“Because we are Hamburg” campaign set to reboot city’s tourism

Tourist stays in Hamburg have dropped by more than 50% over the last few months

Hamburg’s tourism sector has most certainly seen better days. As is the case with the tourism industry across the entirety of Europe, the coronavirus pandemic has ravaged businesses and has left hotel rooms and restaurants empty. In the first half of the year alone, Hamburg has reported a 55% drop in guest numbers compared to the same period of 2019 – a severe drop that has impacted ordinary people and has cost many of them their livelihoods.

Acting for the good of all citizens

In response to these adverse conditions created by the coronavirus pandemic, the Hamburg Senate has announced that it will be sponsoring a new initiative meant to aid struggling tourism businesses. The “Because we are Hamburg” campaign has been designed by the Hamburg Tourismus GmbH and is meant to revive the sector which is crucial to the city’s economy.

The task will be accomplished by combining all manner of approaches – but most importantly it is meant to regain customer trust and reopen the city to visitors in a healthy and safe way. Through the campaign, the city wants to become even more competitive on the tourism front and aims to generate vast numbers of new visitors by including all kinds of establishments in the campaign’s rollout – including retail, restaurants, hotels and even cultural venues, as they all contribute to Hamburg’s overall cultural and tourism outlook.

The campaign is funded with some 2 million euros, provided by Hamburg Tourism and the local Ministry of Economics. Explaining the goals and objectives of the campaign Michael Otremba, Managing Director of Hamburg Tourismus GmbH, stated that "The Senate recently stressed the importance of tourism for Hamburg through its extensive measures. The approval of funds for a tourism campaign is another strong signal to the entire industry in difficult times. This allows us to lend the ongoing 'Because we are Hamburg' campaign far more clout to stimulate demand."