Leisure and recreation in national natural landscapes

With over 130 national natural landscapes (national parks, biosphere reserves and nature parks) that make up around one third of the country's surface area, Germany offers excellent opportunities to experience nature with a high recreational and leisure value. Studies by Würzburg University reveal that around 53 million tourists visit Germany’s 16 national parks each year, and around 65 million tourists visit Germany’s 16 UNESCO biosphere reserves. Tourism in protected areas generates around six billion euros in turnover per year, making a considerable contribution to regional value added. The national parks therefore secure around 70,000 jobs and the biosphere reserves around 81,000 jobs, mainly in peripheral rural regions.