Wiesbaden tourism dips in 2025 but stays above pre-pandemic highs
Wiesbaden Remains a Strong Tourism Hub in 2025
Wiesbaden continues to thrive as a major tourist destination in 2025, recording 561,487 visitor arrivals and 1.321 million overnight stays. While these figures represent a slight decline of 2.8% in arrivals and 1.7% in overnight stays compared to 2024âwhich saw 577,507 arrivals and 1.345 million overnight staysâthe numbers remain at a very high level.
"Even in 2025, Wiesbaden has held its own remarkably well in a challenging market environment," says Christiane Hinninger, Mayor and Head of Economic Affairs. "With over 1.32 million overnight stays, our city remains in high demand both nationally and internationally. Back in 2023, Wiesbaden not only matched its pre-pandemic record year of 2019 but even surpassed it with a 4.5% increase in overnight stays. The latest figures confirm that, after the exceptionally strong years of 2023 and 2024, we are now seeing a consolidation at a high level."
National and State Trends Nationwide, Germany saw a modest 0.3% increase in overnight stays in 2025, while Hesse experienced a 1.2% decline. At the state level, 2025 is viewed as a stabilization following the extraordinary performance in 2024, which was heavily influenced by the UEFA European Football Championship.
Hesse's overall tourism figures for 2025 show that the state, with 34.3 million overnight stays, has still not fully recovered to pre-pandemic levels (35.6 million in 2019, a shortfall of 3.7%). "What stands out is the long-term comparison: Wiesbaden has performed exceptionally well, with 1.321 million overnight stays in 2025âstill above pre-pandemic levels. Despite the slight dip from 2024, the city remains 3.3% above its previous record in 2019," officials note.
Domestic and International Visitors In 2025, domestic overnight stays in Wiesbaden fell by 1.9% to 1.049 million. The number of international visitors dropped by 5.1% to 90,567, while their overnight stays decreased only slightly by 1.0% to 271,940. This suggests that international guests continue to actively choose Wiesbaden and tend to stay for comparable lengths of time.
Key International Markets The United States remains Wiesbaden's top international source market in 2025, with 62,830 overnight stays, though this marks an 8.0% decline. In contrast, the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland saw a significant surge, recording 36,371 overnight staysâa 55.0% increase. Other notable gains came from Italy (+10.3%), Australia (+35.6%), Norway (+61.2%), India (+76.2%), and Portugal (+84.9%). Meanwhile, overnight stays from the Netherlands fell by 18.7%, and those from the Arab Gulf states declined by 17.0%.
"The data reveals that international tourism in 2025 was highly dynamic, with markets developing very differently," says Martin Michel, Managing Director of Wiesbaden Congress & Marketing GmbH. "Our goal for 2026 is to strategically position Wiesbaden in our key source markets. The city benefits from its reputation as a hub for culture, wellness, gastronomy, and conferences. We will continue to develop these strengths and sharpen Wiesbaden's tourism profile sustainably."
While some months throughout the year saw declines in arrivals and overnight staysâparticularly June and Julyâthis trend mirrors broader patterns across Hesse and can be partly attributed to the exceptionally strong figures from the same period in 2024, when the UEFA European Championship boosted tourism. August 2025, however, recorded a significant upturn, with arrivals rising by 7.1% and overnight stays by 4.6%. Foreign visitor overnight stays surged notably by 9.7% in August, a month traditionally marked by the Rheingau Wine Week, a cornerstone of WICM GmbH's national and international marketing efforts.
Major conferences, trade fairs, and conventions held at venues operated by WICM GmbH play a key role in driving business travel to Wiesbaden. Among the most well-attended events at the RheinMain CongressCenter (RMCC) in 2025 were the German Radiology Congress, with around 11,000 participants, the Founder Summit, drawing roughly 10,000 attendees, and the Congress of Internal Medicine hosted by the German Society for Internal Medicine, with some 9,000 participants. The Connichi convention attracted approximately 27,000 visitors over three days, while the German Rheumatology Congress 2025 (4,500 attendees), the bpt Congress of the Federal Association of Practicing Veterinarians (4,200 attendees), and the German Spine Congress (2,000 attendees) also contributed to strong visitor numbers at the RMCC.
Large-scale public events at the RMCC further enhanced tourism revenue, including performances by the Ehrlich Brothers (around 8,000 attendees), Dieter Nuhr (4,900), and BĂźlent Ceylan (approximately 4,000). Meanwhile, the Kurhaus Wiesbaden hosted high-profile concerts and events, with standout performances such as Revolverheld's open-air concert as part of the Rheingau Music Festival (around 3,400 attendees), as well as shows by Nico Santos and Gianna Nannini (each drawing roughly 2,700 guests) and Gregory Porter (about 2,600 attendees). Established events like the InterWhisky fair, with around 2,000 daily visitors, and the Ball of Wine, with approximately 1,700 guests, also added to the vibrant program.
