Young people are shaping the future of the Upper Palatinate Lake District up close!

Young people are shaping the future of the Upper Palatinate Lake District up close!

Around 30 students from the Regental-Gymnasium Nittenau took part in an exciting project on tourism management in April. The day of action, organized by the Upper Palatinate Lake District Association, had the motto “Experience tourism up close – your contribution to the Upper Palatinate Lake District”. The event took place at the sailing school on Lake Steinberger, where the students had the opportunity to actively immerse themselves in the world of tourism.

Johannes Lohrer, managing director of the association, opened the event and explained the goals and tasks of the organization to the participants. Project manager Kathrin Gallistl was also on site to offer the students support and promote exchange. In an interactive format, students were able to use surveys to find out what makes a region attractive for young people.

Interactive workshops and creative solutions

As part of the project, students worked in small groups on three central topics. The first group, the market research group, developed a questionnaire on the attractiveness of the region. The second group was dedicated to tourism marketing and created creative concepts for social media and local events. The last group worked on the destination work and created a full-day adventure program for school classes in the Upper Palatinate Lake District.

The results of the workshop were presented in a presentation and discussion session. This discussion was about the feasibility of the ideas and the challenges that rural tourism brings with it. Career prospects in the industry also found their way into the discussions. Johannes Lohrer was enthusiastic about the creativity and commitment shown by the students. Kathrin Gallistl emphasized the great value of direct exchange with young people for the region.

The role of destination management

The Regental-Gymnasium project is an example of the changing management of tourist destinations. Loud Tourism Bavaria Destination management organizations (DMOs) have changed significantly over the past few decades. They have evolved from simple beautification or spa clubs into modern networks that no longer focus exclusively on increasing guest numbers. Instead, digitalization and sustainability are the focus of their efforts.

Modern DMOs not only coordinate tourist attractions and service providers, they also shape living spaces and drive transformations in areas such as digitalization. Their role is being redefined to involve all stakeholders of a destination in order to create a high-quality and holistic experience that meets the needs of both guests and locals. This highlights the need for professional processes to effectively manage tourism development.

In this context, the Regental-Gymnasium initiative is a step in the right direction, as it gives young people insights into the professional craft of destination management while encouraging them to contribute their own ideas and perspectives.