In the current legislative period, detailed participatory tourism strategies with concrete measures for action were developed for the first time. The DP will consistently implement these in order to further develop Luxembourg as a sustainable and high-quality tourism destination that also creates added value for the local people.

The DP’s tourism policy stands for quality and does not goal at mass tourism. In the current legislative period, the focus of tourism policy here has been placed much more strongly on local markets such as the Netherlands, Germany, France and Belgium. These target groups are not only interesting in terms of sustainable domestic tourism, but their length of stay is also significantly longer than that of long-distance tourists, for example, who often only stay in the country for a few hours. In the long-distance markets, the goal is to continue to attract tourists in a very targeted manner, for example in North America the promotion of commemorative tourism to commemorate the Second World War.

With the sustainability labels “Ecolabel” and “Green Business Events”, Luxembourg clearly focuses on the topic of sustainability. Various priority tourism areas, such as active tourism, also reflect the prioritisation of sustainability in tourism policy. For the DP, however, it is clear that the theme of sustainability must run through the entire tourism strategy, from the target groups targeted (local vs. long-distance markets), to the promotion of domestic tourism, to a respectful treatment of nature. DP will therefore seek sustainability certification for Luxembourg as a global destination.

The capital is undoubtedly a strong tourist magnet. However, the individual regions with their respective special features have just as much to offer in terms of tourism. The DP wants to strengthen the regions in terms of tourism and emphasise their individuality. In order to do this, stronger networking and tourist offers that link regions with each other are to be promoted. In addition, similar to the successful example of ORT Éislek, the DP will offer regional tourism associations a better integration into the EIG Luxembourg for Tourism. This will allow the tourism associations to benefit from numerous synergies without, however, losing their autonomy and freedom of design.

The DP will continue to develop commemorative tourism products and make them more accessible to new generations. The cornerstones of Luxembourg’s commemorative tourism are the memory of World War II, the construction of the European Union as a peace project, and the industrialisation of the country with the iron and steel industry. Important projects were started in this legislative period: for example, the international “Liberation Road”, which connects European memorials to the Second World War, or the purchase and historical restoration of the “MS Marie-Astrid” as the place where the Schengen Treaties were signed. The DP will continue these projects and provide the necessary funds for them. The “MS Marie-Astrid” will get its permanent anchorage in Schengen and become a leading attraction in the east of the country.

In order to strengthen the quality of life and stay, a strong investment policy in tourism is needed. In the 11th Five-Year Infrastructure Plan, which was recently approved by the Chamber of Deputies, the financial resources were increased from 60 million euros to 70 million euros. The DP is committed to a strong investment policy in tourism that contributes to strengthening the regions.

For the DP, water and environmental protection on the one hand, and tourism on the other, are compatible. Therefore, a feasibility study for a hotel project in Lultzhausen near the reservoir was commissioned during the current legislative period. The DP will tender such a hotel project with clear environmental requirements in order to create a showcase for environmentally friendly accommodation structures with an accent on so-called “slow tourism”.

Social employment initiatives do an outstanding job in providing a good “Rent a Bike” system in the regions. The DP will provide the initiatives with the necessary means to better coordinate the different regional offers and to provide a comprehensive offer. On-line bookability is being sought in close cooperation with the initiatives.

Active tourism is a pillar of the national tourism strategy. Great progress was made in the last legislative period to increase the quality of experience in active tourism. The Ösling region, for example, is the first European hiking region to be awarded the title “Leading Quality Region – Best of Europe” by the European Hiking Association. The DP will continue to improve the national hiking network and also ensure the maintenance (for example clearing and mowing) of the quality hiking trails. Trail management (marking and signposting) also needs to be expanded and improved where necessary.

The development of cycle tourism has gained momentum in the current legislative period. Initiatives such as the Vëlosummer help to position Luxembourg as a cycling country. The DP will work for a consistent further development of cycle tourism and create a good holistic tour offer for cyclists. In addition, the municipalities are supported in building connections to the national cycle path network and in providing important infrastructure for cyclists, such as luggage storage or bicycle pumping stations.

The accommodation voucher offered by the government in the Corona pandemic, to locals and cross-border commuters to support accommodation establishments, has given a real boost to domestic tourism. The DP will continue to focus on domestic tourism through targeted actions that bring the people who live and work here closer to the country and its culture.

The Moselle region is known far beyond its borders as an excellent wine region. Numerous events already contribute to the marketing of local wines. In the future, the DP will work closely with the winegrowers’ associations to bring the wineries and also the winegrowers more into the tourist spotlight and thus create authentic experiences for tourists that at the same time bring real added value to wine culture.

Thus, on the one hand, we will create a clear legal framework for the “Wäistuff” as well as the “salle de dégustation” at the winegrower. On the other hand, we will examine to what extent the establishment of “chambres d’hôte” can be made possible under precise conditions.

The Eurewelcome label is an important instrument to promote accessible offers. The DP will work to ensure that there is as wide a range of accessible tourism as possible to meet people’s different needs. For the DP, accessibility is a quality feature and the topic will be considered in all areas of tourism development.

Tourist attractions that cannot be designed barrier-free should be made visitable via digital offers. Tactile models for the visually impaired are to be set up at important monuments.

Business tourism can contribute to developing priority economic clusters and strengthening Luxembourg as an economic location through a proactive design policy. The creation of the EIG “Luxembourg Convention Bureau” during the current legislative term was an important step in strategically and systematically addressing the development of business tourism in Luxembourg. This policy is beginning to bear fruit: Within three years, Luxembourg has gained 20 places in the ICCA ranking and is now ranked 54th among the most important congress locations worldwide (2021).

The DP is convinced that business tourism must be further developed into a real engine of diversification and strengthening of priority economic sectors. International events can contribute to the transfer of know-how and innovation as well as to the development of a location. The DP will therefore, consistently promote international events that add value to the economy.

At the same time, business tourism strengthens the local tourism industry, especially the on-trade. In fact, an international participant at a business event spends an average of 594 euros per day. In addition, business tourism generates 332,000 overnight stays annually (2021). Accordingly, the importance of business tourism is twofold: Strengthening the strategic economic development of our country and strengthening the local tourism industry. For these reasons, DP will promote sustainable and quality business tourism that creates real added value.

During the current legislative period, the “Green Business Events” logo was developed to make business events as environmentally friendly as possible, from travel to catering. The DP will work to ensure that sustainable events become the norm in the future as well as support the certification of venues with sustainability labels.

The word combination Bleisure (Business and Leisure) stands for the combination of business and leisure stay. The DP will actively promote the creation of offers for business tourists to extend their stay and will particularly involve the country’s regions in this concept. This promotes the local tourism industry, especially in rural areas.

Moving Luxembourg forward as a business destination is only possible if all stakeholders pull together. DP will therefore organise an annual business tourism forum to develop new ideas and promote networking between partners. These forums are also to be used for further training.

New strategies are continuously being developed in many sectors of the economy. The DP will ensure that these strategies systematically take business tourism into account and thus pursue a holistic location policy.

Venues must increasingly invest in digitisation and new technologies to accommodate new developments. The DP, through the LCB (Luxembourg Convention Bureau), will give organisers access to the latest developments and trends in digital innovation. In addition, investments in digital infrastructures are to be promoted in a targeted manner.

The needs of international congress centres have changed significantly in recent years. The current Luxexpo halls only take limited account of the international trend of Confex activities (combination of conferences and exhibitions). The DP will build a new national convention centre that will not only meet international standards, but will also have a hotel structure, a concert hall and adjacent shops to create a vibrant place of exchange and encounter.

In order to concretely evaluate the benefits of business events and to ensure that the right strategic course is set, the DP will establish an observatory for business events together with industry stakeholders. The main mission will be to critically monitor the development of the industry and to record and evaluate, both quantitatively and qualitatively, the progress of the business tourism strategy.