Q&A with Petra Hedorfer, Chairwoman of the Board of the GNTB
Against the backdrop of the threat posed by climate change, a shift toward more sustainable travel is increasingly taking place in tourism.
Petra Hedorfer, Chairwoman of the Board of the German National Tourist Board, highlights current consumer behaviour and the opportunities that arise from sustainable tourism.
How are tourism values changing against the backdrop of climate change?
Nowadays, climate protection and sustainable action are no longer additives, but permeate almost every area of life and, in this sense, also affect all aspects of travel: In addition to authentic and individual travel experiences away from the mainstream, the desire for sustainable offerings and accommodations as well as environmentally friendly means of transport is growing. In Germany, sustainability is anchored in the government’s tourism strategy. As the National Tourist Board, we are working to position Germany as a sustainable destination in international competition.
By international standards, Germany already enjoys a very good reputation as a sustainable travel destination. A study exclusively commissioned by us in October 2022 from IPK International shows how strongly Destination Germany has been able to position itself as a sustainable brand: In a European comparison, foreign travellers see Germany in 3rd place when it comes to sustainable offerings. In the international Sustainable Development Index, which tracks progress toward achieving the UN climate goals, Germany ranks 6th in 2022.
In addition to end consumers, we naturally also evaluate the voices from industry leaders and we see a similarly good picture. Three quarters of 280 decision-makers from international tourism companies perceive Germany as a sustainable destination. And they predict that consumer demand for sustainable products will increase in the coming years.
What needs to be done so that consumers recognize the sustainable orientation?
It succeeds if we think and act 360 degrees. As the Tourist Board, we continuously share the latest data with service providers, from customer groups to be addressed to trends in transportation choices. These are critical fundamentals for suppliers. Continuous exchange of best practices is also enormously important in a transformation, so that marketers can make faster progress together – this is where we as the Tourist Board act as a networking and knowledge platform.
With the new claim “Together we care,” we are clearly demonstrating the goal-oriented approach. As far as addressing end consumers is concerned, many consumers already have sustainable Germany in mind, as environmentally friendly certified products, the promotion of public transport, rural vacations and inclusion have been promoted by us abroad for many years. In the year that has just ended and in the future, we will focus even more on climate and environmentally friendly tourism in our brand communication.
What are the desires and expectations of travellers today?
Germany’s positive image as a tourist destination is well in line with the interests and desires of guests travelling sustainably. In order to be able to position Germany as a credible and sustainable travel destination, even more certified travel offers are needed. After all, according to an analysis by IPK International, sustainability, climate protection and environmental protection are important or even very important issues for 80% of international travellers abroad. In this context, around 40% of those surveyed expect a broader, more cost-effective range of offers as well as concrete information relating to their stay. For 90% of respondents, the desire to combine a city trip with a stay in a rural region is also strong. This not only extends the length of stay, but also reduces the CO₂ footprint. Certified offers, visibility on the web, and also the promotion of pre- and post-seasons are important factors for suppliers.
As the National Tourist Board, we continuously seize the opportunity to link existing travel motives of tourists with sustainability. I can exemplify our approach with our application of German World Heritage sites from 2023. There is extraordinarily great interest among travellers in Germany to experience culture. In terms of global travel by Europeans, for example, Germany is the No. 1 cultural travel destination: in figures, that’s eight million cultural trips, which corresponds to a market share of 13 percent. Therefore it makes a lot of sense to target guests very specifically on their interest in culture and highlight how they can experience it in a sustainable way.
The “51 UNESCO World Heritage Sites – Historic.Modern.Germany” campaign is aimed above all at the contrast between historic world heritage and the diversity of products in urban and rural areas. In order to offer guests from all over the world not only unique and authentic experiences in combination with a city and nature stay, but also sustainable travel experiences, many offers in the context of our World Heritage Sites are accessible in a climate-friendly way by public transport. Our campaign is designed to ensure that guests find the offerings so attractive that they plan a longer stay – which again pays back to a lower CO₂ footprint.
Besides culture, what are the priorities for international travellers in 2023?
The change in values of international travellers clearly shows how much travel behavior has changed since the outbreak of the Corona pandemic and has now clearly consolidated toward more sustainability. That’s why in the coming year, in addition to the UNESCO campaign, we are using two campaigns with a strong “green focus” that have already had a successful impact in 2022 and previously.
In 2023, these will be played out with new travel ideas and inspirations. One is the FEEL GOOD sustainability campaign, which promotes climate- and environmentally-friendly offers in a very focused way. Our Embrace German Nature campaign shows how diverse and unique natural landscapes in Germany are and how resource-friendly they can be travelled to. We look forward to welcoming guests from all over the world, who will join us in achieving the goal of sustainable tourism.
