rest on our laurels. Only through continuous commitment can Dresden maintain its position as an attractive destination. Major events play a central role in this. They provide a clear reason to visit and contribute significantly to Dresden’s national and international visibility. Hosting such events not only promotes tourism but also strengthens the city’s image far beyond the region. To successfully persuade organisers of major events to come to Dresden, it is essential to offer them planning certainty. This means that applications for permits are processed swiftly and favourably. In doing so, it is important to make the best possible use of the legal framework to ensure favourable conditions for organisers.” 

Positive response to the Dresden Congress Fund  

To further strengthen its competitiveness, Dresden launched the Dresden Congress Fund in October 2025. The first applications were approved shortly after the launch. Organisers of specialist conferences can apply for support through the fund to successfully stage their events in Dresden. In future, the DMG intends to step up its efforts to encourage Dresden-based academics and businesses to act as Dresden ambassadors, attracting national and international MICE events to the city.  

A look behind the scenes: the Elbland region boosts tourism awareness  

Preparations are underway in Dresden and the Elbland region for the Dresden Elbland Discovery Weekend on 11 and 12 April 2026. Led by the Elbland Dresden Tourism Association (TVED) and the DMG, and supported by the Dresden Tourism Association and the tourist information centres in the Elbland region, the event is designed to offer a behind-the-scenes look at the tourism industry. The aim is to enable local residents to experience first-hand the importance of tourism as an economic driver for the region.  

At the same time, preparations are already underway for one of the region’s most popular events: ‘In 2026, the Open Winery Days in Saxony will be held under the theme “190 Years of Sparkling Wine Tradition in Saxony”. As a unique warm-up on the Thursday before the event weekend, guests will be able to enjoy a sparkling wine tasting on a steamer from the WEIßE FLOTTE SACHSEN. Eight exceptional Saxon sparkling wines will be presented, hosted by former Saxon Wine Queens,” says Olaf Raschke, First Deputy Chairman of the Elbland Dresden Tourism Association.  

Cultural highlights and new visitor attractions in 2026  

The year 2026 in Dresden Elbland will be all about top-class cultural events and new visitor experiences. Alongside the Weber-Wagner anniversary, major special exhibitions will shape the region’s tourism profile, including a special exhibition on Paula Modersohn-Becker and Edvard Munch at the Albertinum, as well as a Correggio retrospective at the Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister. Socially relevant themes will also take centre stage, such as ‘Mental Health’ at the German Hygiene Museum in Dresden. At the same time, major construction and opening projects are boosting the destination’s appeal. The Zwingerhof, which is once again open to the public, new areas in the Royal Palace, and the completion of the Kraftwerk Mitte creative hub are providing further impetus for locals and visitors alike. In March, Tanzplattform Deutschland 2026 will have the whole of Dresden in a dance frenzy, and in June, the Dresden Circus Theatre Festival will celebrate its 5th anniversary with many fans and new visitors. It is particularly in the festival scene that Dresden Elbland 2026 showcases an impressive diversity: the spectrum ranges from the Dresden Music Festival and the Film Nights on the Banks of the Elbe to the Moritzburg Festival and the Meissen Literature Festival. Top-class concerts, such as the Purple Disco Machine in the courtyard of the Dresden Zwinger, act as major crowd-pullers whilst also generating national media coverage and a wide social media reach.  

“Dresden Elbland thrives on the commitment and hospitality of so many people. We are continuing steadfastly along this path and will once again delight many guests from all over the world with our region in 2026,” says Corinne Miseer.