Culture and tourism: How exhibitions make cities bloom!

Culture and tourism: How exhibitions make cities bloom!

Greifswald, Deutschland - On May 15, 2025, the Hans Diers Marketing Symposium took place, which focused on the symbiosis between culture and tourism. The event, which came together with numerous experts and institutions in the cultural industry, illustrated how cultural programs can act as tourist impulses and at the same time represent visitor magnets for cities and museums. Ulrich Keinath, Managing Director of Projekt2508 GmbH and Art Cities Reisen GmbH, emphasized the central role of exhibitions in the cultural travel market and its influence on regional added value. An example of this is the upcoming anniversary for Caspar David Friedrich, which will be celebrated in the Pomeranian State Museum in Greifswald in 2024, an event that has already led to an increase in the number of overnight stays by 8 percent.

The combination of topics, timing, title and targeted marketing is essential to create a strong media dynamics. Campaigns should be planned at least two years in advance to maximize the media range and to establish a strong partner network. A successful example is the Rheingau Music Festival, which combines music, wine and culture and benefits from a stable partner network of sponsors, venues, wineries, gastronomy and hotels.

The role of Caspar David Friedrich

As part of Caspar David Friedrich's 250th birthday, an important exhibition will take place in the Old National Gallery in Berlin in 2024. This is carried out in cooperation with the copper stitch cabinet of the state museums in Berlin and shows over 60 paintings and more than 50 drawings by Friedrich from various museums. These include masterpieces such as "Das Arctic Sea" from the Hamburg Kunsthalle and "Kreidefelsen on Rügen" from the Winterthur Art Museum. The exhibition also focuses on the rediscovery of Friedrich's art at the beginning of the 20th century, which means that the National Gallery is one of the most important collections of Friedrich paintings worldwide.

The exhibition will lead the visitors through the variety of Friedrich's picture pairs and show the change in his perspectives. In addition, a chapter is devoted to the creative process and its painting technology, supported by a media station. Contemporary photo montages by the artist Hiroyuki Masuyama, who reconstruct Friedrich's works, round off the show. Special opening times will be offered for all interested parties during the exhibition from July 4, 2024.

Integration of culture into tourist plans

The symposium emphasized the need for closer cooperation between cultural institutions and tour operators. The cultural institutions often lack understanding of the needs of the tour operators, while they do not always perceive the cultural opportunities. The exchange between these actors is crucial to fully exploit the potential of cultural tourism and to make an integral part of tourist planning.

The successes in Greifswald and the well thought -out marketing strategies are highlighted as role models that show how cultural offers not only create regional identity, but can also set sustainable economic impulses. The coming anniversary of Caspar David Friedrich will not only be a cultural highlight, but also an example of the synergetic cooperation between culture and tourism.