8 July 2020 Business Lifestyles News

RECOVERY OF INCOMING TOURISM: ICH FREU MICH AUF... (I'M EXCITED ABOUT) HANNOVER!

Offering numerous leisure and sports activities such as hikingcycling tours, stand-up paddling, canoeing and horse riding, the Hannover holiday region guarantees a relaxed stay with a great feel-good factor.

 

The holiday region of Hannover will be the first region in Germany to be a part of the #ichfreumichauf! industry initiative Hannover's accommodation providers, excursion destinations, and leisure and cultural facilities are well prepared for the new situation they find themselves in and are looking forward to welcoming guests.

As a Trusted Destination, the holiday region of Hannover is whetting people's appetite for short trips and city breaks with its current marketing campaign. Offering numerous leisure and sports activities such as hikingcycling tours, stand-up paddling, canoeing and horse riding, the Hannover holiday region guarantees a relaxed stay with a great feel-good factor. What's especially appealing is the fact that the green metropolis is so close to popular excursion destinations such as Lake Steinhude, the Deister mountain range and Marienburg Castle. Individual city tours following the 'Red Thread' trail, art exhibited in public spaces and numerous cultural offerings provide the perfect balance of the great outdoors and a city break.

The six different campaign themes perfectly reflect the diverse options: Marienburg Castle, the Red Thread trail, the Maschsee lake, various different city districts, the Twister in front of the Sprengel Museum Hannover, and Lake Steinhude all entice people to come to the area on holiday. Advertisements in North German daily newspapers, large-format posters—including ones in Hamburg, Bremen, Oldenburg and Osnabrück—as well as billboards at railway stations in Berlin and Kassel all promote holidaying in Hannover. Online and social media activities also form part of the marketing campaign.

"Hannover is mostly known as a city of international trade fairs and exhibitions, so this is a great opportunity to introduce Hannover as a leisure destination full of all sorts of activities and unique local recreational areas. Especially at a time when traditional German destinations are crowded, we can offer beautiful alternatives and special nature experiences. The campaign is also encouraging people to rediscover the joy of travel," says Hans Nolte, Managing Director of Hannover Marketing und Tourismus GmbH (HMTG).

In addition to leisure guests and day trippers from Lower Saxony, Hesse and North Rhine-Westphalia, other target audiences of the Restart Initiative are international guests from the Netherlands, Belgium and Denmark.

As one of the first international visitors, HMTG welcomed the Dutch blogger Janna Kamphof on 20 June (www.jannakamphof.nl). The Slow-Travel blogger was absolutely thrilled with the Hannover region, which reminded her from the outset of the Slovenian capital, Ljubljana. "Both cities have everything it takes to make a big city, without it seeming like a really big city", the 23-year-old said, concluding that both cities are particularly appealing as a result of their proximity to the countryside.

"Ich freu mich auf…" is actually the second campaign that HMTG has run during the COVID-19 pandemic. Directly after the lockdown was announced in March, HMTG launched the online campaign "Travelling without moving". 360° tours through the Herrenhäuser Gardens, to Lake Steinhude and to Marienburg Castle have built anticipation for going on holiday in the Hannover region. On Facebook alone, HMTG has received over 4.5 million page visits.

Background information: #ichfreumichauf industry campaign

The Hannover holiday region is using this marketing campaign to position itself as an attractive destination for city breaks and short holidays. The individual campaign is part of the #ichfreumichauf industry initiative created by the Federal Association of the German Tourism Industry (BTW), and is being rolled out to neighbouring federal states as well as Benelux and Denmark. #ichfreumichauf is a German tourism industry initiative and is supported by the BTW, the German Travel Association (DRV), the German Hotel and Restaurant Association (DEHOGA), the German National Tourist Board (GNTB), and numerous tour operators and hotel and catering companies.

The six #ichfreumichauf themes for the Hannover holiday region can be found online at: www.visit-hannover.com/ichfreumichauf

Information, accommodation offers, and tips for hiking and cycling during a stay in the Hannover holiday region can be found at: www.visit-hannover.com/urlaub

8 July 2020