Oktoberfest Numbers Breakdown
CNBC.com's Kim Khan is temporarily hijacking Eurocentric to provide blogs on the business of brewing from Oktoberfest in Munich.
The brewing industry has faced tough times of late. Traditionally a defensive sector, brewers are facing stiff competition from wine and spirits.
But as the economic slowdown spreads, beer could see a resurgence. And Oktoberfest's numbers indicate that the love for barley, hops, yeast and water is undeterred in certain regions.
Here's a breakdown of the economic impact of the beer festival:
· Visitors spend about 954 million euros ($1.4 billion) during Oktoberfest in Munich. About 300 million is spent on overnight accommodation (although 6 percent choose to sleep in their cars.)
· About 55 percent of foreign visitors return to Oktoberfest regularly.
· Only about 5 percent of visitors to Munich combine Oktoberfest with business (thanks CNBC.com).
· The celebration creates about 12,000 jobs, of which 8,000 are permanent.
· Google returns nearly 1.3 million sites related to Oktoberfest.
· The biggest worldwide Oktoberfest celebrations are Blumenau, Brazil and Kitchener, Canada, both of which have about one million visitors. The Oktoberfest in Cincinnati, Ohio draws about 500,000 visitors.
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