In 2013, the number of overnight stays at German hotels and campsites rose by one percent over the year, reaching a total of 410.8 million, according to data released by the German statistics office, Destatis on Monday.

The figure marked a new record, Destatis said, rounding off a 4-year streak of persistently rising tourism stays in Germany. In fact, the country has been looking back at a span of steadily growing tourism since 2004, which was only briefly interrupted in 2009 following the outbreak of the eurozone debt crisis, Destatis added.

The 2013 figures reflect the huge growth potential of German tourist destinations, which would continue to invest in staff and quality, said Ernst Fischer, Chief Executive of industry group DEHOGA.

According to the data, the new record in 2013 mainly came about thanks to a 4 percent rise in inbound tourism from abroad, which had grown to 71.6 million guests spending at least one night in the country. The German tally remained largely stable with 339.2 million stays by domestic tourists.

In real figures, the number of overnight stays might even be higher because Destatis data is based only on establishments with at least 10 beds. Especially in Berlin, many foreign tourists seeking the thrills of Berlin's lively clubbing scene rent out privately-owned unregistered apartments for their weekend stays.

uhe/dr (AFP, AP, dpa)