Lower Saxony is struggling: tourism numbers fell dramatically in March 2025!

Lower Saxony is struggling: tourism numbers fell dramatically in March 2025!

In March 2025, Lower Saxony will record a noticeable decline in the tourism sector. The number of guests fell by 3.0 percent to almost 1.1 million compared to the previous year, while overnight stays also fell significantly by 12.1 percent to almost 2.9 million, reported District newspaper. These figures reflect the challenges facing the industry, particularly in a market subject to complex developments.

Interestingly, however, overnight stays by foreign guests increased by 4.7 percent to almost 228,000, and arrivals from abroad also increased by 7.9 percent to over 95,000. This suggests that Lower Saxony has become more attractive, at least internationally, while the domestic figures are less encouraging.

Declines in key regions

The occupancy rate of sleeping accommodation was 27.2 percent in March 2025. Particularly drastic declines were seen in the popular holiday regions. On the North Sea coast, the number of overnight stays fell by 9.8 percent and fell to over 896,000. The East Frisian Islands were particularly hard hit, recording a decline of 15.3 percent to just under 582,000 overnight stays.

In the first quarter of 2025, a total of almost 2.6 million guests came to accommodation in Lower Saxony. This corresponds to a decrease of 1.4 percent compared to the previous year. The number of overnight stays booked even fell by 7.1 percent to almost 7 million.

Regional differences and trends

While many regions experienced declines, there were also some positive exceptions. The number of overnight stays increased in certain travel regions: The Hanover-Hildesheim region recorded 921,000 overnight stays, which corresponds to an increase of 0.7 percent. The Lower Elbe-Unterweser and the Oldenburger Land were also able to improve their numbers, with increases of 1.9 percent to over 177,000 and 3.1 percent to almost 169,000 overnight stays, as Tourism network notes.

The consumer climate in Germany is inconsistent. On the one hand, economic and income expectations are rising, but on the other hand, the propensity to buy is falling slightly, which could have an impact on Germans' travel budgets. The question therefore remains as to how the booking situation will develop in the long term.

Overall, these developments present tourism professionals with major challenges. The reasons for the declines are complex and range from economic concerns to changing travel habits, which also influence how people remember the last few years. The coming months will be crucial to analyze the trends and adjust if necessary.