Territorial strategy concept Münsterland created as strategic basis for regional tourism

"The somewhat unwieldy term 'Territorial Strategy Concept Münsterland' conceals an essential strategic basis for the development of nature and cultural tourism in the region for the coming years," summarises Michael Kösters, General Manager and Head of Tourism at the regional management organisation Münsterland e.V. Together with regional stakeholders, the organisation was in charge of developing the strategy concept.

The commission came from the NRW Ministry of Economic Affairs, which about a year ago called on the regional management organisations throughout North Rhine-Westphalia to draw up so-called territorial strategy concepts with broad professional participation as a basis for the new EU funding phase.

"The paper is like a compass and provides a direction for tourism in the Münsterland that both conforms to EU funding criteria and takes into account trends, current developments and the needs of the stakeholders in our region," says Kösters. "So we have a consensus in black and white about where our potential lies, our strengths and weaknesses, the most important fields of action and what kind of projects we will develop in the future - and which ones not." In the last EU funding phase, for example, the "Münsterland Castles and Palaces Region" project was funded with around 8 million euros from the EU and the state of NRW. "Of course, we are now trying to develop sensible and strategically clever follow-up projects and thus apply for EU and state funding. The Territorial Strategy Concept serves as an essential basis for this," says Kösters.

Important cornerstones of the concept: With the guideline "added value and development", it was agreed to achieve above all more added value per guest. "This is not purely about volume growth, but about qualitative growth, i.e. increasing expenditure per guest," says Kösters. "The fields of action that the region definitely needs to work on include, for example, 'profiling and branding' or 'attracting and securing skilled workers, service providers and employees'."

In March, the supervisory board of Münsterland e.V. unanimously took note of the Territorial Strategy Concept Münsterland as a basis for the further tourism development of Münsterland and for the new EU funding phase, and endorsed its consideration and implementation as a basis for regional projects to promote tourism in Münsterland.

"Now it is important that the administrations and the politicians in the districts, cities and municipalities get behind the concept and use it as a basis for their local planning," Kösters emphasises. Only in this way can the vision of a combination of culture, natural heritage and tourism described in the concept become a decisive factor for THE GOOD LIFE in Münsterland, i.e. for the quality of stay and quality of life for guests and locals, for businesses and for economic and location development.

During the preparation of the concept, the district government of Münster stood by Münsterland e.V. as a link between the state and the region in administrative and content-related questions. "Even though the administrative district of Münster encompasses more than the Münsterland, we very much welcome the preparation and support the results of the Territorial Strategy Concept as a basis for tourism development," says Dorothee Feller, District President of the administrative district of Münster.

The complete strategy concept can be viewed at www.touristiker-muensterland.de/strategiekonzept.