Monday, October 1, the first day of the project at the Evangelisches Gymnasium, in Lippstadt, Germany

Very early in the morning, we gathered outside the school. The students were already in place waiting for us. The headmistress welcomed us and we went for a tour around the school and visited a few classes and even in teachers’ room. Then we ate lunch in the school’s dining room and then we headed for a very famous chocolate factory, Peters. There we learned all that is to know about chocolate, and then we had to let the imagination flow and create our own produce of the good fruit that the Mayan Indians taught us to appreciate.

Regional Club in Our School

During the whole last school year we had a regional club functioning in our school. Our geography and history teachers were working with the students on many aspects connected with our region. The  pupils were learning about its history, traditions and geographical features. As the last task they chose to see its beauty by themselves. The students went on a trip to see the regional attractions such as the ruins of a medieval castle in a village Stare Drawsko, picturesque scenery of a health resort Polczyn Zdroj and loveliness of natural landscapes of Drawa Lake District. Everyone had a great time, especially dressing up as medieval knights and ladies gave the students a lot of joy. It was a good lesson for students to learn that touristic attractions might be found nearby as well.

 

Trip to Szczecin- the capital city of West Pomerania

On Monday 18th June we visited the capital city of our region Szczecin. It is the largest city of West Pomerania and full of touristic attractions and rich history. First we decided to have some fun and experience adventure at the FUN-JUMP Park. It turned out to be extremely tiring but absolutely exciting. No wonder it is one of the most visited attractions in the city. Next there was time to explore the history of Szczecin. We saw the Szczecin Underground Routes. We learned a lot about the World War II, the damages that were done to this industrialised city and the time just after the war when Polish migrants were coming from other parts of the country and the regions which used to be Polish territories before 1939. At the end of our trip we went for a walk around the city admiring the beautiful architecture of the city. It was a great day for all of us!

 

The development of tourism in Germany and its economical impact

                The development of tourism in Germany

                            1970ies, 1980ies and 1990ies

1970ies:

  • The available income of a worker per year: 5.080 Euro
  • Least vacation of 20 days in the year
  • 1970 travelled 32% of the population once a year in the vacation
  • 1973 travelled 50% of the population
  • 1976 it rose to 55%
  • Of this 55% to foreign countries and 45% stay in the same country
  • For the first time, more people travelled in other than the own country
  • Spain was very popular
  • Great Boom of package tours: 1970 only 13% of the trips, at the end of 1970 28%

1980ies:

  • The available income: 10.151 Euro
  • The travel and flight tourism experienced an impetus
  • Germany got the title “Reiseweltmeister” (world travel champion)
  • 2012 the Chinese join the competition
  • The package tours raise to 40%
  • Since 1980 travelled 65% of the population
  • Up to now this value stay the same
  • 1989 travelled 69% to foreign countries

 

 

 

1990ies:

  • The available income: 14.063 Euros
  • Since 1995: Least vacation of 24 days in the year
  • Since the reunification many citizens used their new freedom to travel
  • This led to new records
  • 43,2 million of people travelled
  • Spain was the most popular destination
  • New destinations inspire the younger people and backpacker
  • For example: India, Thailand or the USA
  • A reason for this were the cheap tickets
  • To compare:

1950:

  • A ticket to New York: 3.500 Mark
  • This is 77% of the income

1990:

  • A ticket to New York: 600 Mark
  • Only 1,2% of the income

 

The Economic Impact of Germany’s Tourism Industry

 

Impact on income

→ The production of the goods and services that tourists in Germany consume generates a gross value added of 97.0 billion euros (direct effect) in 2010. (4.4 % in total gross value added of Germany)

→ The total contribution of tourism to gross value added in Germany increases to 214.1 billion euros

                                                       

Impact on employment

→ The production of goods and services that tourists in Germany consume generate employment for 2.9 million persons (direct effect). This corresponds to 7.0 % of all employed persons in Germany.

→ The total contribution of tourism to employment in Germany increases to 4.9 million persons (indirect effects).

 

Accordingly, the total contribution of tourism to employment in Germany increases to 12.0 %.

The macroeconomic context of these results is as follows:

 

→ The direct contribution of tourism to gross value added (4.4 %) is similar in magnitude to that of the construction sector (4.3 %), the education sector (4.6 %) or the professional and technical services industry (4.6 %). Gross value added in the automo-

bile industry or in the banking and financial ser-

vices sector (both 2.5 %) is smaller.

The direct contribution of tourism to employment in Germany (7.0 %) is of similar magnitude to the retail sector (9.2 %) and the education sector (5.9 %). Other sectors, such as construction (3.0 %) or machine building (2.6 %), contribute less.

Sources

https://www.bmwi.de/Redaktion/EN/Publikationen/wirtschaftsfaktor-tourismus-deutschland.pdf?__blob=publicationFile&v=1.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

source: www.parken-und-fliegen.de

 

We also need more sustainable tourism to save our planet!

One group has researched sustainable tourism and in how far we German people try to integrate it into our touristic program!

Sustainable Tourism in Germany

  • The German Ministry of the environment, the German federal environment protection agency and the German Tourism Association announced the competition „Bundeswettbewerb 2016/17 “Nachhaltige Tourismusdestinationen in Deutschland“ and about 40 destinations were part of it.
  • Winner: Biosphere Reserve Schwäbische Alb
  • Special prizes: – Sustainable Mobility: Sächsische Schweiz

-biological variety and natural experience: Peeneregion Vorpommern

– Climateprotection, resources and energy efficiency: Nordseeinsel Juist

– visible regionality: Allgäu

Schwäbische Alb

  • Logical, sustainable adjustment
  • Par excellence sustainable tourism of the regional development speeds up à the regional economy and natural associations and tourism associations strengthens, as well as municipalities, enterprises and citizens move in a rope and work together, so that there is a bygone WE – feeling.
  • Appear contagious engagement, what you can see in high-quality products and offers for guests:

– Courts typical for nightmare, the “biosphere host”

– Exploratory expeditions of the “biosphere ambassadors” by the living spaces of UNESCO – biosphere reserve

– “ALBGEMACHT” as the regional brand which promotes biological variety and recipes

– NestingfacilitiesteachingpathnearbytheinformationcentreLauterbach

– 2 view telescopes in the biosphere reserve

– Local authority districts and biological variety: Exemplary conversion of nature protection measures with accompanying public relations in various towns

 

 

Peeneregion Vorpommern

  • Tourism and nature protection function hand in hand
  • Initiative of the tourism association Vorpommern e.V., Netzwerk Abenteuer Flusslandschaft, HOP e.V., Naturpark Flusslandschaft Peenetal
  • Aim: Nature Protection connected with biological variety, with preservation and a sustainable experience
  • Sustainable offers for guests: Prime example is the „Peenesafari“ in a solar boat. This lighthouse – offer should make biological variety especially experienceable and protects it at the same time. The safari takes place with certified natural leaders and scenery leaders who hold the sturgeon factor for the ecosystem so slightly as possible. One finds out the immediate experience and can observe the open space.
  • Natural experience and environmental education are combined here with regional gourmet cuisine and high travel comfort.

 

These are one organisation that certifies sustainable tourism attractions and one is a travel agency to specifically search for sustainable travel possibilities.

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