According to experts, Thuringia has by no means exhausted its tourism potential. The Free State wants to become more attractive - this is why investments are being made.
Erfurt (dpa/th) - New hotels, cycle paths or parking spaces for mobile homes - a lot of money is being invested in Thuringia's tourist infrastructure. Last year alone there were 35 projects for which state subsidies flowed from the state, the Ministry of Economic Affairs in Erfurt said on request. The investments for this amounted to a total of 51 million euros, with the state contributing 32.4 million euros.
According to the ministry, the spectrum of tourism investments ranged from a hotel project at the "Hohe Sonne" excursion destination near Eisenach to a lakeside promenade at the Quellenpark in Mühlhausen and a section of the Saaleradeweg near Kaulsdorf in eastern Thuringia. The marketing of the Thuringian Bach Weeks or information centers for spa operations in Bad Tennstedt (Unstrut-Hainich district) were promoted from the state tourism program.
According to experts, Thuringia has by no means exhausted its potential in tourism after the slump during the corona pandemic. The country's tourism association (TTG) is also said to provide more impetus with a new managing director since the beginning of the year.
"Although tourism is one of the sectors that has been hit particularly hard by the crises of the past three years, there is still a high willingness to invest in large parts of the sector," explained Economics Minister Wolfgang Tiefensee (SPD). Not only companies, but also the municipalities would have put money into quality, infrastructure and offers in 2022. "I am pleased that many players have continued to invest in their future despite the difficult environment."
To support the economy, the state has put together an aid package that goes beyond the federal government's offers - a total of around 230 million euros are available for this. "Not only industry and crafts, but also hospitality and tourism can benefit from these programs," explained the minister.
Even if no final statistical data is available yet, the tourism year 2022 was rather unsatisfactory. "We want to make 2023 another successful tourism year for Thuringia and catch up with other holiday regions," says Tiefensee. With the double world championship in Oberhof right at the beginning of the year there is a first highlight in the tourism calendar. It is important to address new target groups. A recently opened luxury family hotel in Oberhof could be a driving force.
Tiefensee announced that the state tourism program will be revised. "In the future, the funding should be used more to create new travel opportunities and then better market these travel offers." Congresses, conferences and trade fairs are also to be given greater focus.
The minister gave a positive assessment of the fact that more catering establishments are being set up than are being closed. According to figures from the State Statistical Office, 418 start-ups and 404 deregistrations were registered in the first half of 2022 - a trend reversal after the Corona years. Figures for the year as a whole are not yet available. "Nevertheless, this shows that there is greater confidence in the development of the industry and increased entrepreneurial commitment," Tiefensee said.
