1. Work Session
A future for
multi-destination travel
to Europe
San Francisco, oct. 25th 2010

2. Program of this morning work session
• 8.15-9.00. Upper Rhine Valley
Philippe Choukroun, Director of Alsace Tourist Board
• 9.00-9.30. National Tourist Offices
Belgium/Germany/Netherlands/Switzerland
• 9.30-10.20 . Questions & Answers-debate
• 10.15-10.20 . Wise words and conclusion ,
Harry Dalgaard, President of Avanti Destinations.

3. Project leader:
Philippe Choukroun
Director, Alsace Tourist Board
San Francisco, oct. 25, 2010

4. Did you say U.S.P. ?
Alsace, France
Wines and Gastronomy
Heritage (typical buildings,
castles…)
The Wines Road
Vosges mountains :
riding, hiking and skiing.
Black Forest, Germany
Wines and Gastronomy
Heritage (typical buildings,
castles…)
The Wines Road
Black Forest :
riding, hiking and skiing.

5. Three countries – one destination
Due to its location at the heart
of Europe, the tri-national
metropolitan region is easily
accessible and embodies European
unity like no other region.

6. Heritage
European Parliament, Strasbourg

7. Upper Rhine Valley
Palatinate
Black Forest
Region Basel
North West Switzerland
Alsace

8. Tuscany benchmark
• Surface area: 22,990 km²
• Population: 3.6M
• Overnight stays: 19.7M
• Surface area: 21,518 km²
• Population: 5.8M
• Overnight stays: > 17M

9. Roomnights and visitors
Alsace
5.8M roomnights
including 2.2M foreign visitors
Strasbourg: 2M
Colmar: 0.6M
Mulhouse: 0.6M
Number of visitors
Strasbourg by boat: 0.74M
Haut-Koenigsbourg: 0.5M
Ecomusée: 0.35M
Mulhouse Zoo: 0.33M
Unterlinden Museum: 0.24M
Car Museum: 0.19M
Black Forest
8.6M roomnights
including 1.7M foreign visitors
Karlsruhe: 0.8M
Baden-Baden: 0.8M
Freiburg: 1.2M
Number of visitors
Europa Park: 4M
Caracalla Spa /
Friedrichsbad Baden-Baden: 0.62M
Baden-Baden Casino: 0.2M
Steinwasen-Park: 0.3M
Karlsruhe Theatre: 0.3M
Freiburg Theatre: 0.23M
Festpielhaus Baden-Baden: 0.2M
Region Basel
North-Western Switzerland
2.43M roomnights
Including 1.1M foreign visitors
Basel city: 1M
Basel countryside: 0.25M
Number of visitors
Basel Museums: 1.65M
Basel Zoo: 1.7M
Rhine Falls: 1.4M
Basel Theatre: 0.18M
Augusta Raurica: 0.14M
Palatinate
0.9M roomnights
including 0.037M foreign visitors

10. Accessibility
 From December 2011 :
New TGV services from Frankfurt, Germany to Marseille via
Strasbourg and Mulhouse.

11. Main Attractions covered by the
Upper Rhine Valley Project
Heritage and great cities
Wines and Gastronomy « Art de Vivre »
Arts and Culture
Events and Traditions
Nature

12. Project content
• Joint destination marketing overseas markets
• Cross-border cooperation in training and innovation

13. Marketing projects
Actions
• Travel Agent Event in Montreal, Canada
• Special Upper Rhine Valley Day at the Shanghai World
Expo in September 2010
• Sales Guide and website with suggestion of itineraries
(under construction)
• Media and TO Workshops
in Japan, USA…

14. Training and innovation projects
Actions
• Best Practice groups
• Launching of a masters degree in cross border product
development
• Set up a network of tourism service providers in the 3 border
countries
• Exchange programs for employees, trainees,
and interns in the Upper Rhine Valley

15. PRODUCTS DEVELOPED,
a few examples…

16. Gastronomy and Wines
Rhine Cruise : June through September 2011 :
 3 countries, 3 Chefs

17. Heritage
Strasbourg quay

18. Heritage
“ Weidling Bridge ”, Basel

19. Strasbourg quay
“ Neuf-Brisach”, France
“ Breisach”, Germany

20. Heritage
“ Petite Venise ”, Colmar

21. Wine and Culture
 2 nights in Alsace, France
 2 nights in Baden, Germany
Ex : The French-German Wine Rally in Obernai, France
and Sasbachwalden, Germany

22. Arts and Culture
. Upper Rhine Museum Pass :
 190 museums over the 3 countries

23. Heritage
Karlsruhe Palace

24. Heritage
Laufenburg, Aargau

25. Heritage
“ Ecomusée ”, Alsace

26. Heritage
Freiburg Cathedral

27. Heritage
“ Haut-Koenigsbourg ” castle, Alsace

28. Theater Basel
Arts & Culture

29. Arts & Culture
“ Festspielhaus ”, Baden-Baden

30. Museum Frieder Burda, Baden-Baden
Arts & Culture

31. Arts & Culture
Museum Tinguely, Basel

32. Arts & Culture
“ Cité de l’Automobile ”, Mulhouse

33. Arts & Culture
Augustinermuseum, Freiburg

34. Events & Traditions
Christmas Market, Freiburg

35. Black Forest carnivals
Events & Traditions

36. Events & Traditions
Christmas Market, Basel

37. Events & Traditions

38. Christmas
in Alsace
Events & Traditions

39. Budget over the project lifetime
• Project lifetime from may 1, 2009 to April 30, 2012
• Total budget of about 2 000 000 euros
• EU subsidy for about 50% of the total budget
• Remaining 50% funded by the project's partners
Transcending borders
with every project
Project co-financed by the European Regional
Development Fund - ERDF.
Project co-financed by the EU

40. Thank you for your attention
and Welcome to the :
Copyrights : © Südliche Weinstraße e.V. - © CRTA/ List - © Basel Tourismus - © Baden-Baden Kur- &
Tourismus GmbH - © FWTM/ Schoenen - © CRTA - © STG - © STG/ Achim Mende - © CRTA/ Meyer - ©
CRTA/ Zvardon - © KMK - © STG/ Christoph Eberle - © OTC Mulhouse et sa région/ Thomas Itty
Dagré Communication - Strasbourg

41. National Tourist Offices
Belgium
Annette Choynacki
Director Belgian tourist office USA and Canada

42. National Tourist Offices
Germany
George N. Vella
Head of Sales North America
German National Tourist Office

43. National Tourist Offices
Netherlands
Conrad van Tiggelen
Director, North America
Netherlands Board of Tourism and Conventions

44. National Tourist Offices
Switzerland
Alex Herrmann
Director North America
Switzerland Tourism

45. Questions & Answers-debate
Multi-destination travels and niche
travels markets (cruises, wine tour,
historical tours, active holidays,
arts and culture…)?

46. Questions & Answers-debate
Travelers special needs or wishes in multi-
destination travel ?

47. Questions & Answers-debate
Multi-destination travel :
an individual or small groups segment?

48. Questions & Answers-debate
Tour-Operators+Country+Regions+Producers
how to work together?

49. Questions & Answers-debate
Future of multi-destination travel ?

50. Wise words and conclusions
Harry Dalgaard
President of Avanti Destinations

51. Thank you for your attention
and participation.