(April 1, 2007) 8.5 million overnight stays (2005: 8.35 million; 2004: 7.7 million), five million privately-accommodated visitors, 87 million 'day-trippers' – 2006 was the best year ever for Munich's Euro 6 billion-a-year tourism industry, long number one in Germany on the international level.
The year's main draws were such every-year mainstays as the Oktoberfest, the Opera Festival, the English Garden, the museums and downtown pedestrian area, which is one of international shoppers' favorites.
What does 2007 have in store for Munich? More records, predicts tourism head Gabriele Weishäupl. The reasons for her optimism: 'Royal Munich' – the tagline for a lineup of blockbuster events to be held in 2007 in the city's palaces and their adjoining squares and gardens. Other bound-to-be-hits include March's opening of the Museum of Judaism in March. Like the strikingly beautiful synagogue and Jewish community center – both commissioned in November, 2006, and both 'must sees' for both residents and visitors – the museum is located on Jakobsplatz. The heart-of-downtown square fronts on Munich's municipal and film museums, and is a short walk away from the Schrannenhalle, the city's recently rebuilt answer to Covent Garden.