New start for tourism in MV: GmbH starts on October 1st!

New start for tourism in MV: GmbH starts on October 1st!

Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania is facing significant change in the tourism sector. The new state-owned tourism company will start working on October 1st. This decision aims to dissolve the state tourism association and transfer it to the new company, as [NDR] reports. Economics Minister Wolfgang Blank (independent) announced the restructuring in Schwerin and guaranteed the new company 5.75 million euros in annual financial resources.

The new company will be based in Rostock, and all employees of the previous state tourism association will be taken over without any losses. The change follows numerous allegations made against the state tourism association in February, including alleged accounting irregularities. In April, the then managing director Tobias Woitendorf was fired, which subsequently led to investigations by the public prosecutor into subsidy fraud.

New management team and supervisory board

The planned three-member supervisory board will be chaired by Minister Blank. This is supplemented by an advisory board that includes representatives from the industry, politics and associations. The managing director, who has yet to be found, will also take on the role of the state's tourism officer. This step was decided after discussions in the State Chancellery in Schwerin, which were also attended by representatives of the tourism association and the German Hotel and Restaurant Association, as [Nordkurier] reports.

Prime Minister Manuela Schwesig (SPD) describes tourism as a success story for Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. The new company is intended to maintain the previous priorities of the state tourism association. A seven-point plan for the further development of tourism was also agreed upon during the talks. This plan is intended to guide the future course of the GmbH and ensure that the challenges of the industry are effectively addressed.

Controversies and challenges

Despite the positive approaches, the environment surrounding the restructuring remains characterized by tensions. The CDU opposition criticizes the Ministry of Economic Affairs for its high-handed behavior, while the Greens suspect that the state government is trying to distract attention from its own mistakes. Concerns about the future of the state tourism association had already been raised before the restructuring, when the association was threatened with bankruptcy. Legal steps against the new industry and lobby association have been coordinated with government headquarters, which illustrates the explosiveness of the situation.

With the planned establishment of the new tourism company, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania is entering a new era in which fresh impulses are to be provided for the tourism sector. The financial resources and structural changes that have been set could enable the industry to master the challenges of the future and continue to promote the importance of tourism for the state.