The numerous day tourists often push the district to its limits - in terms of parking spaces, restaurants and tourist offers.
Those affected hope for relief from a digital visitor control, which the Ministry of Economics is supporting throughout Bavaria with 30 million euros.
Feldafing / Landkreis
- Imagine you want to drive to Lake Starnberg and find out with a click of the mouse where there are still free parking spaces and whether the lawns are already full. Or which bike excursion could be worthwhile instead of the completely overcrowded route around the lake. This is what digital visitor management looks like, and the economic development and tourism company of the district gwt hopes that this will result in sustainable improvements in the management of day tourists. Economics Minister Hubert Aiwanger came to Feldafing yesterday to present the planned measures. His ministry is providing 30 million euros for this. How much of it will end up in the Starnberg district is still unclear.
It was not just the corona pandemic that showed those responsible for tourism and the mayors in the Fünfseenland that they are overwhelmed by the number of day tourists in the Fünfseenland. Parked escape routes, overcrowded bathing areas and masses of cyclists on the lakeside promenades are part of everyday life on nice days. "We have known this for 30 years, and the pandemic has made it worse," said gwt tourism director Klaus Götzl in Feldafing. Last year, gwt made attempts to at least distract the flow of visitors from the full parking spaces. With mediocre success, which Götzl and gwt boss Christoph Winkelkötter would like to improve. "Last weekend we counted cars again," reported Götzl. “Some parking lot operators send us an SMS to tell us how busy they are.“The gwt feed the trip ticker for the StarnbergAmmersee region with these data. The whole thing would be much easier if the parking spaces were digitally recorded and equipped with a barrier on the excursion sticker. “A sensor system costs 7,000 euros,” said Götzl. Among other things, the Ministry of Economic Affairs provides money for this. "Then everyone doesn't have to drive to the same parking lot every day because they can see on the Internet that there is space five kilometers further.""Then everyone doesn't have to drive to the same parking lot every day because they can see on the Internet that there is space five kilometers further.""Then everyone doesn't have to drive to the same parking lot every day because they can see on the Internet that there is space five kilometers further."
The gwt introduces itself much more, also to increase the satisfaction of the guests. Winkelkötter would like them to be able to find out how crowded the hotspots in the Fünfseenland are at the main train station in Munich. “That you know with one click whether you can still visit the Buchheim Museum today or take the EMS Berg.” Discussions with the MVV are already underway and are in preparation with the shipping company and the palace administration.
Barbara Radomski from Bayern Tourismus Marketing GmbH is delighted with the funding program: "The future lies in the digital world," she said in Feldafing. The excursion sticker is a first step towards visitor management. Last but not least, it is also about the satisfaction of the visitors: "Balancing the intensive day tourism and making it compatible for everyone is an important aspect in order to put Bavarian tourism on a successful footing for the future."
Economics Minister Aiwanger is convinced of the funding program. “The digital offer is already being used very well,” he said. That is good, because it is also important that the guests are not frustrated. That could happen just because of the crowd. "75 percent of the municipalities are more crowded than before Corona, 30 to 40 percent are overwhelmed by the onslaught." The Minister of Economic Affairs assured that there would be no new lockdown in the autumn, so that all tourist offers could be used sensibly.
Municipalities can submit applications for funding. Aiwanger promised a subsidy of 30 to a maximum of 50 percent, depending on how the offer was accepted. Feldafing's Mayor Bernhard Sontheim welcomed the initiative: "It's great that the StarnbergAmmersee region is a pioneer in terms of digital visitor management with the Bavaria excursion sticker."