A group of German tourists visits the War Tunnels in St Lawrence

THE number of German holidaymakers visiting the Island this year has gone up by 13 per cent – a figure expected to more than double in 2010.

And, nearly 65 years after Liberation Day, the War Tunnels has reported a ‘noticeable’ increase in German tourists visiting the attraction this year.

Jersey Tourism director David de Carteret said that next year could see a 37 per cent rise in visitors from Germany because German airlines will be carrying more passengers.

The JEP reported last month that Air Berlin, Germany’s second-largest airline, will almost double the capacity on its Jersey to Düsseldorf service from May 2010.

And more recently, Lufthansa has also vowed to double the number of seats on offer on its weekly Düsseldorf route from June next year.

‘We are delighted that this year the German market has grown,’ said Mr de Carteret. ‘It is our star performer this year, closely followed by France which has shown a visitor increase of five per cent.