Why guest cards often reach their limits in the East

Many people are drawn to the Harz Mountains, the Ore Mountains or the Thuringian Forest during their vacations. Tourism organizations there advertise guest cards that promise free bus and train travel or discounts. According to Sven Groß, Professor of Tourism Research at the Harz University of Applied Sciences, although these offers are a successful model that has been expanded over the years, they often do not reflect the entire vacation region from the guest's perspective.

From a scientific point of view, it makes sense to cut guest cards along a tourism region and less along district and state borders. However, the legal structure, financing and agreement with the transport companies involved often caused difficulties.

What do guest cards do in the East German tourism regions?

There are around 120 different guest cards across Germany, according to Groß. Most of them combine free use of local public transport with discounts or free admission to certain attractions. According to him, around three quarters of guests in Germany still travel by car, but the card can help them to leave their car at home and organize excursions in a more climate-friendly way. At the same time, the guest cards have a marketing effect and make day trippers and vacation tourists aware of the region's offers.

Why the offers often have limits

"Very few people think in terms of districts or federal states - they just want to go on vacation 'in the Harz'," says Groß. In reality, however, travelers quickly reach their limits: Areas of validity ended at district or state lines, certain places or means of transport were excluded. For example, the Harz vacation ticket "Hatix", which was introduced in 2010, was initially only valid in the eastern Harz, but was extended to districts in the Lower Saxony part of the Harz in 2020.

Since the beginning of the year, it has also been valid on numerous regional trains in the region. However, the Thuringian part of the southern Harz region is still excluded. The ticket is to be constantly expanded, said Steffi Rienäcker, CEO of Harz AG, which is responsible for the card. Talks are underway in the eastern Harz region, for example, to make free bus connections combinable with regional trains there as well. For those who want more, the fee-based Harz Card offers the opportunity to use around 100 leisure facilities and museums in the Harz for up to four days a year.

What makes large, standardized guest cards so difficult?

Expert Groß points to three central hurdles: "Legal framework conditions, financing and coordination between the many parties involved." Many models are financed on a pay-as-you-go basis, for example via spa or tourism taxes, which have to be regulated in municipal statutes. "In some federal states, it was not possible for a long time to pass on funds from the levy to an organization that manages a guest card," he says.

The transport companies also play a decisive role: "They have to agree on how they will be compensated for the guest card journeys, who gets how much and which tickets are mutually recognized." The larger the area, the more complicated this becomes. If several districts, different transport associations and possibly several federal states are involved, the coordination effort increases enormously.

What role models does the expert see?

Groß cites the "cone map" in the Black Forest as a particularly positive example. Around twenty years ago, it was possible to establish a standardized guest card with free use of public transport across many municipalities. Another role model is the Saarland Card: "Saarland is the only federal state that has implemented a truly state-specific card," says Groß. Groß believes that tourist destinations in the east could also take inspiration from such examples. "You need a strong destination as an umbrella brand, clearly regulated financing and players who don't have to watch every penny."

Thuringian Forest sees itself as a pioneer in the East

According to the operators, the Thuringian Forest has the first all-inclusive offer for guests in an East German tourism region. In addition to the existing Thuringian Forest Card, which is financed by the guest contribution, hotels and resorts have been able to offer their guests an all-inclusive upgrade since June 2024. Guests will be able to use around 150 leisure facilities in the region free of charge, explains Holger Jakob, project manager at Thüringer Wald Service GmbH, which is responsible for the scheme. The hosts finance the system by paying a levy to the operating company, which then reimburses the participating attractions. "In this way, the entire Thuringian Forest can basically be used like a large theme park," says Jakob.

In addition, the card is now valid practically throughout the entire region, including neighboring Upper Franconia, according to Jakob. "Every town issued its own guest card just five years ago. We used the coronavirus period to level out and standardize everything."

There is also movement in the Ore Mountains, according to the local tourism association. The current guest card system is currently being reviewed and is to be fundamentally overhauled, said press spokeswoman Claudia Brödner. Among other things, the aim is to extend the scope of validity of the ticket on buses and trains and to digitize the offer to a greater extent.