Thuringian tourism in decline: overnight stays fall in the first quarter!

Thuringian tourism in decline: overnight stays fall in the first quarter!

The number of overnight stays in Thuringia showed a slight decline in March 2025 compared to the same month last year. In total, the region recorded around 678,000 overnight stays, which follows the nationwide trend. How Gotha Current reported, this decline could be due to the postponement of the Easter holidays from March 2024 to April 2025. In the first three months of the year, a total of around 1.7 million overnight stays were recorded in Thuringia, with the average length of stay being 2.6 days, which is above the national average.

The analysis of the overnight stay numbers shows that all Thuringian travel areas recorded fewer overnight stays in March 2025 than in the previous year. However, the Thuringian Forest leads with around 234,000 overnight stays in March 2025, followed by the Wartburg-Hainich World Heritage region with around 85,000 and Erfurt with around 83,000 overnight stays. Interestingly, the Thuringian Vogtland is the only region to show an increase in overnight stays in the first quarter of 2025.

Development of the length of stay

A notable trend shows an increase in the length of stay in the Thuringian Rhön, Vogtland and Saaleland. The average length of stay has also improved in some regions. Overall, the number of overnight stays in guesthouses rose by 7.5% in March 2025 compared to the previous year. These establishments recorded approximately 80,500 overnight stays, an increase of 9.2% quarter-on-quarter.

In the context of the Germany-wide overnight stay figures in March 2025, which were 32.7 million, there was a decline of 7.7% compared to the previous year. Here too, the later Easter holidays are cited as a possible reason for the declines, as stated by the Federal Statistical Office.

Statistical survey and comparability

For a better understanding of tourism development in Thuringia, it is important to note that the statistical authorities regularly publish accommodation statistics. This information comes from the Thuringian State Office for Statistics and the Federal Statistical Office, which collects the number of arrivals and overnight stays in accommodation establishments on a monthly basis. From 2025, however, a comparison of the Thuringian travel areas with the figures from 2019 will no longer be possible due to the adjustments to the travel areas Thuringia Tourism Network determines.

The preliminary overnight stay figures are published regularly by the Thuringian State Office for Statistics, with the final statistics for the year being provided with the publication of the December figures. Although different numbers may appear in different reports, this is a normal part of the statistical process. Anyone interested can download and view the current monthly statistics.