Press Room

(lk) Official presentation of the grant notification: Karin Beckmann, State Commissioner and Director of the Lüneburg Office for Regional Development, presented (February 19, 2026) the grant notification in the amount of 119,000 euros for the project “Tourism Indicators as a Basis for Economic Recommendations” to Flusslandschaft Elbe GmbH. The total project costs amount to approximately 199,000 euros. Approximately 119,000 euros are being provided by the “Future Regions in Lower Saxony” funding program. The districts of Lüneburg, Lüchow-Dannenberg, and Harburg are each contributing 10,000 euros toward co-financing.

Over a three-year period, the project will develop a comprehensive and reliable database for tourism in the Elbe River Landscape region and the Wendland.Elbe vacation region. Key indicators such as overnight stays, length of stay, and demand volume, as well as tourism hotspots, will be collected and analyzed. A particular focus of the data collection is on day tourism, which plays a major role in the region but has not yet been statistically recorded. The perspectives and needs of the participating municipalities will be explicitly taken into account.

“Data-driven tourism development is intended to both strengthen regional partnerships and gain traction with political bodies. Through in-depth data analysis in the region, the actual potential and strengths of the tourism sector can be brought to light. This builds trust among potential investors, as they can rely on trustworthy information to make decisions,” emphasizes Ellen Kartenbeck, Managing Director of Flusslandschaft Elbe GmbH. The insights gained serve as a basis for policymakers to develop and implement sustainable and targeted measures in the tourism sector.

"The 'Regions of the Future' program provides funding for cross-county projects in areas that regional stakeholders consider particularly important. I am very pleased that, with funding from the EU and the state, we can help collect reliable data on tourism in the Elbe River region. This will enable us to better understand current strengths and, where necessary, weaknesses, and to jointly develop targeted measures to promote and optimize tourism offerings,” says Karin Beckmann.

Flusslandschaft Elbe GmbH is responsible for the project and is coordinating it in close collaboration with Naturpark Wendland.Elbe e. V. Two market research firms have been commissioned to carry out the technical implementation. The project is scheduled to run from January 2026 to December 2028. The goal is to ensure the project’s continuity beyond the funding period.

Background

The project is part of the Elbtalaue-Heide-Wendland Future Region initiative. As part of the “Future Regions in Lower Saxony” program, the region has access to approximately six million euros in EU and state funding for the areas of “Culture and Leisure” and “Biodiversity and Functioning Natural Areas.” The participating partners are the Lüchow-Dannenberg district, the Lüneburg district, and the Lower Saxony Elbe Valley Biosphere Reserve Administration. The goal is to sustainably develop the region as a place to live and do business.

(lk) Working together to further develop tourism in the Elbe region: With this goal in mind, the
Flusslandschaft Elbe GmbH on January 15, 2026, for a discussion with its members and
to shareholders. Mayors from towns along the Elbe in the
Representatives from the districts of Harburg and Lüneburg came together to take stock and discuss future plans
discuss. They have joined forces under the umbrella brand "Elbe River Landscape" in order to
to work together to promote tourism in their communities.
“Regular communication with the mayors in our
“The area of responsibility is very important,” says Ellen Kartenbeck, executive director of the Elbe River Landscape
GmbH. “Our goal is to involve everyone, present our activities transparently, and
"to work together to provide new impetus for the region's tourism development."
The meeting focused on reviewing past activities, such as the
Photo exhibition “ElbeGefühle – Images of a River Landscape” in the lobby of the VHS Region Lüneburg, as well as
planning for upcoming projects. Among other things, a tourism day is planned for 2026 in
Autumn and the Literature Days at the end of the year. The open and constructive dialogue is intended to foster cohesion
strengthen within the river landscape region and establish a solid foundation for cooperation
with the Supervisory Board.
Key outcomes of the meeting:
• Overview of current and planned activities of Flusslandschaft Elbe GmbH
• Open discussion of challenges, opportunities, and available resources
• Joint development of goals and visions for the future for the coming years
The next official meeting is scheduled for January 2027. Regardless of that, there is an ongoing
There is a continuous and direct exchange between the parties involved.

Bleckede, October 14, 2025 – After two years, the project to digitize tourism information in the Elbe River region, which is set to run through the end of 2025, is in its final stages. During this time, project manager Holger Hogelücht and his assistant Elke Bode compiled a database covering the tourism region, which includes ten municipalities in the districts of Harburg and Lüneburg. “We have digitized all relevant data and commissioned photos and videos that comprehensively showcase the region,” explains Hogelücht. This data is now available to visitors, website providers, and residents of the region. In numbers: Around 600 key tourist attractions and tours have been recorded and described in detail, including opening hours, location, accessibility, and target audiences. In addition, approximately 1,200 photos and 10 videos were produced, which have been titled, licensed, and assigned to the tourist destinations. All events in the region are also recorded. In several workshops, the team trained staff from tourist information offices, municipalities, and tourism companies on how to use the database.
The texts, photos, and videos are part of an open data project, which means the data is freely available to the public. Many stakeholders are already taking advantage of this opportunity to use the data for free. “There are many possibilities,” Hogelücht emphasizes. He adds: “Integrating the data into the websites and apps of various municipalities and tourism information portals is crucial to the project’s success.” In addition, the “German National Tourist Board” (DTZ) is disseminating the data from the Lower Saxony database “Niedersachsen-Hub” both nationally and internationally. Once the project is completed, Flusslandschaft Elbe GmbH will ensure sustainable data maintenance in collaboration with local stakeholders.Flusslandschaft Elbe GmbH and the project team invite interested parties to a presentation of the results and a panel discussion with District Administrators Rainer Rempe (Harburg District) and Jens Böther (Lüneburg District) on October 28, 2025, at 6:00 p.m.
Location: Bleckede Castle, Schlossstraße 10, 21354 Bleckede.
Advance registration at info@erlebnis-elbe.de is required; otherwise, admission cannot be guaranteed—space is limited.