The German hotel market has always differed from other markets in Europe, such as those in France and the United Kingdom, because room rates are relatively low in comparison. Unlike many countries, which began to feel the effects of the economic downturn by the end of 2008, the German hotel market showed a 2 percent increase in the number of overnight stays by domestic and international visitors. It was not until the first few months of 2009 that Germany began to feel the impact of the downturn on tourism, led by a fall in corporate travel as well as by a decrease in trade fair business. While leisure demand from foreign source markets suffered from decreasing consumer confidence, domestic tourism in Germany remained relatively strong. Therefore, cities that rely predominantly on the commercial segments — such as Frankfurt, Stuttgart and Düsseldorf — saw huge declines in occupancy.
In 2010, however, the German market showed signs of brisk recove
