BERLIN, May 13 (Xinhua) -- The number of inbound air travelers to Germany has dropped due to inadequate international flight connections, according to a survey published on Tuesday by the German Airports Association (ADV).
The survey, which collected responses from more than 125,000 travelers, revealed that only 21 percent of air passengers arriving in Germany last year were foreign visitors. This marks a sharp decline from 32 percent in 2017.
"Germany, once an attractive travel destination, has been on a downward spiral since the pandemic," said Ralph Beisel, managing director of ADV. The association attributes the decrease to a lack of sufficient international air links.
Even Frankfurt Airport, the country's largest air hub, has not been immune to the slump. Its operator reported on Tuesday a first-quarter loss of 26.4 million euros (29.5 million U.S. dollars), compared with a profit of 12.7 million euros in the same period last year.
The new German government must include air travel in its strategies to enhance Germany's appeal as a travel destination, Beisel said. (1 euro = 1.12 U.S. dollar)
