Journée du Tourisme 2018;
Credit: MECO
On the occasion of the second edition of the Tourism Day held on Monday 12 March 2018, Luxembourg's Secretary of State for the Economy, Francine Closener, hosted representatives of the Luxembourg tourism sector for a meeting and exchanges on topics of interest, news and strategy of the sector.
In particular, Secretary of State Closener took advantage of the Tourism Day to present the strategic framework for the development of the tourism sector by 2022, entitled "Tourism 2022", which is the result of joint reflection between the Ministry of the Economy and its partners in the field of tourism.
In addition, expert speakers presented the major trends facing the world of tourism. In order to highlight the international context in which the reflections of the "Tourism 2022" strategy fit in and to prepare the sector for the opportunities and challenges of the coming years, futurologist Ulrich Reinhardt has put the future of tourism and the changes into perspective. Specialists Mathias Behrens-Egge from BTE Tourismus and Erik Neumeyer from the German Hiking Federation highlighted how Luxembourg can exploit the potential of the hiking tourism market, notably through the reorganisation of the national network of hiking trails. and the connection of quality trails with hotel and gastronomic offer in the regions.
At the same time, Secretary of State Closener presented the "Tourism Innovation Award 2018", a project in line with the development strategy 2022. She said on this subject: "The "Tourism Innovation Award 2018" aims to promote the know-how and innovative spirit of companies in relation to the tourism sector. The aim is to stimulate creativity and the development of original projects, in order to open the sector to new trends. The prize aims to stimulate new ideas for the attractiveness of tourism in Luxembourg and to encourage industry professionals to adopt an innovation-based strategy in order to strengthen their competitiveness and the quality of their offer."
The first edition of the National Tourism Innovation Award aimed at encouraging innovation in the tourism sector is open to small and medium-sized companies wishing to achieve a particularly innovative idea in the field of tourism. Applicants are encouraged to submit their project until 12 June 2018 on www.tourisminnovation.lu in one of two categories: "Smart Tourism" or "Circular Economy and Sustainable Tourism". Each category has a prize of €15,000 which will be awarded by a jury and the winners will benefit from support by Luxinnovation for the implementation or development of their project. The public will also be able to elect their favourite project for the "Public Prize" which is awarded the same prize.
