There is a growing Asian appetite for Germany’s Oktoberfest

Germany’s Oktoberfest is drawing a surge of Asian tourists who are expanding their itineraries far beyond the beer tents of Munich, according to new search data from the digital travel platform Agoda shared with DAILY TRIBUNE.

While Munich remains the undisputed top destination for Asian travelers during the 191st Oktoberfest, accommodation searches for Berlin jumped 29 percent year over year. Frankfurt, Cologne, Hamburg and Dusseldorf round out the top six most-searched German cities.

Travelers are also trading beer steins for fairytale castles. Bavarian towns near Munich, including Fussen, Augsburg and Garmisch-Partenkirchen, cracked the top 15 most-searched destinations, signaling a growing appetite for Alpine scenery.

China led the regional surge with a 98 percent increase in searches compared to last year. South Korea and China generated the highest overall search volume for Germany, while India and Japan saw increases of 29 percent and 25 percent, respectively.

However, when isolating searches for Munich alone, Japanese travelers took the top spot. The data suggests Japanese tourists prioritize the traditional Theresienwiese fairgrounds experience, while other Asian markets prefer a wider German holiday.

The data also confirms the festival remains a decidedly adult getaway for the region, with only 3 percent of Asian accommodation searches including children.