You raise a good point in this thread. A prominent German politician recently commented that it is a pity that the British have such a negative view of Germany, and that if you want to know how to do the Prussian goosestep you should watch the BBC. The gentleman speaks harshly but is not completely wrong. The truth is that in the absence of positive messages from the German Government and it's tourism representatives, the void will be filled by historical prejudices, wayward stereotypes (enter beachtowels, deck-chairs etc.), and the nasty tabloid bile pumped out in BOTH countries' media whenever there is an England v Germany soccer match.
I am sure that PPRUNE readers - who are considerably better travelled than most - are fully aware that Germany is a fantastic destination for leisure travel. But the general public just don't know what Germany has to offer. People know what to expect when they visit Paris, Prague, Barcelona or Venice - they have been marketed well by their respective national tourist offices. But Berlin? Munchen? Koln? Their attractions - which are a match for the aforementioned - are scarcely recognised by the British public. Rural areas are a complete unknown quantity. And worst of all is the perception of the people; Brits expect to feel unwelcome and disliked in Germany and are reluctant to visit for this reason. The truth is of course in total contrast to this image. The people are very friendly and genuinely pleased to welcome UK tourists; accommodation standards are outstanding, and even if one's language skills are limited all establishments I have visited react very good-naturedly to communication by sign-language!
Yes, many Britons 'don't do Germany.' And the politician [Foreign Minister?] was partly right to blame the British media for for reinforcing negative sentiments. But I would challenge him and his government to accept a large amount of blame which should be laid squarely at their door. The festering newspaper prejudices fill a void only because there is an absence of real information about what Germany has to offer. When did you last see a poster advertising a German city break? When did you last see a TV commercial highlighting the Rhine Valley or the 'Romantik Road'? When did you last see an image of Schloss Neuschwanstein (did I hear a "What's that?"), Koln Dom or the Brandenburg Gate in an advert? Actually, it would be interesting to know if any you London-area residents have, because there is certainly no advertising around Manchester. I am sure that the German Tourist Office does the best it can on a pitiful budget, but it's message is certainly not getting across. The esteemed German politician is exactly the man who can rectify the 'knowledge void' by financing a major advertising campaign to promote both the many positives the country has to offer as a tourist destination, and the friendly welcome that visitors can expect there. What about the village 'Gasthofs' scattered around Germany; these are fantastic places to stay, some real gems. I haven't encountered an unfriendly one yet (and the home-cooking is invariably top notch). These should be marketed with the same gusto as 'Paradores' or 'Gites' or Irish 'B&B's'. Instead, few Brits would even know that they exist. Britons 'don't do Germany' because the politicians there will not fund advertising to stimulate a desire to visit amongst those who would appreciate doing so.
Most advertising for Germany which I do see is financed by private companies. DER advertise in the print media. Airlines do their bit too. Hapag-Lloyd Express advertise on price - quite understandably - promoting £12.99 flights to Koln or Stuttgart "for the price of a taxi." Lufthansa opt for business-types reclining in spacious seats. Air Berlin advertising is widespread but a bit too obscure, featuring women contortionists in unusual gymnastic poses! In my own opinion, this type of brand-building exercise may be appropriate for the German domestic market but it is a missed opportunity around Manchester. The Air Berlin adverts in Manchester Piccadilly station would be understood by the British passer-by to promote a company which flies to BERLIN. Well they do ... but the Hamburg, Paderborn and Dusseldorf routes will not gain awareness from generic advertising like this. The destinations served are not mentioned in Air Berlin's ads. But the best thing that could happen for all these companies is for Germany to fund an educational advertising campaign by it's National Tourist Office to show what these destinations are actually like! There's more than bier over there!
I myself will be visiting Germany again this Summer. The product is great, the air-fares with Air Berlin and HLX are the best bargains in Europe and a (four days in one month) 'go-anywhere' railpass comes in at £148.32 (Eurodomino - not the one marketed in the USA). But it will be a long time until cities such as Nurnberg fulfil their true tourist potential unless the German Government starts to fund it's National Tourist Office sufficiently to do it's job.
Sorry for going on a bit! I just hate seeing empty seats on aeroplanes which should and could easily be filled!
All the best. SHED.
P.S. I'm not even sure that the German tourist trade itself fully recognises what the country has to offer. I was amused to find a large postcard on sale depicting 'Germany's top 10 attractions.' All 10 were man-made structures! No Bavarian Alps, no Black Forest, no Rhine Valley ...