Harwardt PR & Marketing is a full-service tourism marketing and public relations agency based in Hannover, Germany, working with destinations and travel brands across the D-A-CH region and beyond. The agency combines creativity with strategy to deliver measurable performance through tailored B2B and B2C campaigns that build awareness, demand and sustainable growth.
Services include trade marketing, media relations and storytelling, MICE marketing and sales, digital and social media campaigns, and strategic consulting. The team also organises events, roadshows, press and FAM trips, and represents clients at leading international trade shows.
With strong travel trade and media relationships, deep market insight and a data-driven, AI-enhanced approach, Harwardt PR & Marketing develops innovative, results-focused campaigns that open new distribution channels and create lasting impact for tourism brands.
Image Credit: Joshua Kettle
Market Overview
Germany is one of the largest outbound tourism markets in the world. German travellers consistently rank among the top global spenders on international travel, making them a key source market for many destinations across Europe, the Mediterranean, and long-haul regions.
The market recovered strongly after COVID-19, with outbound travel volumes in 2023–2025 approaching or exceeding pre-pandemic levels (2019). Outbound tourism is therefore a major component of the German tourism economy, with strong demand for leisure, package holidays, and cultural travel.
German travellers tend to prefer nearby European and Mediterranean destinations, though long-haul travel is also growing. Top outbound destinations typically include: Spain, Austria, Turkey, Italy and Netherlands. For long-haul travel, popular destinations include: Thailand, Mexico and USA.
German outbound tourists are known for longer stays (often 7-14 days), high spending per trip, early booking behaviour especially for summer holidays, and a preference for package holidays and organised tours. Important trends shaping German outbound travel include a growth in sustainable and eco-conscious travel, increasing digital booking and dynamic packaging, rising interest in long-haul experiential travel and dominance of package holidays despite the online booking trend.
Looking ahead to the next decade it is expected that there will be a growing appetite for long-haul and “bucket-list” destinations, increasing interest in sustainable and nature-based travel and expansion of international air connectivity, particularly with Asia. It is likely that Germany will remain one of the world’s most valuable outbound tourism markets, with trip volumes exceeding pre-COVID levels and spending continuing to grow despite economic headwinds.
Team Members
Sarah Harwardt
CEOSarah founded Hardwardt PR & Marketing in 2016 and leads its work representing major tourism clients including long-standing partnerships such as the Utah Office of Tourism, with creative, tailored campaigns and strong industry relationships. Sarah brings international marketing experience and multilingual skills to her leadership role.