In addition to nine other major German cities – Bremen, Dresden, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt am Main, Hamburg, Cologne, Munich, Nuremberg and Stuttgart – Leipzig is part of the “Magic Cities Germany eV” alliance. This is a marketing organization that, since its merger in the 1950s, has made it its task to market the largest German cities in selected overseas markets.
On behalf of the Magic Cities, the German Institute for Tourism Research (DITF) of the West Coast University of Applied Sciences carried out a hybrid survey from December 2, 2020 to January 8, 2021 and determined the tourism acceptance of the residents in the ten Magic Cities. At least 400 residents per city were surveyed using various survey methods. The central market research contents included the acceptance of tourism in relation to the place of residence and personally, the attitude to the number and type of tourists in one’s own place of residence as well as the positive and negative effects of tourism on the place of residence.
The results of the study were recently communicated to the participating Magic Cities. As a result of the survey, tourism acceptance is greatest in Leipzig. With a tourism acceptance balance (TAS) in the resident population of +60, Leipzig is the front runner among the Magic Cities, with the average TAS among the ten cities being +43. 41 percent of Leipzig residents rate the effects of tourism on the city as predominantly positive and around 31 percent as rather positive.
When asked how tourism affects itself from a personal point of view, 44 percent of the Leipzig residents surveyed rated the effects as predominantly or rather positive. This means that Leipzig is also in first place among the Magic Cities.
73 percent of Leipzig residents are of the opinion that tourism promotes the local economy all year round and creates a positive image. This is the top value among the Magic Cities with an average of 65 percent.
Only 7 percent of those surveyed are of the opinion that too many tourists are in the same place at the same time all year round, while 38 percent see it this way at times or during the season. This means that Leipzig has the lowest value among the Magic Cities.
As the survey shows, the perceived positive effects of tourism predominate in Leipzig and are usually well above the mean value of the Magic Cities. With regard to the negative effects of tourism such as the rise in the price of goods, dependency on tourism income or over-tourism, Leipzig is generally well below the average. The people of Leipzig are only relatively critical of the traffic problems in the city: According to 21 percent of those surveyed, tourism increases traffic problems all year round.
Volker Bremer, Managing Director of Leipzig Tourismus und Marketing GmbH, is pleased with the result of the survey: “The high level of tourism acceptance in Leipzig is a very good basis for our tourism marketing. Leipzig has a trade fair tradition that goes back more than 850 years. This can still be felt today in the cosmopolitan atmosphere of the city, with which we welcome guests from all over the world. “
To collect the data, the DITF developed the tourism acceptance balance (TAS) as a key parameter in order to develop, among other things, the status quo and a comparative measurement of tourism acceptance and to identify relevant influencing variables, patterns and relationships. The measurement scale ranges from –100 (mostly negative) to +100 (mostly positive). The TAS is calculated by subtracting the TOP 2 percent (mostly positive) from the LOW 2 percent (mostly negative).
Additional Information:
www.magic-cities.com
– .
