Germany Travel Mart: Largest incoming tourism workshop for Germany as a travel destination comes to Oberhausen
“Germany Travel MartTM 2026 is a milestone for urban tourism development"
Frankfurt am Main/Oberhausen, 31 March 2025. Oberhausen will host the largest and most important workshop for German incoming tourism: From 19 to 21 April 2026, the GNTB – German National Tourist Board will hold its annual Germany Travel MartTM, or GTM for short, will be held in Oberhausen for the first time. The GNTB and the OWT Oberhausen Tourism and Business Development GmbH expect around 500 experts and media representatives from over 30 countries to attend.
The official handover ceremony for 2026 took place at the conclusion of this year's GTM in Bonn. There, Petra Hedorfer, Chairwoman of the Board of the German National Tourist Board, presented the GTM trophy to Rainer Suhr, Head of Tourism and Marketing at OWT Oberhausen Tourism and Business Development GmbH.
Petra Hedorfer explains: "The new GTM 360° format was extremely successful. The focus was on cooperation and exchange – with the goal of initiating new business deals, strengthening markets, and increasing Germany's international visibility as a travel destination. Oberhausen will be our host in 2026 and exemplifies the dynamic transformation of the Ruhr region into an attractive tourist destination with a broad cultural offering – the old zinc factory as a GTM venue reflects this ongoing development. I am convinced that the OWT will create an excellent framework to showcase the performance and innovative strength of the German tourism industry to international buyers."
OWT Managing Director Dr. Andreas Henseler emphasizes: "Awarding the GTM to Oberhausen is a vote of confidence and, at the same time, a special recognition of our development to date. It offers a tremendous opportunity to put Oberhausen on the international map for exciting city breaks." Recently, one in five overnight guests in Oberhausen came from abroad.
The focus of every GTM is the two-day workshop as a central sales platform for German incoming tourism, with closely timed sales discussions between German travel service providers and international buyers – with the aim of closing as many deals as possible. It will be held in the former Zinkfabrik Altenberg The event will take place directly behind the main train station. The supporting program includes a large evening event, but above all, a comprehensive range of tours and sightseeing tours of the destination. This opportunity will also give guests from all over the world an opportunity to explore the tourist highlights in Oberhausen and the rest of the Ruhr region. A particular focus will be on the green transformation of the region and the International Garden Exhibition Ruhr Region 2027, which will provide an additional travel opportunity for guests from abroad the following year.
For Rainer Suhr, Head of Tourism and Marketing at OWT, the GTM is "a very significant milestone" in Oberhausen's tourism development. "We are a young destination with high leisure and experience value. An event as prestigious as the GTM will sustainably strengthen our image and give us a strong boost."
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Caption: Handover in Bonn – the GTM Cup goes to Oberhausen
Looking forward to the Germany Travel Mart 2026 in Oberhausen: Petra Hedorfer, Chairwoman of the Board of the German National Tourism Organization (2nd from left), and Julia Grundmann, Head of International Markets & Cooperations for SMEs and the Travel Industry at the DZT, at the trophy presentation to Rainer Suhr, Head of Tourism and Marketing at OWT Oberhausener Wirtschafts- und Tourismusförderung GmbH (left), and Christoph Wüllner, Head of Press and Public Relations at IGA Metropole Ruhr 2027 gGmbH.
© Photo: DZT, Jens Wegener
Press contact: OWT Oberhausen Economic and Tourism Promotion GmbH, Michael Schmitz, Tel. (0208) 850 36-36, E-Mail: michael.schmitz@owtgmbh.de, Centroallee 269, 46047 Oberhausen