Lufthansa and Munich Airport have expanded their joint Stopover Program to passengers travelling from five additional Asian markets, allowing more long-haul travellers to turn a connection in Munich into a stay of up to seven days.
Effective immediately, the programme is available to eligible Lufthansa passengers travelling from China, India, Japan, South Korea and Thailand.
The expansion follows the launch of the initiative earlier in 2026 for passengers travelling from Singapore and the United States.
The programme is designed to encourage connecting passengers to spend additional time in Munich and the surrounding Bavarian region rather than simply transferring between flights at Lufthansa’s Munich hub.
Stopovers can last from 24 hours to seven days
Passengers using the Lufthansa Stopover Program can extend their stay in Munich for between 24 hours and seven days.
The initiative currently includes 12 tourism and travel partners offering services such as hotel accommodation, rental cars, sightseeing activities and shopping.
Travellers can build their stopover according to their own schedule, using Munich as a base to explore both the city and destinations elsewhere in Bavaria.
The programme can be booked through Lufthansa’s website as part of the passenger’s journey.
“Many passengers want to do more than just transfer at our hub; they want to discover Munich and Bavaria as an additional travel destination,” said Heiko Reitz, Lufthansa Executive Board Member and Hub Manager Munich.
“With the Lufthansa Stopover Program, we offer the opportunity to enrich their air travel with an extra destination, allowing them to experience local culture, cuisine, and tourist attractions.”
More markets and tourism partners planned
Lufthansa and Munich Airport intend to continue expanding the initiative to additional international markets and bring more tourism partners into the programme.
The strategy follows a model increasingly used by airlines and hub airports to encourage connecting passengers to add a short city or regional break to a long-haul itinerary.
For Munich Airport, the programme also provides an opportunity to convert international connecting traffic into additional tourism demand for the city and the wider Bavarian economy.
“Bavaria is one of Germany’s most popular travel destinations,” said Jost Lammers, CEO of Munich Airport.
“Through the stopover program, we are working with Lufthansa to create additional opportunities to attract international travelers to Munich and the region. Local tourism providers and other businesses stand to benefit from this.”
Munich is one of Lufthansa’s two main German hubs and serves as an important transfer point between Europe and long-haul destinations in Asia and the Americas.
With the latest expansion, the Stopover Program now covers passengers travelling from seven international markets: the United States, Singapore, China, India, Japan, South Korea and Thailand.
