Tourism once again the 'pillar' of the region

On January 23, 2018, students in the International Tourism Management (M.A.) degree programme presented the results of their cross-semester seminar. The goal was to develop an intra-town wayfinding system for non-motorized traffic in the Lausitz Lake District, using the town of Geierswalde as a case study. The result is a concept for installing various information kiosks that guide visitors to the Lausitz Lake District to various attractions, recreational facilities, and the numerous service providers within the towns. On behalf of the university, Sebastian Benad supervised the project; he particularly welcomed the integration of digital information services into the wayfinding system. Representatives of the Lausitz Lake District assessed the concept as a good foundation for the further development of visitor guidance within the destination, which will now be refined in consultation with stakeholders in the Lausitz Lake District.

Field Trip with On-Site Analysis as the Basis for Concept Development

After the students were able to gain an understanding of the local conditions during an excursion to the Lausitz Lake District, the findings were compiled into an “as-is” analysis. This was supplemented by a qualitative survey of visitors and service providers in the destination area. The next step was to define which facilities and destinations should be included in the wayfinding system. To this end, the students developed a catalog of criteria for evaluating service providers. This analytical tool, comprising 26 criteria, enables the objective evaluation of individual destinations and service providers in terms of their relevance to the wayfinding system. This successfully concluded the development of the content to be communicated within the wayfinding system.

Information kiosks with numerous digital features align with the megatrend of digitalization in destination marketing

Next, the students worked in teams to develop the exact design of the wayfinding system. After evaluating various system types in terms of information scope, suitability for the target audience, and accessibility, the choice fell on a wayfinding system in the form of information kiosks, which also aligns with the trend toward increasingly digital environments. In addition to traditional information content such as destination details with pictograms and directional cues, the concept includes touchscreens with an interactive user interface. This enables multilingual access to all information resources for the Lausitz Lake District, thereby broadening the destination’s appeal to a wider range of target audiences. With the integration of map services into the user interface, visitors can select specific destinations on the digital map and view precise route guidance. The information offering is rounded out by a Wi-Fi hotspot integrated into the information kiosk, which allows visitors to the destination to access the internet freely. The implementation of “beacon technology” into the wayfinding system is a forward-looking feature. This technology enables the transmission of push notifications, which can be used specifically for tourism marketing. By utilizing this technology, the Lausitz Lake District would be one of the innovation leaders in tourism across Germany.

Conceptual Planning Successfully Completed at Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences

After the design plans for the information elements were finalized, their locations still had to be determined. The findings from the on-site analysis formed the basis for this. In total, three large information kiosks are planned for the town of Geierswalde at the junctions with regional signage. The wayfinding system is complemented by various individual signs that consistently guide visitors to their destination.

In discussions with practitioners from the Lausitz Lake District, the students identified the following next steps: developing a financing plan, exploring funding opportunities to implement the concept, and planning the specific content. Practitioners and decision-makers from the Lausitz Lake District expressed a desire to tackle these steps collaboratively as part of the partnership.