Stuart Forster visits the Germany Travel Mart in Wiesbaden, taking the opportunity to photograph the event and the host city.

The 45th Germany Travel Mart, known widely as the GTM, was held in Wiesbaden from 12 to 14 May 2019. The annual event brings together members of the travel industry to showcase tourism-related products from across Germany — including tourist attractions, hotels and destinations.

It was the third time that Wiesbaden, Hesse’s state capital, hosted the GTM.

The Kurhaus in Wiesbaden.

Germany Travel Mart in Wiesbaden

The RheinMain Congress Center (RMCC) was the venue for the Germany Travel Mart’s trade show, workshops and the German National Tourist Board’s (GNTB) annual press conference.

The RheinMain Congress Center (RMCC) hosted the Germany Travel Mart in Wiesbaden.

The state-of-the-art convention centre opened in April 2018.

The building was designed by Ferdinand Heide Architekt BDA, an architectural company based in nearby Frankfurt am Main.

It takes less than 45 minutes to travel on local transport, known as the S-Bahn, from Frankfurt International Airport to Wiesbaden. As part of efforts to minimise the environmental impact of the GTM, passes presented to delegates included the use of public transport in and around Wiesbaden.

During the press conference, Petra Hedorfer, Chief Executive Officer of the GNTB, presented Germany’s 2018 tourism results. Journalists from 51 countries heard that the total number of overnight stays in Germany by foreign visitors had increased for the ninth successive year.

The 2019 Germany Travel Mart was declared open during a gala event at Wiesbaden’s Kurhaus. The predecessor of the grand building housed a spa in which royalty and influential members of society gathered. The current building, erected during the first decade of the 20th century, serves as a venue for social gatherings and is the location of Wiesbaden’s casino.

The RheinMain Congress Center hosting the 45th GTM, the 2019 Germany Travel Mart.

An evening at Eberbach Abbey

Delegates attending the 45th GTM were invited to an evening event at Eberbach Abbey, a former Cistercian monastery in the Rheingau.

The region is renowned for its quality Riesling wines and the abbey has featured the Steinberg vineyard for almost 800 years. The abbey’s atmospheric vaulted cellars hold wooden barrels used for maturing wine and were illuminated by candlelight as GTM delegates visited.

Hessen Tourismus, the organisation that promotes tourism to the state of Hesse, used the evening to showcase the region’s culinary heritage and tourist attractions.

That meant opportunities to taste food and drink and chat with representatives from towns and cities across the state.

Beer served at Eberbach Abbey (Kloster Eberbach).

Delegates danced to rock and pop music performed on a stage in the abbey’s courtyard.

The evening closed with a choral recital inside the deconsecrated abbey church.

The building’s grand arches and colourful lighting helped create an impressive setting for the performance.

The acoustics of the former church ensured that the voices of the singers carried. It is one of the reasons why Eberbach Abbey is a venue in the annual Rheingau Musik Festival.

Choir singing in the former church at Eberbach Abbey (Kloster Eberbach) at Eltville am Rhein.

Images by Why Eye Photography

Photographs illustrating this article are by Stuart Forster.

Stuart speaks fluent German and is available for assignments in German-speaking countries.

He has experience of photographing on commission for travel, lifestyle and trade magazines.

To discuss your photography requirements, please call +44 (0) 7947 587136 or send an email to [email protected].

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