Is Berlin still attractive, or has it lost its charm?

A massive debt and tourism that hasn't reached pre-pandemic levels characterize the economic crisis in the German capital. The famous phrase "Berlin is poor, but sexy," which became a slogan, is still remembered by Berliners. More than 20 years after Klaus Wowereit, the mayor at the time, uttered it, Berlin remains mired in its economic crisis and this year set a new debt record of around €76 billion. However, the big question is: is it still attractive, or is it simply poor? If we go by visitor figures, Berlin has not managed to recover from the decline it suffered during COVID-19. In particular, it has received fewer visitors so far this year than in previous years. The city received approximately 9.2 million visitors in the first three-quarters of the year, according to the Federal Statistical Office. The city welcomed approximately 9.2 million tourists in the first three-quarters of 2025, according to the Statistical Office. This represents a 3.5 percent decrease compared to the same period last year. Before the pandemic, Berlin had very high figures, reaching 14 million visitors in 2019. "At the moment, I would say that tourism has stagnated."