As a tourist region, you live from an intact natural environment.
It is often the prerequisite for your success.
So much for the theory.
In practice, this is not always easy, as many stakeholders are involved and the issue of sustainability tends to lead to success in the long term rather than the short term.
Many tourism associations and regions are currently in a phase of upheaval and reorientation.
If they have received financial resources from regional funds, they are faced with the challenge of using them effectively.
The situation is characterized by an area of tension: on the one hand, there is pressure to use the funds sensibly and, on the other, the realization that the previous, strongly marketing-oriented structures and processes are not sufficient to master the necessary transformation process.
Funding is becoming increasingly tight, which underlines the need to allocate large budgets responsibly and with foresight.
The role of destinations has become diffuse and unclear both internally and externally, which makes it difficult to implement strategies effectively.
There is a need to focus more tasks internally and successfully involve local stakeholders.
At the same time, they need to become more data-oriented and digital in order to meet the requirements of a modern tourism industry.
However, they face the challenge that their language and approach often do not match the needs and realities of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
The shift from a pure marketing focus to a comprehensive management approach is inevitable.
This requires not only the creation of new realities rather than the presentation of glossy images, but also a profound understanding of the new tasks and clear communication of these change processes.
We are convinced and have experienced that the sustainable development of a tourism region is a success factor.
What’s more, sustainable tourism development is successful economic regional development, as many local stakeholders and other sectors (e.g. agriculture or mobility) are involved.
Below you will find current examples of how we support regions.
In regions such as Schleswig-Holstein, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Crete, Lanzarote and Mauritius, we work together with local managers to network various stakeholders in a region under the theme of sustainability and thus strengthen the sustainable development of the vacation region.
Together with the Schleswig-Holstein Tourism Cluster, tourythm helped develop the state’s sustainable tourism strategy, prepared the content for the corresponding brochure and supported the process of involving local service providers such as hotels, restaurants and other tourism companies over a period of eight years.
Key elements included the establishment of regional sustainability networks, the provision of digital and live sustainability training and individual coaching for businesses.
On behalf of the Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Tourism Association, Tourythm supported the approach and integration of local service providers such as hotels, restaurants and other tourism businesses into the state’s sustainability strategy over a period of two years (2022-2023).
Key elements included the establishment of regional sustainability networks, the provision of digital and live sustainability training and individual coaching for businesses.
Tourythm implemented sustainability ambassador projects for the islands of Sylt and Rügen, each lasting one year.
In each case, 4 local businesses were trained as ambassadors for sustainability topics of their choice, such as energy efficiency, climate neutrality, plastic avoidance, employee involvement, more sustainable cooking or successful achievement of sustainability certifications.
The successes and experiences of these ambassadors were shared with all interested businesses at a closing event.
This cooperation project, funded by the TUI Care Foundation and Futouris, was implemented by Tourythm together with the local partner organization senderismo Lanzarote between 2018 and 2022.
The aim was to protect traditional viticulture on Lanzarote and convert local winegrowers to organic principles.
At the same time, socially disadvantaged people were actively involved in this project.
In order to promote the corresponding wine products, tastings were developed and offered together with the participating bodegas, these wines in the participating hotels and excursions to the participating winegrowers and producers.
In the Sustainable Island Mauritius project (2018-2022), which was funded by the European Union as part of the Switch Africa Green program, the tourythm team worked side by side with the CSCP (The Collaborating Centre on Sustainable Consumption and Production) for the local LEAD partner Tourism Authority Mauritius.
The aim of this project was to support local tour operators to develop sustainable tourism offers with the help of the Handprint approach.
In contrast to the Footprint approach, which focuses on negative impacts, the Handprint approach focuses on positive impacts.
DERTOUR and the local tour operator Mautourco were practical partners in the project.
Concrete products that have been created are now being offered on the market with the new “Wise Dodo” label.
On Crete, tourythm, together with the Local Food Experts and Maria Valerga, implemented the project “First steps towards a sustainable food region (2015-2019)” thanks to the support of the TUI Care Foundation and Futouris e.V..
The aim was to actively network regional farmers and producers with the tourism sector.
The aim of the project was to support agriculture and around 200 farmers in converting their processes to organic and regenerative principles, to better market the corresponding products (wines and olive oil in the project) via tourism and thus increase sales.
The successful concept was a trainer approach in which farmers, producers and hotel employees worked together to create a sustainable food region.
Tourists were able to experience this project live in tastings and excursions and were thus sensitized to a more sustainable diet.
Tourythm works hand in hand with the local authorities to network the various players in a region under the guiding principle of sustainability.
This integrative approach strengthens the sustainable development of the vacation region through:
In order to support tourism associations and regions in their reorientation, our collaboration offers an effective solution that is divided into four main phases:
