Sauerland tourism looks ahead to a successful 2025

The Sauerland can look back on an all-round pleasing tourism year in 2025. With a slight but noticeable increase in guest arrivals and overnight stays, the region has once again confirmed its position as one of the most popular vacation and leisure destinations in North Rhine-Westphalia.

From January to December 2025, a total of 2.62 million guest arrivals (+ 3.3 %) with 7.84 million overnight stays (+ 2.3 %) were recorded in the Sauerland. This means that the previous year's level was not only reached, but even slightly exceeded. The underlying figures relate to the entire tourist region, including the municipalities of Diemelsee and Willingen in Hesse. The high demand in April and June in particular, and most recently in December, ensured a successful annual result for tourism in "Germany's inspiring outdoor region".

The majority of trips to the Sauerland in 2025 were again made by visitors from Germany, primarily from the nearby metropolitan areas of the Rhineland and Ruhr. A total of 2.23 million arrivals and 6.59 million overnight stays were registered by domestic guests. "The short journey time makes the Sauerland a particularly attractive destination for spontaneous short breaks and regular leisure stays," explains Rouven Soyka, press spokesman for Sauerland Tourism. The Sauerland remains one of the leading destinations in Germany, particularly for vacations of two to three nights, family trips and active nature experiences.

At the same time, international tourism is also continuing on its recreational course. A total of 386,673 guests traveled to the Sauerland from abroad in 2025, accounting for 1.25 million overnight stays. This is primarily due to the continued high demand from the neighboring countries of the Netherlands and Belgium, which are the most important foreign target groups for the Sauerland.

"The development in 2025 is a positive signal for the entire tourism industry in the region," explains Max Hoffmeister, Deputy Managing Director of Sauerland Tourism. "The Sauerland impresses with its diversity, high quality and strong cooperation with local tourism partners. This continues to make us extremely attractive as a year-round destination." With a view to 2026, Sauerland Tourism wants to continue its successful development - among other things, through sustainable development of the offer, quality improvement and targeted marketing measures at home and abroad.

Download the press release as a PDF here.

Contact for the press:
Rouven Soyka, Sauerland-Tourismus e. V.
Johannes-Hummel-Weg 1, 57392 Schmallenberg
Tel.: 02974-969830, e-mail: presse@sauerland.com