The Bavarian city of Munich is launching a 'Royal Munich' theme this year, to coincide with Germany's overarching art and culture promotion for 2007. The city will highlight the legacy of the Wittelsbach dynasty (rulers in Bavaria from the 12th century through to 1918) offering a range of new programmes. These include visits to the numerous castles in and around Munich, a tour which focuses on the childhood of the much-loved 19th-century Austrian Empress Sisi (wife of Emperor Franz Josef), a programme centred round the shops that were officially appointed as purveyors to the royal Bavarian court during the 19th century, and another which highlights royal culinary experiences.

At the same time, 2007 will see the opening of many new museums in Munich, including the spectacular World of BMW, the new art collection Brandhorst and the tramway museum.

Munich's recently released tourism development plan for 2007 and beyond calls for an increase in the number of visitors to the city from 4.4 million in 2006 to 5.5 million in 2020. The city's bed capacity is scheduled to grow from 43,000 beds in 2005 to 55,000 in 2020. Nights spent in the city are forecast to increase from 8.5 million to 11 million and the number of day visitors will grow from 83 million in 2006 to 120 million by 2020. The city sees good growth potential from the new EU member countries, as well as from the Asia Pacific region.