Tourism in East Germany

Tourism in the GDR was the recovery of the citizens of the GDR, and should strengthen the state support the socialist attitude of the citizens of the GDR. Popular vacation destinations were the Baltic islands of Rügen and Usedom, as well as the Saxon Switzerland and the Thuringian Forest. Trips abroad were essentially allowed only in the friendly socialist countries; long time without authorization, for example, to Poland and the CSSR, in issuing a travel permit to Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, the USSR or ( even rarer ) to Cuba.

Offers

The DDR - tourism was settled mainly by the enterprises and government institutions. The largest tour operator was the holiday service of the Free German Trade Union Confederation ( fdgb ) with own fdgb holiday homes ( up to 2 million trips per year). Second-largest suppliers were the state campgrounds. In addition, there was a state-owned enterprise (VEB), the travel agency and the GDR from 1975 Jugendtourist, the youth travel agency of the Free German Youth ( FDJ).

According to official statistics of the GDR, the overnight stays in 1989 divided as follows:

It does not include individual trips and - often illegal - nights in private accommodation. These non- registered capacities for which usually due to lack of places in FDGB homes and similar institutions very high prices were demanded, made ​​in many tourist frequented places most of the nights during the holiday season from. In popular places on the Baltic coast, for example, on the Darß or on Usedom, it came through this "unofficial" tourists always noticeable shortage of the supply of food and daily necessities.

Hiking

For the migration of the Cultural Association of the GDR was with his subject, " tourism and hiking " responsible. The most popular hiking trail was the " shortened " Rennsteig, you could just wander by the High sun to Lauscha, since the two ends led by the border area or from the GDR out. The only leading by the GDR distance footpath was the International Mountain trail of friendship Eisenach- Budapest.

Western tourists

The course also included the tourism travel western European foreigners in the GDR space, thereby increasing the foreign exchange earnings of the state. They had some privileges, in particular the use of the Inter shops where there were western goods and where you could not buy with the Mark of the GDR, but only with convertible currencies or GDR citizens from 1979 only with forum checks.

Traveling abroad

Basically tourist trips abroad for GDR citizens were possible only in countries of the former Eastern Bloc. Traveling in the non- socialist countries were possible for GDR citizens only in exceptional cases. For travel to other socialist states of the GDR there was initially more of a visa regime. In 1968 the East German government for travel focused on the Balkans an alternative route through the USSR. They needed this a transit visa which was for 3 days. With the help of this visa, the borders of the USSR for individual tourists were permeable.