the attendance record should “certainly be broken” this year, according to Nathalie Kaltenbach, president of Alsace Destination Tourisme

The crowds are back on the 200 Christmas markets in Alsace, with a large presence of German, Swiss and American tourists.

The record attendance at the Strasbourg Christmas market, of 2.8 million people in 2022, is expected “certainly” be beaten, declares Nathalie Kaltenbach, president of Alsace tourism destination, on franceinfo Saturday December 23.

There are no official figures yet, for that we will have to wait until January. But the trends are counting on “a relatively significant increase in attendance. Almost everywhere, an increase of 15 to 20% is announced”adds Nathalie Kaltenbach.

Alsace has nearly 200 Christmas markets. Nathalie Kaltenbach, also mayor of Barr, highlights a particularity this year: “The world is present everywhere, whether in small towns or large towns”. She adds that this is what Alsace Destination Tourisme has been committed to for three years, to “distribute the flows more, and to make these small villages known”.

Nathalie Kaltenbach concedes that certain small municipalities could have been “a little outdated, on weekends, in certain markets”.

The return of German tourists

The elected official says she understands “the annoyance of certain residents. It’s not very easy to live in the heart of the city during this period”. This is why it is committed, on behalf of Alsace Destination Tourisme, to “review the formula”. Nathalie Kaltenbach excludes making entrance fees, but “why not set up gauges. These trails will be discussed in January, with all the tourist offices”.

Regarding the origin of visitors, the year was marked by a “very strong return from the Germans”, notes Nathalie Kaltenbach. According to her, it is due to the year 2021: “We were lucky to have the Christmas markets open, unlike the markets on the other side of the border. The Germans were able to discover our markets and that made them want to come back”. She also notes the presence of Swiss, Americans, Belgians and French, “first from the Grand-Est, and beyond”.