Harz in danger: overnight stays sink, trees die, future uncertain!

Harz in danger: overnight stays sink, trees die, future uncertain!

St. Andreasberg, Deutschland - The future of tourism in the Harz is on the brink: overnight number decreases, the spruce stock dies and many young people leave the region. This can be loudHNAWatch particularly well in St. Andreasberg, an early popular travel destination that is now characterized by vacancies. The lack of restaurants and accommodations not only leads to falling number of visitors, but also makes the region more unattractive for investments.

The number of overnight stays in the Harz has fallen significantly in recent years. While 3.95 million overnight stays were still recorded in 2019, it was only over 3.8 million in 2023. In 2000, this number was even over 4.6 million. Climatic changes, such as the decline in snow days in winter and increasing drought in summer, significantly influence this trend. This is reinforced by the fact that the Harz National Park has lost over 11,600 hectares of its original spruce stock since 2018 and 90% of the spruce forests have now died.

Climate change and its consequences

The problems in the Harz area are diverse. "The snow days in the Harz fell from 28.7 (1961-1990) to 17.7 (1990-2019)," explains an analysis that shows the effects of climate change on the region. A decline in the snow days from 57.1 to 33.5 is also documented in Lower Saxony. The result is not only an impact on winter sports, but also challenges for the entire tourism industry, which causes around 8 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions.

Nevertheless, there are signs of hope. In 2024, the bare areas in the Harz could be reduced by around 5,500 hectares to around 14,800 hectares. Experts see opportunities for positive development, in particular through the promotion of natural ecosystems as part of the solution to the current problems. In addition, there are no signs of decline in Wernigerode, where financial resources are provided for tourist institutions.

Sustainable tourism as an opportunity

In order to cope with the challenges of tourism in the Harz, sustainable mobility solutions are of central importance. This was also discussed in a lecture, which dealt with the difficulties of administrative structure in the Harz and its influence on tourism. The importance of soft and slow tourism, which promotes gentle leisure activities such as hiking and cycling, is increasingly recognized. The aim is to reduce the CO₂ footprint and to establish the area as a sustainable travel destination.

Initiatives like this could be crucial to promote the environmental awareness of visitors and make the Harz again an attractive goal for tourists. "It is important to raise awareness of sustainable tourism," said the experts, who indicate a growing interest of the participants in climate -friendly offers. For the future, the establishment of a holistic, sustainable traffic concept is required in order to re -position the Harz as an economically stable and climate -friendly tourism location.

The challenges cannot be misunderstood, but with targeted measures and a common commitment to sustainable practices, the Harz might soon bloom again.