From the DW:
“German Christmas trade: Selling
trees to the Netherlands, buying baubles from China”
Festive government stats show
German Christmas tree exports took a hit in 2018, while domestic tourism and
the retail sector fared well. Germany also imported more decorations and
presents than ever, mostly from China. Germany imported more Christmas
decorations and exported fewer Christmas trees in 2018, according to statistics
released on Monday by the government's statistics agency, Destatis. The
statistics are released annually and also showed that more people in Germany
spent Christmas in hotels or other accommodation in 2018 compared to previous
years. This is good news for the tourism
industry and for the retail sector, which also saw the profit margins of many
goods such as electronics and body care products increase slightly in the
months leading up to Christmas 2019. Given the large number of Germans staying
in Germany, the statistics also look good for the domestic tourism industry. However,
it is less promising for the German Christmas tree industry, with a fall in
exports compared to the previous year.
What are the figures?
30 million overnight stays were
recorded in Germany in December 2018, 24 million by Germans, an increase of 21%
from 2013. Of foreign tourists staying in Germany in December, the largest
numbers hailed from the Netherlands (691,000 rooms overnight), the US (485,000
rooms) and the UK (483,000). Germany exported 17% fewer Christmas trees in 2018
compared to 2017, 742,000 tons down from 897,000 tons. Most German Christmas
trees are grown in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, where Cologne is
located. The biggest recipient was the Netherlands. 17,720 tons of Christmas
decorations and presents were imported to Germany, 72% from China, worth €143
million ($158.7 million). This is an increase of 12% from the previous year. 19%
of German retailers' income came during Christmas time 2018 (November and
December), with a disproportionate amount from traditional Christmas gifts such
as books and jewelry.
^ This is interesting. ^
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