About us

The Barrier-free Travel Destinations Association in Germany is a group of cities and tourism regions which are especially committed to barrier-free tourism in Germany and who work to continuously develop and communicate barrier-free tourism in cooperation with the partners of the association.

The principles of the association form the basis of our work and define the minimum requirements for existing and potential new members.

Our holiday regions are waiting to welcome you:

the Eifel region with its eponymous national park, a landscape of forests, lakes and volcanoes
the City of Erfurt with its romantic, medieval old quarter and its imposing architectural ensemble of cathedral and Church of St. Severus
the Franconian Lakes for swimming, windsurfing, sailing and cycling in a beautiful and varied natural setting
Lower Lusatia has so many exciting places to discover and features a landscape in the midst of change
the City of Magdeburg, regional capital of Saxony Anhalt with an ancient city
East Friesland features ancient moorlands, romantic parks, fen canals stretching in straight lines to the horizon and the unique natural heritage of the Wadden Sea
the Ruppiner Land region with its lakes, canals and rivers, and
Saxon Switzerland with its unspoilt national park and the impressive scenery of the Elbe Sandstone Massif
Rostock/Warnemünde The city at the baltic sea offers everything for a holiday at the sea. The seaside resort Warnemünde awaits guest with miles of sandy beach, traditional cuisine and international cruise ships.
Southern Wine Route with their gently rolling vineyards, culinary delights and outdoor adventures in the Palatine Forest Biosphere Reserve.

We aim to accommodate the needs and wishes of all our visitors. There are great tips and suggestions for family holidays, including families with very small children.

Check out some of our barrier-free offers and packages. You will find a whole range of barrier-free accommodation, service facilities and opportunities for active holidays. We are actively engaged in removing any remaining barriers that are still to be found. Our aim is complete satisfaction for all our visitors.

This joint website features all of our eight holiday regions in Germany. You will also find links to other websites about the regions, which can help you to plan and organise your holidays.

We hope you enjoy your holiday in our regions without barriers!

Principles

PRINCIPLES of the Barrier-free Destinations in Germany Association (“the Association”)

General
The Barrier-free Travel Destinations Association in Germany is a group of cities and tourism regions which are especially committed to barrier-free tourism in Germany and who work to continuously develop and communicate barrier-free tourism in cooperation with the partners of the association. Barrier-free tourism is a top priority for the members of the Association.

The objectives of the Association are as follows:

To further develop barrier-free tourism in the regions and in Germany as a whole
To develop a network of “barrier-free travel destinations in Germany”
To create transparency in the provision of barrier-free products and services
To share ideas and experiences on a regular basis
To intensify collaboration with politicians, local authorities and other associations on a Germany-wide basis
To engage in joint marketing activities
To operate a joint website www.barrierefreie-reiseziele.de

The members of the Association make their decisions for the good of the Association as a whole. The work of the Association is based on these principles and the rules of procedure.

Minimum requirements of the Association members

Town or city with at least 300,000 overnight stays/year or tourism region with at least 500,000 overnight stays/year
Barrier-free tourism is enshrined in the mission statement and/or the development plan for the city or region.
Barrier-free tourism is established as an important theme in the marketing plan of the city/region and is also referred to in its main publications.
The city/region has a working group that regularly discusses issues relating to barrier-free tourism.
The city/region supports the work of the Association through its own activities and regularly sends at least one representative with decision-making powers to attend meetings of the Association.
The city/region declares that it is willing to put its own know-how in the area of barrier-free tourism at the disposal of the members of the Association.
The city/region undertakes to publish collective advertisements of the Association in its most important publications and to include a link to www.barrierefreie-reiseziele.de on a related section of its own website.
The city/region shares in the joint marketing of the Association with a budget to be determined each year.

Membership of the Association
The Association is open to towns/cities and tourism regions in Germany, represented by the respective official tourism organisation, who subscribe to the principles of the Association and satisfy the minimum requirements. The members decide whether new applicants can join the Association on the basis of a written application and a presentation by the applicant to the Association.

The Association comprises the following founder members:

Eifel Tourismus GmbH
Erfurt Tourismus GmbH
Kurverwaltung Langeoog
Tourismusverband Fränkisches Seenland GbR
Tourismusverband Ruppiner Land e.V.
Tourismusverband Sächsische Schweiz e.V.

as well as the new members:

Tourismusverband Lausitzer Seenland e.V.
Magdeburg Marketing Kongress und Tourismus GmbH
Tourismuszentrale Rostock & Warnemünde
Südliche Weinstrasse e.V.

The founder members have already devoted significant time and financial resources to the Association. New members are therefore required to pay a joining fee of € 4.000 (plus VAT). All joining fees will be used in the work of the Association.
New members will be admitted on 1 January or 1 July of each year, and the contribution to the marketing budget shall be payable pro rata.

Membership shall be for an unlimited period. It may be terminated by 30 June each year with effect to the end of the year. The Association meeting may adopt a resolution to exclude a member in accordance with the rules of procedure, if due cause exists. Cause includes in particular failure to comply with the minimum requirements.

The Association welcomes donations from donors who subscribe to its principles.

Spokesperson
The members of the Association shall elect a spokesperson for a two-year term. The tourism organisation of the spokesperson shall act as the Association office for this period. The office shall receive a flat-rate of

33 per cent of the annual marketing budget as compensation for expenses incurred.

Marketing planning
Plans for joint marketing activities are drawn up each year by the end of November. All members shall contribute equally to the marketing budget. The annual marketing contribution per member is € 4,000 (plus VAT). The marketing budget will be managed by the office of the spokesperson. The spokesperson shall account for the budget at the Association meetings. At the end of the year all members shall receive a written statement of account.

Use of the logo
All members of the Association are entitled to document their membership of the Association. This includes in particular use of the logo.

Meetings of the Association
The essential decisions concerning the work of the Association are made at the meetings of the Association. In accordance with the rules of procedure, these are held as and when required, generally twice a year.