Further development of the tourism organizational structure

Why is the process necessary?

Tourism is an important economic factor in cities, municipalities and especially in rural regions such as Upper Lusatia, generating income and securing jobs. Targeted economic development is therefore necessary for the labor-intensive sector with its mainly small and micro enterprises, especially in times of a shortage of skilled workers. However, municipal budgets are under increasing financial pressure. The voluntary task of tourism is therefore being discussed time and again. In addition to the quantitatively measurable economic effects of tourism and the turnover, tax revenue and job creation it generates, tourism has many other positive effects, as it improves the recreational value of the population, the quality of the location for companies and increases the attractiveness for everyone locally. It is therefore worth investing in tourism.

In order for the voluntary task of tourism to be financed efficiently, competitive organizational structures are needed as a cooperative network of municipalities at the local level and districts and management organizations at the regional level (DMO).

In recent years, Saxony's destination management organizations (DMOs) have worked very intensively on their competitiveness with the support of the Saxon State Ministry of Science, Culture and Tourism, Culture and Tourism Division (SMWK). Initial successes are clearly visible. In 2022, the SMWK commissioned and published the study on the financing of Saxony's destination management organizations ("BTE study" for short), which was intended to support the work of the DMOs and has provided important findings for Upper Lusatia:

Managed by the Marketing-Gesellschaft Oberlausitz-Niederschlesien mbH (MGO), the tour operators work in a decentralized system of seven tourist area communities (TGGs)

Managed by the Marketing-Gesellschaft Oberlausitz-Niederschlesien mbH (MGO), the tour operators work in a decentralized system of seven tourist area communities (TGGs) according to an agreed division of work and responsibility. The TGGs are not contractually linked to the MGO. In turn, the towns and service providers are organized in the TGGs, but they rarely or never have a direct link to the MGO. The local structures - both TGGs and municipalities - are also very different in terms of their performance. In addition, there are areas that are not organized at all or individual municipalities are not members of their responsible TGG and are therefore not integrated into the tourism structure of Upper Lusatia.

Regional DMOs like the MGO need viable local structures.

Regional DMOs such as the MGO need viable local structures. This does not always have to be at a local level, but can and must also be organized inter-municipally in view of structurally weak areas. However, this requires a clear division of tasks, a clear mandate for the task owners and management structures in the sense of leadership for the complex network of different interest groups. There is a lack of this clarity in the Upper Lusatia region.

Topics and tasks are not differentiated in detail

Topics and tasks are not differentiated in detail, a division of tasks has not been fully implemented or is not known; the MGO steps in in some cases,if tasks are not fulfilled, although it does not actually have a mandate to do so. Accordingly, the MGO can only fulfill this task to a limited extent and see projects through to the end, as it lacks the resources to do so. This in turn leads to a certain degree of dissatisfaction among local stakeholders.

These are just selected aspects to illustrate that tourism work in Upper Lusatia is not regulated efficiently in many places and that the structures and the unclear distribution of tasks make it difficult to compete.

It is therefore high time to take a closer look at the tourism structures within Upper Lusatia!

What should the result be?

The aim of the process is to develop a competitive DMO for Upper Lusatia so that professional tourism work can be guaranteed in the future that not only meets the needs of out-of-town guests or the local population, but also serves businesses and the TGG as well as towns and municipalities.

However, this is not an end in itself, but follows the overarching goal of positioning Upper Lusatia efficiently with a modern, content-oriented and financially sufficient organizational structure and achieving the greatest possible benefit for the partners in the region.

Strengthening the DMO is essential in order to adapt the organization to current requirements and make Upper Lusatia competitive as a destination. Ultimately, the aim is to keep tourism in Upper Lusatia on the road to success and to maintain its importance as an economic factor on the one hand and as a decisive factor for the leisure and quality of life of its population on the other.

What is planned? How can you get involved?

The consulting firm BTE Tourismus- und Regionalberatung from Berlin was commissioned to prepare the study and support the process. They had already prepared the above-mentioned "BTE Study" and are therefore already very familiar with Upper Lusatia. The content of the process that has now been launched is to examine and evaluate the tasks and organizational and cooperation structures of tourism stakeholders at regional and local level in Upper Lusatia in greater depth and finally to make concrete recommendations for possible adjustments. We are also dependent on your cooperation, particularly in the area of analysis & reflection.

The following steps are planned in the process:

Analysis- & Reflection phase
(November 2023 to March 2024)

Phase 1 is used by BTE to determine the situation in Upper Lusatia. With the help of expert interviews, an extensive online survey of TGGs, municipalities and service providers, the organizational, task and financing structures in Upper Lusatia are analyzed. The current status determined in this way will be discussed as part of a future workshop.

Evaluation and recommendation phase
(March to April 2024)

In phase 2, the results of the analysis are evaluated by BTE and placed in the Saxony-wide and national competition. Finally, recommendations for a new organizational model for the DMO Oberlausitz will follow, which will be discussed and sharpened together with a steering group and which will show the target state. The recommendations are based on the so-called BTE study, but no model has yet been set, i.e. the process and discussions are open-ended.