DAY 3 DSTNCMP²⁴

ON MAY 23, 2024, BY WOLFGANG WEILER

Back in Germany: DSTNCMP²⁵ in Düsseldorf.

The DSTNCMP challenge cup goes to the Wangerländer Deichleuchten. And the DSTNCMP²⁵ is taking place 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 traveled to Lake Constance specifically to invite the participants of the 14th DestinationCamp and promised to “take this great spirit back to Düsseldorf.”

With a spectacular closing event at the Werkstattbühne of the Festspielhaus on Lake Constance, Thursday marked the end of DSTNCMP²⁴ . After a total of 32 sessions covering nearly every aspect of German-speaking destination tourism, they gathered on Thursday evening around the festively set tables in the Blackbox.

The theme song from the 22nd Bond thriller, *Skyfall*, boomed through the hall from the speakers—not from a recording, but sung with a powerful, throaty voice by Laura Bilgeri. The 29-year-old actress and singer is one of Austria’s finest pop and jazz performers. She is a television star and has appeared in international feature films. With Bond songs like “Diamonds Are Forever,” “Goldfinger,” and “Writings on the Wall,” she fired up the lively 007 evening, which eventually turned into a wild night of partying at the real roulette and blackjack tables of the neighboring casino.

THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS AND PARTNERS

The Managing Directors of netzvitamine Stefan Möhler and Benjamin Buhl, who have been organizing this industry gathering for 14 years, thanked the hosts: Convention Partner Vorarlberg, Bregenz Tourism and City Marketing, Kongresskultur, and Vorarlberg Tourism. They presented the partners and sponsors with regional delicacies as a token of appreciation for their support, much of which has been long-standing.

At the start of the event, host Bernhard Lingg proudly announced that this DestinationCamp, too, had been awarded the Austrian "Green Events" .

The^DSTNCMP25, scheduled for June 3–5, 2025, in Düsseldorf, will also be aligned with netzvitamine’s sustainability standards.

HIGHLIGHT OF THE EVENING: THE PITCHES FOR THE DSTNCMPCHALLENGECUP

For the third time, theDSTNCMP Prize was awarded in Bregenz as challenge cup has been 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 "preliminary jury" had reviewed 17 projects beforehand and selected five finalists for the final round. Each finalist gave a three-minute presentation to pitch their idea to the four “jurors” and the audience.

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

The winners were determined based on the judges' scores and a technical measurement of the audience's applause.

"DEICHLEUCHTEN" FROM THE WANGERLAND WINS THE CHALLENGE CUP

The winner of the traveling trophy was the“Deichleuchten” project from Wangerland. Instead ofbidding farewell tothe old year with fireworks and firecrackers, since 2022 guests and locals have been encouraged to welcome the New Year along the 30-kilometer-long dike with lanterns, string lights, or torches. The “Deichleuchten” initiative is also intended to raise awareness about the protection of the Wadden Sea, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Thecampaign took second place #IdeenMachenTourismus by the Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Tourism Association. Through public dialogues and idea workshops, concrete solutions for resident-centered tourism development were developed. This resulted in ten demands from residents, which were compiled into a 42-page action plan.

Third place went tothe “Culinary Speed Dating” event organized byDeutsche Bodensee Tourismus (DBT). The event aims to connect sustainable gastronomy with agriculture in the region. The “Culinary Speed Dating” event served as the kickoff for digital networking and further events designed to strengthen the “Echt Nachhaltig Bodensee” initiative—which was a finalist in last year’s competition.

This year, the finalists were the "Maqnify Experience Guide App" from Rhineland-Palatinate Tourism and the video campaign "Uifach mir" by Oberstaufen Tourism were named as finalists. When users pass a brown landmark sign on the highway, the “Magnify Experience Guide” plays the corresponding audio clip from the DataHub RLP. The Oberstaufen video campaign features short clips on YouTube showcasing local residents who promote the town through their daily work, thereby highlighting what the town aspires to be beyond spa and party tourism.

FROM STRATEGIES TO COMBAT CLIMATE CHANGE TO TAKING A STAND AGAINST THE SHIFT TO THE RIGHT

On Thursday morning, the program featured 16 topics on the agenda, which were explored by participants from the industry. During the moderated sessions, participants discussed and debated, pinned notes to bulletin boards, and built structures with LEGO bricks. They “turned things upside down” and practiced shifting perspectives, but also took clear stances on pressing issues —such as a “position paper on cosmopolitanism 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