DU. bist Tourismus – this is how Wilde & Partner demonstrably boosted tourism acceptance in Baden-Württemberg by 6%.

The campaign “DU. bist Tourismus.” was part of a comprehensive project by the state of Baden-Württemberg aimed at enhancing tourism acceptance and awareness among the local population. Despite tourism’s significance as a cross-sector industry generating over 57 million overnight stays annually, the added value of this sector was not fully recognized by residents in some regions. The goal of the campaign was to highlight this value and draw attention to the positive impacts of tourism on the local economy and quality of life, ultimately improving tourism acceptance.

Our task was to develop a communication campaign that sustainably increases awareness and tourism acceptance in Baden-Württemberg. This was achieved through direct engagement with citizens and local initiatives such as events, expert talks, and innovative competitions. Furthermore, the B2B target audience, particularly local politicians and tourism stakeholders, was also to be integrated into the campaign to strengthen tourism as an economically and socially significant sector in the long term.

The campaign “DU. bist Tourismus” was implemented in two phases: Initially, a widespread out-of-home campaign was launched to create broad awareness. In the second phase, regional events and continuous media presence followed.

Key Measures

• DUaloge: Interactive promotion stands were set up in all six tourist regions of Baden-Württemberg to actively engage citizens through contests and photo actions. Participants shared their opinions on tourism, which were anonymously incorporated into a qualitative survey and used on social media.
• Expert Talks: High-profile panel discussions were organized on six different topics with representatives from tourism, politics, and related industries. The expert talks were filmed and distributed online and via social media to reach a broader audience.
• Road Show: A nostalgic bus with informational materials toured through Baden-Württemberg, visited regional community festivals, and drew attention to the initiative.
• Tourismus Cup: In Kooperation mit Startup BW wurde ein Innovationswettbewerb ins Leben gerufen, der kreative Lösungen für aktuelle Herausforderungen im Tourismus suchte. Die Sieger wurden auf der Messe CMT in Stuttgart ausgezeichnet.
• “Ausgezeichnet lebenswert”: Through a digital magazine and regular summer tours by the State Secretary, the advantages of the spa towns and health resorts in Baden-Württemberg were highlighted.
• Municipal Congress: A half-day congress was held at the ICS Stuttgart for local politicians. Around 100 municipal representatives participated in keynotes, best-practice presentations, and panel discussions. Interactive elements such as online voting and questions created a lively discussion.

Representative follow-up surveys showed an average increase in tourism acceptance of 6% across all six tourist regions.

At the beginning of the campaign, 66 percent of respondents viewed tourism positively, according to TN-Deutschland—twelve months later, this figure rose to nearly 70 percent.

The comprehensive surveys and expert discussions conducted during the campaign also provided valuable information that was incorporated into a detailed information brochure for local politicians. The combination of out-of-home campaigns, expert talks, social media, and regional events ensured high media presence and strong awareness of the campaign message “DU. bist Tourismus.” The “Tourism Cup” introduced innovative approaches to the tourism sector and connected start-ups with industry experts, which will lead to new solutions for challenges in tourism in Baden-Württemberg in the long term. Through this broad, scientifically supported, and strategically crafted campaign, tourism has been sustainably positioned as an integral part of life in Baden-Württemberg in the public’s consciousness.