Facing the challenges with motivation

Sauerland Tourism was able to look back on a successful year at this year's general meeting in Hellermann's Hütte in Schmallenberg-Gellinghausen at the Green Hill Bikepark. The subsequent Sauerland Forum provided a further look into the future of tourism as a platform for the exchange and networking of tourism stakeholders with key notes, discussion rounds and workshops.

"The past year has shown how strong our region is when it comes to working together," emphasized Dr. Jürgen Fischbach, Managing Director of Sauerland Tourism, as part of the review of the association's activities over the past twelve months. "Especially in times when the framework conditions in tourism are constantly changing, it is crucial to remain flexible, embrace innovation and keep an eye on quality at the same time." Close cooperation with the many partners in the districts, municipalities and businesses forms the basis for further strengthening the Sauerland as Germany's leading outdoor region.

Slight increase in guest numbers

There was also positive news to report when looking at the current guest statistics. In the period from January to July, a total of 1.502 million guests came to "Germany's inspiring outdoor region" for a break, which corresponds to an increase of 3.6% compared to the previous year. At 4.502 million, the number of overnight stays is also slightly higher than in 2024 and has increased by 2.1%. The underlying figures relate to the entire tourist region, including the municipalities of Diemelsee and Willingen in Hessen. "I am particularly pleased that the Sauerland is also benefiting from the continued positive development in German tourism and the travel market in NRW and can score points as a year-round vacation destination," emphasizes Max Hoffmeister, Deputy Managing Director of Sauerland Tourism. "An important factor for this is high quality and continuous investment in the tourism infrastructure."

Data quality as a success factor

Adi Hadžimuratović, Managing Director of neusta/destination.one, gave an insight into the importance of data quality and its central role in digital development in his presentation "Why clean data is crucial today and how it forms the basis for digital marketing, artificial intelligence and visibility". He made it clear that digital competitiveness does not depend solely on technical platforms or large budgets, but above all on the reliability and quality of the underlying data. Data would thus become a key factor on which visibility in digital channels and intelligent processes are built. This is less about individual tools and more about a strategic approach that combines quality and quantity in equal measure.

Promoting exchange - developing ideas

In the subsequent panel discussion on "Tourism of the future in the Sauerland", experts and regional service providers exchanged views on the opportunities and challenges facing the local tourism industry - from the realignment of traditional tasks to the development of new target groups and dealing with trends. The event then continued with a practical focus: while the participants worked in thematic workshops on topics such as social media, sustainability and artificial intelligence and developed concrete ideas, others gained exciting insights into an innovative tourism infrastructure project during a guided tour of the Green Hill Bikepark.

Continuity also in the work of the Executive Board

Philipp Scharfenbaum, District Director of the Olpe district, will chair the association for another year in 2026; his deputy will be Dr. Klaus Drathen, District Director of the Hochsauerland district. The second deputy chairman with immediate effect is Jens Hoheisel, head of the tourism department of the district of Soest. Frank Linnekugel, future mayor of the town of Medebach, and Thomas Grosche, future district administrator of the Hochsauerland district, who were honored for their work, will no longer be represented on the board.

The press release as PDF

Contact for the press:
Rouven Soyka, Sauerland-Tourismus e. V.
Johannes-Hummel-Weg 1, 57392 Schmallenberg
Tel.: 02974-969830, e-mail: presse@sauerland.com