Groups or Organizations - The government's tourism policies require enhancements.
The tourism policy of the Schleswig-Holstein government needs improvements, says the tourism industry. This was revealed in the annual Tourism Barometer presented by the Schleswig-Holstein Tourism Association (TVSH) in Kiel on Tuesday. This marks the seventh time the actors in the tourism industry have evaluated the state government's efforts in the northernmost federal state.
According to the association, 69% of all respondents were aware of the tourism policy of the state government, which is the lowest since 2014 when it reached 86%. Therefore, the perception of the tourism policy has attained its lowest level yet. Additionally, the black-green state government received a worse rating for their tourism policy with an average score of 2.84 compared to the previous government's 2.6.
"Possible reasons for the current decline in the evaluation of the tourism policy could include the delayed start of the implementation management for the Tourism Strategy 2030 and the reduction of tourism funding by the state due to budget constraints," stated the chairman of the TVSH, Hans-Jürgen Lütje. He added that a consistent implementation of the tourism strategy could improve the evaluation.
Moreover, the confidence in the tourism policy was also assessed with an average score of 3.0, which had been 2.9 in 2018. The lowest score was in 2021, at 3.5.
"Despite understanding the criticism, but the operating conditions for tourism have significantly changed," stressed Economics Minister Claus Ruhe Madsen (CDU). He pointed out new challenges that have emerged, such as last year's storm surge and the energy crisis. However, 16% of the projects planned in the Tourism Strategy 2030 have been implemented, and the implementation of another 42% has begun.
The Tourism Strategy was passed by the parliament in April 2022, and it no longer simply considers the viewpoint of tourists. Rather, it also Acknowledges the needs of the locals and employees in the tourism industry. The core goals include quality growth, sustainable development, tourism acceptance, and satisfaction of employees in the tourism industry.
Read also:
- The Schleswig-Holstein Tourism Association (TVSH) highlighted the potential for improvement in the state government's tourism policies, particularly in the implementation of the Tourism Strategy 2030 and the management of tourism funding.
- Associations within the tourism industry in Schleswig-Holstein have expressed concerns about the impact of budget constraints on tourism development, citing reductions in funding as a reason for the decline in tourism policy evaluations.
- The state government, led by the black-green coalition, received a lower rating for their tourism policy compared to their predecessors, and the chairman of the TVSH suggested that consistent implementation of the tourism strategy could lead to improved evaluations and perceptions.
