Operators of premium trails meet for three days in Donaubergland
Hiking tourism in transition
How is hiking tourism changing in times of digitalization and climate change?
At the invitation of the German Hiking Institute and organized by Donaubergland GmbH, the Donaubergland region hosted this year’s “Forum Premiumwege” for three days.
Every year, the operators of premium trails in Germany meet to exchange ideas and receive further training.
Almost all of Germany is hiking. Hiking has been booming for years and premium trails and quality trails have played a key role in this. The operators of hiking trails are currently facing major new challenges, whether due to changes in guest behaviour or the effects of digitalization and climate change on the maintenance of hiking trails.
At the expert conference at the Schlossberg Hotel in Wehingen, around 30 participants from all over Germany and the Netherlands discussed the challenges of quality assurance on hiking trails and current and future trends in hiking tourism in presentations and workshops.
In the practical part of the conference, Donaubergland Managing Director Walter Knittel took the guests on a hike and presented the
Donauwellen-Premiumweg “Eichfelsen-Panorama”
presented. The conference participants were impressed by the landscape in the Donaubergland and the quality of the trail, even in the constant rain.
Naturally, a stop at Wildenstein Castle was not to be missed.
Wildenstein Castle
with coffee and Danube wave and dinner together at the
Neuhausen ob Eck open-air museum
could not be missed.
AI in hiking tourism
Artificial intelligence is on everyone’s lips. It is also changing tourism marketing and the daily work of tourism professionals. And thus, of course, also the work and offers in hiking tourism.
The AI expert
Alexander Mirschel
from Realizing Progress will highlight the current challenges in the use of AI in tourism and the drastic changes brought about by this digital revolution in a practical keynote speech and subsequent discussion. Above all, this requires professional data management in the development, maintenance and provision of tours and hiking data. AI also opens up enormous opportunities in the formulation and marketing of offers.
Hiking and public transport
Hiking is certainly one of the most nature-friendly leisure activities. However, hiking is not sustainable per se. Almost 70 percent of hikers travel to their tour in their own car.
This is why good visitor guidance and the most comprehensive information possible on the internet and on site about how, when and where it is possible to travel to and from the destination by bus and train is needed. On-site signage should help here and make orientation easier.
Migration research as a basis – the migration monitor
Hiking
The renowned hiking researcher
Heinz-Dieter Quack
Professor at the Ostfalia University of Applied Sciences in Salzgitter and head of the
Federal Competence Center for Tourism
at the Federal Ministry of Economics in Berlin, presented the latest scientific data and analyses on the development of hiking. These help local trail operators to assess the preferences and wishes of hikers, as well as ongoing changes, and take them into account in their work.
The annual survey instrument for this purpose is the
migration monitor
Path sponsorships from companies in the Donaubergland region
One particular focus was the unique nationwide project “
Trail sponsorships by industrial companies in the Donaubergland
” and the commitment of local businesses to the region. Holger Müller, Managing Director of
Hammerwerk Fridingen GmbH
openly explained to the participants his company’s motivation for the many years of intensive cooperation as a trail sponsor for the
premium trail “Donaufelsen-Tour”
in Fridingen.
The Chairman of the Board of
SHL AG in Böttingen
Gerd Lehr also attended the conference in Wehingen together with his wife. SHL AG is the official sponsor of the Donauwelle Alter Schäferweg trail. He answered the participants’ questions about his commitment and that of his company and his whole family to the hiking trail.
To our hiking tips in the Donaubergland:
