Tourists set sights on Germany

THE World Cup has led to a surge in bookings from Edinburgh tourists looking to holiday in Germany.

Internet booking site Hotelopia said it had recorded an 18 per cent rise on last year's figure for Capital customers choosing a German destination.

John Bevan, travel director of website lastminute.com, believes that Germany will continue to appeal to Scottish tourists. He said: "We are expecting that a rise in Scottish departures to Germany will come in time thanks to the fact that the country has been so firmly in the media spotlight."

British Airways launched a service to Hamburg from Edinburgh last month. The BA Connect service runs three times a week and is the airline's first service connecting the two countries.