DAY 3 DSTNCMP²⁴

ON MAY 23, 2024 BY WOLFGANG WEILER

Back in Germany: DSTNCMP²⁵ in Düsseldorf.

The DSTNCMP challenge cup goes to Wangerländer Deichleuchten. And DSTNCMP²⁵ will be held in Düsseldorf. However, topping the spectacular closing gala at the Festspielhaus in Bregenz is likely to be a challenge for North Rhine-Westphalia's state capital. Düsseldorf's new Head of Tourism, Jens Ihsen, had specifically come to Lake Constance to invite the participants of the 14th DestinationCamp and promised to "bring the great spirit to Düsseldorf."

With an outstanding closing event in the Werkstattbühne of the Festspielhaus on Lake Constance, DSTNCMP²⁴ concluded for most of the almost 280 participants on Thursday. After a total of 32 sessions covering almost all topics of German-speaking destination tourism, they gathered on Thursday evening at the festively set tables in the Blackbox.

The theme music from the 22nd Bond thriller, Skyfall, boomed through the hall from the loudspeakers – not from a recording, but powerfully sung live by Laura Bilgeri. The 29-year-old actress and singer is one of Austria's best pop and jazz performers. She is a TV star and has appeared in international feature films. With Bond songs like "Diamonds are forever," "Goldfinger," and "Writings on the Wall," she energized the lively 007 evening, which ultimately transitioned into a fabulous party night amidst original roulette and blackjack tables from the neighboring casino.

THANKS TO THE SPONSORS AND PARTNERS

netzvitamine Managing Directors Stefan Möhler and Benjamin Buhl, who have organized this industry gathering for 14 years, thanked the hosts Convention Partner Vorarlberg, Bregenz Tourismus- und Stadtmarketing, Kongresskultur, and Vorarlberg Tourismus. They presented regional delicacies to the partners and sponsors as a token of gratitude for their often long-standing support.

At the beginning of the event, host Bernhard Lingg proudly announced that this DestinationCamp had also received the Austrian Eco-label for "Green Events".

The DSTNCMP²⁵ from June 3 to 5, 2025, in Düsseldorf will also be aligned with netzvitamine's sustainability standards.

HIGHLIGHT OF THE EVENING: THE PITCHES FOR THE DSTNCMP CHALLENGE CUP

For the third time, the DSTNCMP Award, presented as a challenge cup, was awarded in Bregenz. Since 2022, it has recognized solutions in German-speaking destination tourism that have applied insights from a previous DestinationCamp to local strategies and challenges.

A "pre-jury" had previously reviewed 17 projects and nominated five finalists for the shortlist. These finalists then had three minutes each to pitch for the votes of the four "jurors" and the audience.

The jurors were Nina Cordt (last year's winner, Wiesbaden Congress & Marketing), Birgit Bosio (MCI Management Center Innsbruck), Reto Wilhelm (St. Moritz Tourismus AG), and Patrick de Ridder from award sponsor HomeToGo+Secra.

The winners were determined by a jury's scoring and a technical measurement of the audience's applause volume.

"DEICHLEUCHTEN" FROM WANGERLAND WINS CHALLENGE CUP

The winner of the challenge cup was the project "Deichleuchten" from Wangerland. Instead of bidding farewell to the old year with fireworks and firecrackers, since 2022, guests and locals have been invited to welcome the new year along the 30 km long dike line with lanterns, fairy lights, or torches. The Deichleuchten initiative also aims to raise awareness for the protection of the UNESCO World Heritage Wadden Sea.

Second place went to the campaign #IdeasMakeTourism from the Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Tourism Association. Through citizen dialogues and idea workshops, concrete solutions for resident-oriented tourism development were developed. This resulted in ten demands from residents, which were compiled into a 42-page recommendation for action.

Third place was awarded to the "Culinary Speed Dating" by Deutsche Bodensee Tourismus (DBT). It aims to connect sustainable gastronomy with agriculture in the region. The "Culinary Speed Dating" was the kick-off for digital networking and further events to strengthen the "Echt Nachhaltig Bodensee" (Truly Sustainable Lake Constance) initiative – a finalist in last year's competition.

This year, the "Maqnify Experience Guide App" from Rheinland-Pfalz Tourismus and the video campaign "Uifach mir" from Oberstaufen Tourismus were honored as finalists. The "Magnify Experience Guide" plays the appropriate audio contribution from the DataHub RLP when passing a brown tourist sign on the highway. The Oberstaufen video campaign features short YouTube clips of Oberstaufen protagonists promoting their daily work, thereby showcasing what the town aims to be beyond spa and party tourism.

FROM STRATEGIES AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE TO POSITIONING AGAINST THE SHIFT TO THE RIGHT

On Thursday morning, 16 topics were on the agenda, which were addressed by industry participants. In the moderated sessions, discussions and debates took place, ideas were pinned to boards, and built with Lego bricks. "Headstands were done" (meaning challenging assumptions) and perspective changes were practiced, but also clear positions were taken on pressing issues – e.g., a "position paper for open-mindedness and democratic values".

An industry-wide working group had drafted the statement, and moderator Börnie Lingg presented it at the conclusion—and the prolonged applause showed that the position paper reflected the views of most of the participants.

IMPRESSIONS from the day
CC-BY netzvitamine GmbH/ Johannes Leistner