tourism

 Creative ideas for tourism honored

On March 22, the Tourism Innovation Award was presented in the new castle in Bad Muskau in the three categories of culture & leisure, gastronomy & accommodation, and mobility & tourist infrastructure. The tourism cooperation of the district of Görlitz, consisting of the tourist area communities NEISSELAND eV and the nature park Zittau Mountains/Upper Lusatia eV, the Europastadt Görlitz/Zgorzelec GmbH and the district of Görlitz, called on tourism providers to apply for the Tourism Innovation Award with their ideas, concepts and offers .

A total of 24 applications were submitted for the sixth edition of this ideas competition. “The number of applications has shown us that a lot of new things have emerged in recent years and that numerous institutions have realigned themselves. Even the smallest changes sometimes make a big difference. And that's what the Innovation Award is all about for us,” says a delighted Maja Daniel-Rublack from TGG Neisseland eV  

From the 24 applicants, 10 candidates were selected for the final round and thus for the evaluation by the expert jury. Due to the high quality of the applications, this was a particular challenge for the tourism cooperation: "Ultimately, the facilities qualified for the final round that are on the market with their innovative, creative, new and already successful offers," explains Maja Daniel-Rublack. "Our thanks and our respect go to all applicants who will advance tourism with their ideas and offers and inspire visitors."  

In addition to tourism cooperation, the expert jury also included the Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences, the Marketinggesellschaft Oberlausitz (MGO) and the IHK offices in Zittau and Görlitz. Parallel to this body, the citizens also had the opportunity to vote for their public favourite.  

In the Culture & Leisure category, the offer "Kunsthalle Görlitz" by the initiative of the same name was convincing. The combination of contemporary and modern art with a trinational cultural exchange at a clearly defined location is unique for our region. The high number of guests and the great interest of the artists confirm the need for the offer. The Kunsthalle Görlitz promotes encounters between artists from the border triangle and the discussion of social issues in the easternmost district of Germany.

In the category of accommodation and gastronomy, the offer "Experience inclusion for people with disabilities in the DORFWALDBACH family" by STARKE Erlebnis GmbH prevailed. In this way, barrier-free tourism including and integrating people with disabilities is made possible in an exemplary manner. The range of leisure activities for people with disabilities has been expanded and an opportunity to actively participate in the implementation of this offer has been created. This is unique in this way in the district of Görlitz. For the consistent implementation of the concept of inclusion within the group of companies, STARKE Erlebnis GmbH was also awarded the special prize for sustainability. The company not only creates various meeting places for people with disabilities, but also employment opportunities in its own facilities.  

The winner of the innovation prize in the mobility and tourist infrastructure category was the Erlichthof Rietschen nature and tourist information center with "The Fishing Adventure Trail - The Secret of the Erlichthof". The interactive adventure trail vividly showcases pond farming and the networking of fish farming and nature conservation. Well thought-out stories promote identification with the region and respectful use of natural resources. The tour of the adventure trail is an extraordinary experience, especially for families, school classes and nature lovers.

The audience award was determined by online voting. 2,412 votes went to the Kreba-Neudorf municipality's "Nature adventure trail for biological diversity and local history Kreba-Neudorf", followed by the adventure trail in Erlichthof Rietschen (2,295 votes) and the mill café of the nature conservation station "Östliche Oberlausitz eV" (1,270 votes).

The sixth tourism innovation prize made it clear how important it is to keep reinventing yourself and trying out creative ideas. It can also be successful to align yourself with a target group that is not otherwise the top priority. The tourism providers in the district of Görlitz rely on the constant further development of their offers. They make an important contribution to increasing the attractiveness of our region.  

Photo: IHK Dresden