With a gross domestic product ranked among the world's top 10, Germany is arguably the strongest economy in the European Union. In addition to the country's healthy economy, citizens enjoy a tradition of long summer vacations, which can last up to six weeks. And with all that leisure time and the strong Euro, many Germans are heading to Southwest Florida.

"It is in the German psyche for people to go on exotic vacations," says Dirk Rheker of Hamburg. "In the past, we took the grand tour of Europe, focusing on the Mediterranean regions. Today we seem to have a genuine taste for anything idyllically tropical."

Which makes Florida a natural choice. "It has a very pleasant tropical climate, beautiful beaches, unspoiled natural areas and Disney, among other things," says Rheker.

And one can never underestimate the power of TV, says Stefan Bolsen, a German-born real estate agent now living in Naples. "A lot of us were charmed by Florida when we saw Miami Vice. It just looked like a tropical paradise here," Bolsen says. "When we visited, we found the place to be absolutely wonderful. It has all of the exotic excitement of any tropical place combined with solid American infrastructure. It's really perfect."

And Germans couldn't be coming to Southwest Florida at a better time, says Jack Wert, director of the Naples, Marco Island, Everglades Convention and Visitors Bureau. "They tend to visit in our off-season, from July through September, when we need them the most," he explains. "They stay for extended periods of time, usually for more than two weeks. They also spend a lot of money shopping and going out to eat."

Sabine Weigt is among those Germans who return year after year. A visit to Sanibel immediately hooked Weigt and his family. "We have visited Southwest Florida almost every summer over the last 10 years," says Weigt, 47, of Moehnesee, a small town in Northrhine-Westfalia near Dusseldorf. "Most appealing was the friendliness of the people, their relaxed way and the openness towards visitors here. We came back to Southwest Florida ever since."

In the 1990s, the flow of vacationing Western Europeans to the U.S. was on a trajectory for steady growth. Between 1995 and 1996, arrivals increased 10 percent; they continued to increase by a rate of 3 to 6 percent through 2000, a year when more than 1.7 million Germans flew to the U.S. But the number of Western European visitors plummeted in the wake of Sept. 11. That, combined with eco-nomic problems in Germany, contributed to an 18 percent drop in arrivals, according to numbers from the U.S. Office of Travel and Tourism Industries.

Since those dark days of the early millennium, travelers from Western Europe-Germany, in particular-have been returning in greater numbers, spurred on by extremely favorable monetary exchange rates. This year the exchange rate for the Euro has hovered at around $1.30, and in 2004 a trip to the U.S. cost about half as much as it did just two years earlier.

Such favorable conditions clearly had a positive effect in this area. Collier County hosted 29,473 visitors from Western Europe in 2003, and 46,492 a year later. In Lee County, the number of European visitors climbed to 194,584 in 2001, then fell to 159,889 in 2002. But in 2004, the number rose to 178,213. And tourism officials have every reason to believe the numbers will continue to rise. "With three airlines now offering direct flights from Germany to Fort Myers [Düsseldorf, Frankfurt and Munich] at the new airport. It will be easier than ever for German tourists to get to Southwest Florida," says D.T. Minich, executive director of the Lee County Visitor and Convention Bureau.

Reaching Out

There's no question European tourists are an important part of the local landscape-and a market actively sought out by both Collier and Lee County businesses. The Lee County Visitor and Convention Bureau maintains offices in both Germany and England. Both counties attend international tourism meetings and work together to create international awareness of all Southwest Florida has to offer.

"We try to reach the potential European tourists in a variety of ways," says Minich. "Recently we had a video that was played on all of the LTU flights promoting Southwest Florida as a destination. It was a way of reaching people that was definitely out of the box."

Minich and Wert agree that advertising in Europe is often prohibitively expensive, but outreach can be done in other ways. "We just returned from the Berlin ITB trade show. There, we were able to talk with tour operators and travel agents," says Wert. "These people are always looking for something new to offer their clients. I think we have something new to offer here."

For many Germans, that hot new idea is eco-tourism, and Southwest Florida offers plenty of that. "Many German people want to see the Everglades," Wert says. "They may have seen the east side of it from Miami, but they have not seen the western side."

Perhaps the best way of reaching out to potential tourists is to maintain a presence on the Internet. According to the Beaches of Fort Myers-Sanibel Visitor Profile: 2004 Year-End Summary, 58 percent of Lee County visitors rated the Internet as a "very important source" for planning their trip. And both Lee (www.leevcb.com) and Collier counties (www.paradisecoast.com) have comprehensive Web sites to help would-be travelers.

But Germans find Southwest Florida appealing for a variety of reasons. Many say it's a unique combination of factors that makes our area so attractive. "It's an exotic location with a friendly face," says Bolsen. "Here on the west coast of Florida, the atmosphere is relaxed yet very clean, organized and relatively safe. This is very attractive to Germans. It is great to be able to see all of the beautiful natural places, but also to have all of the comforts you would expect to find at home. Southwest Florida is truly unique in this respect."

And they share their experiences when they get home, says Wert. "This kind of word-of-mouth recommendation is invaluable to us, and apparently quite common in Germany."

Permanent Vacation

More and more, Germans aren't just visiting Southwest Florida-they're calling it home. Timo Khammash, the general manager of Engel & Völkers Naples, is one of a growing number of Germans moving themselves-and their

businesses-to Southwest Florida. Opening last year, Engel & Völkers Naples is part of a large international real estate company based in Germany. It specializes in high-end luxury properties in places like Dubai, the French Riviera, South Africa and Spain. By opening the Naples market to the international vacation-home market, Southwest Florida may be poised for yet another jump toward international allure. "Naples properties hold just as much cachet in the world market as homes in the Riviera or other highly desirable parts of the world," says Khammash. "We knew that opening the door in this way could be very exciting."

While many local real estate companies offer special services for German-speaking people, Engel & Völkers Naples takes this idea a step further. "People from Europe who recognize the Engel & Völkers name feel very comfortable working with us," says Khammash. "It truly gives us an edge."

But Khammash also had more personal reasons for coming to Southwest Florida. "My sister has lived in Sarasota for the last 14 years," he says. "My parents have had a house here for nearly 20 years, and my family has been visiting Southwest Florida all along. We love it here."

The Future

A strong Euro, a bigger and better airport, and the summer warmth will most certainly lure more Germans and continental Europeans to Southwest Florida. But there are also challenges, including tighter immigration and travel restrictions.

"We still face some misinformation among international tourists that, since 9/11, getting around is more difficult for international tourists," says Minich. "To some extent, things are a bit more complicated, but it is still relatively easy for Europeans to make their way around Florida."

Stormy summer weather, however, does not seem to be a concern. "One of the best realizations we've made is that the hurricanes of last year have not significantly deterred our international visitors," says Minich.

Minich and Wert agree that Scandinavia and continental Europe-especially Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxemburg-are the next big markets for Southwest Florida. "These are places, too, where the local economies are generally good and people take long vacations in the summer," says Wert. "We want them to know that Southwest Florida is a wonderful place."