The Luxembourg government has announced an investment plan of 60 million euros over five years to support the continuous improvement and creation of tourism infrastructure in the country. This represents a significant financial effort for a sector that accounts for about 6.5% of GDP and directly or indirectly employs 20,000 people.
The rich heritage of the City of Luxembourg; the charms of the Moselle Valley; the gorgeous greens of the Ardennes; the dramatic escarpment of Mullerthal; the castles of the Guttland … Luxembourg in no way lacks in tourist attractions. This is more than enough to justify the establishment of an investment plan for the period of 2018-2022 involving an amount of 60 million euros. This budget is to be dedicated to continuous improvement and the creation of tourism infrastructure in the country. It will also improve the orientation of visitors through the establishment of interactive information and systems for directions as well as consistent signage, but also optimise the flow of information between digital media and human contact.
Luxembourg already offers accommodation capacity of more than 7,500 rooms in more than 220 hotels, plus 88 campsites with more than 44,000 places and some 15 youth hostels.
In 2016, the total number of overnight stays was 2,956,000, an increase of more than 30% over five years. During the daytime, the most visited sites were the City of Luxembourg, the Parc Merveilleux de Bettembourg and the Vianden Castle.
Visitors and residents also enjoyed one of the 12 Michelin-starred restaurants or, for the more athletic, some 5,000 km of marked hiking trails, 700 km of mountain bike trails or 600 km of cycle paths (and 350 km more under development).
The tourism industry in the country directly and indirectly employs 20,000 people and generated 6.5% of GDP in 2016. The country ranks 28th (out of 136 countries) of the World Economic Forum Travel + Tourism Competitiveness Index 2017.