Far and away the biggest slice of the pie is in city breaks, at 41 percent. Next on the list is multi-destination tours, at 14 percent, then rural tourism, at nine percent. In terms of source markets, the Netherlands is top, followed by Switzerland and then the USA. Word is that the UK has climbed to fourth in the current year.

Some 90 percent of visitor bookings are made online, with 18 percent via a travel agent or tour operator (either online or in person).

This year’s themes are sustainability and UNESCO World Heritage sites, with particular emphasis on newcomers, the Jewish-medieval heritage of Erfurt, and the Alpine and sub-alpine meadow marshes of Bavaria.