St. Peter-Ording, July 27, 2025 – The long-standing cooperation between the German Institute for Tourism Research at FH Westküste University of Applied Sciences (DI Tourismusforschung) and Tourismus-Zentrale St. Peter-Ording has now been formally sealed: With the signing of a cooperation agreement, both partners are reaffirming their joint commitment to the sustainable development of tourism.
The institute and the tourism center have already successfully implemented numerous projects together in the past. Whether in big data analyses, research into the acceptance of local tourism or an examination of the destination’s brand development – the close link between research and practice has proven its worth. With the new agreement, this cooperation is now to be expanded even more systematically and on a long-term basis.
Shaping sustainable tourism together
The cooperation focuses on key issues for the future of the industry, such as:
“For us as the German Institute for Tourism Research, St. Peter-Ording is a real stroke of luck. It is a nationwide beacon of German tourism and therefore a highly exciting research area for us. Many key developments in tourism, not only in Germany but also in a global context, can be observed here as if under a magnifying glass,” says Julian Reif, Vice Director of the Institute.
Strong partners at eye level
The agreement was signed by Boris Pfau, Mayor of St. Peter-Ording, Tourism Director Katharina Schirmbeck, Hagen Götz, Chairman of the Tourism Committee in St. Peter-Ording, as well as Julian Reif and Dr. Sabrina Seeler for DI Tourismusforschung.
Both sides see the cooperation as an important step towards dovetailing science and destination development even more closely. The first joint follow-up projects are already being planned.
