Itinerant tables d’hôtes to attract tourists to Luxembourg
As the season begins, the government has presented its new strategy to make Luxembourg a popular tourist destination for both foreigners and residents.
It was in the midst of local producers that the Minister of Tourism, Lex Delles, presented Luxembourg’s tourism strategy for the coming season. After a complicated year 2020 following the pandemic, the Grand Duchy hopes to continue on the recovery of 2021, which saw attendances start to rise again. “We want to have more tourists than in 2019,” said the minister. If thehe months of January and February were bad because of the latest restrictions, the improvement seems to have been there since March. „The season should be very good“, predicts Lex Delles who does not wish to give a precise quantified objective for this year. But the 2019 season, with its 1.17 million tourists, seems to be in the sights.
Holidays to savor
Heavily affected by the pandemic, catering will be at the heart of the 2022 Lëtzebuer, dat Vakanz campaign. The flagship project Vakanz geneissen will propose to regularly gather around a hundred people around a table. This will tour the country during the summer and will settle in unusual sites such as the Trois Glands park in Luxembourg City or the Breechkaul amphitheater in Mullerthal. Concocted by local chefs, the dinners will allow you to discover and savor regional products in order to highlight the terroir and its know-how. Gourmets could find this table every weekend, from July 23 to August 28, in six successive places.
Attract residents and cross-border commuters
With this objective in mind, the Grand Duchy has therefore launched the Humans, territories and economy campaign: tourism as a driver for improving the quality of life. Representing 8% of the Luxembourg economy, the tourism sector is the subject of particular care. „We want to show that Luxembourg is a tourist destination for residents and inhabitants of the Greater Region.“ Because if the Covid has had a benefit, it is that of highlighting local wealth and actors. During the pandemic, residents and cross-border workers rediscovered local tourism. „Before Covid-19, 6% of overnight stays were booked by residents. In 2020, we went up to 20% and then went to 13% in 2021. We want to keep this share.“
To achieve this, Lex Delles wishes to focus on three objectives: improve the quality of life, excite visitors and strengthen the economy. “Tourism should not be an end in itself. It has an active role to play for people, regions and the economy.” Quality of life therefore appears to be central to the strategy for 2022. “An investment in tourism always corresponds to an investment in the quality of life of inhabitants. The new tourism strategy will therefore benefit tourists, residents, cross-border commuters and businesses in the sector.”
Towards sustainable tourism
Several lines of action have been put in place to meet these objectives. Among them, sustainable development obviously has its place. “For us, sustainable tourism must have a positive impact on the environment, society, economy and culture”, specifies Lex Delles. An additional way to improve the quality of life with measures that could benefit both tourists and residents, such as the EcoLabel. But sustainable development is also a necessary step towards a more modern tourist offer that is in tune with the desires of visitors. Everything that Luxembourg seeks today to show that it can be a strong tourist destination in Europe.
At the service of tourists
The Lëtzebuer, dat Vakanz campaign will be part of this new strategy. If this year, it focuses on gastronomy (see box), it includes many other projects. Privileged routes will be open to cyclists throughout the country with Vëlosummer, the Movewecarry.lu initiative will offer luggage transport for hikers and cyclists while Guide for one day will allow you to discover unusual places as a guide. of a day.
An emphasis on service to tourists which may make the difference and definitively close the Covid parenthesis.