The Sauerland - an outdoor region for everyone

The Sauerland - an outdoor region for everyone

Tourism receives 3.3 million euros in funding for the development of barrier-free offers

Driving accessibility forward with innovative ideas and targeted measures - this is the goal Sauerland Tourism and five other partners have set themselves and can now look forward to a funding recommendation from the state of North Rhine-Westphalia and the EU. On the one hand, this is intended to bundle existing offers and make them more visible, but also to develop new offers. A total of 3.3 million euros will be available to the project partners during the 3-year implementation period from 2025. The project is being funded via the "Erlebnis.NRW" call within the ERDF/JTF program NRW 2021-2027.

"As an inspiring outdoor region, the Sauerland has so far only had a few offers for older guests and people with disabilities to experience tourism," says Dr. Jürgen Fischbach, Managing Director of Sauerland Tourism, explaining the importance of the project for the destination. "By providing detailed information, the aim is to significantly increase accessibility and open up the offers to everyone."

Around 90 percent of the available funding will be invested by the project partners in the municipalities of Bad Sassendorf, Plettenberg, Winterberg and Menden as well as the Sauerland Rothaargebirge Nature Park specifically to create new offers on site in order to supplement and upgrade the tourist infrastructure in a barrier-free and sustainable way. For example, a barrier-free tour is to be created in Menden, Bad Sassendorf is planning additional barrier-free information and experience offers in the town center and spa park, while Plettenberg has set itself the goal of creating a barrier-free experience around the Oestertalsperre dam.

The barrier-free products will then be bundled into offers and marketed to specific target groups. The "Erlebnis.NRW" call for projects is part of the ERDF/JTF program NRW 2021-2027 and aims to shape the future of culture, nature and sustainable tourism. A total of 120 million euros in investment is planned.

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