Tourism in Uelzen on the abyss: Is the Heider region in front of that?

Tourism in Uelzen on the abyss: Is the Heider region in front of that?

Uelzen, Deutschland - The budget situation of the municipalities in the Uelzen district is currently tense. Against this background, the costs for the tourism organization "Heideregion Uelzen" are questioned. This organization is a district -wide initiative that takes care of the tourist appearance of the region and provides an extensive database for tourist offers. This database enables hotel and pension operators as well as the municipalities to advertise their offers via terminals and an app. az-online.de reports that this important facility is financed by membership fees from the municipalities.

In 2019, a feasibility study was created that approved the continued existence of the organization. The district then increased its grant. However, the chairman of the Heider region, Michael Müller, expresses concerns about the affordability of the contributions for the municipalities. In this context, talks with Lüneburger Heide GmbH (LHG) have already been held to receive support. A possible integration of the Heider region into the LHG could be discussed, as was the case in 2019. However, there are concerns that the Uelzen district could go under in the LHG because other counties have larger tourist offers.

concerns about visibility

The annual report of the Heideregion Uelzen criticized the lack of visibility of the district in marketing activities. Michael Müller emphasizes the need to increase the visibility of the district, especially if integration into the LHG is carried out. Peter Gerlach, deputy managing director of the Heider region, indicates that investments in the tourist infrastructure are essential to keep the region competitive.

The situation of the Heider region is described as critical. The current managing director is ill, and a project point is only approved by the end of the year. Due to this situation, projects for 2024 had to be postponed into the new year. By autumn, clarity and decisions about a possible integration of the Heider region into the LHG should now be made, especially before the budget consultations of the municipalities.

about Lüneburger Heide GmbH

The Lüneburger Heide GmbH, which was founded in 2008, acts as a umbrella organization and professional interest representation of the tourist service providers in the Lüneburg Heath. This also includes the districts of Heidekreis, Lüneburg, Harburg, Cellen and Uelzen as well as the cities of Lüneburg and Bad Bevensen. The LHG takes over central tourist marketing functions and contributes to the general tourism funding. Their tasks include the worldwide presence of the region as well as specialist advice in marketing and sales.

The LHG has established itself as a national network and acts as an interface to the federal and state level. Thanks to innovative marketing strategies, including the latest technologies such as an Alexa application, the region has recorded a record number of 9 million overnight stays in 2022. The LHG has thus proven to be a central actor and could play a crucial role for the Uelzen district when it comes to strengthening the tourist infrastructure and visibility.

The challenges of the Uelzen district require timely solutions in order to not only preserve the tourist attractiveness and the associated economic aspects, but also to expand it. The coming months will be decisive to ensure the continued existence and further development of the Heider region.