Lorch in crisis: Buga brings hope for tourism!

Lorch in crisis: Buga brings hope for tourism!

Today we look at the challenges and opportunities that await us in the small town of Lorch am Rhein. The city has been struggling with financial difficulties in recent years and is currently not seeing any rapid improvement. Mayor Ivo Reßler speaks of a tense budget situation, which is also leading to heated debates about possible tax increases before the upcoming mayoral elections. In this tense situation, tourism could be a saving grace, especially with a view to the Federal Garden Show (Buga), which is scheduled to take place in four years and for which 1.5 million visitors are hoped. Despite the great anticipation for this event, Lorch will not be one of the main venues, but has at least been awarded a contract for one of three community projects. This could bring a positive change in the future, like that FAZ reported.

As part of the Buga, the financial resources of the state of Hesse also received a boost. The funding for the Rheingau-Taunus district was increased by 4.2 million euros to a total of 10.5 million euros. In addition, the “We for Lorch” project, which aims to improve an open space in front of the Hilchenhaus, will receive support of 20,000 euros from the Buga Society. Lorch has also registered another funding project to beautify the Rhine facilities with the European Leader program. Such measures could not only improve the infrastructure, but also increase the city's attractiveness for tourists.

Tourism as an opportunity

Hikers will find a particularly beautiful starting point in Lorch: the town is located on the Rheinsteig long-distance hiking trail and on the new Wispertrails route network. Tourism already has a solid base in Lorch, with 45 businesses offering various tourist options. In recent years, however, the number of overnight stays has been declining: in 2019, 40,000 overnight stays were counted, but for 2023 there will only be 27,000. Nevertheless, this represents an increase of 1,000 overnight stays compared to the previous year and shows that the direction is right.

This development was supported by a tourism tax of two euros per night, which must be paid by guests and could help to improve the tourist offer. However, tourism's dependence on the season is a clear problem; The number of overnight stays often falls short of expectations, especially between November and Easter. The empty “Hilchenkeller” in the Hilchenhaus is another sign of the challenges facing the city.

The look into the future

What does the future look like for Lorch? Mayor Reßler remains optimistic that the requested subsidies for the projects will be approved. A new logo for the city was recently developed in collaboration with an advertising agency to further modernize the cityscape. In addition, a citizen participation to beautify the Rhine facilities is planned for June 28th. Citizens should be actively involved in the planning, an important step in strengthening identification with the city.

The development in the tourism sector is certainly also influenced by the general trends in Germany, such as Tourism network shows. Travel frequency remains stable and Germany remains the most popular travel destination. Two thirds of the population are planning at least one holiday trip for 2025, which gives Lorch the opportunity to continue to benefit from tourist flows in the future.

Given these factors, Lorch remains a place full of possibilities. The mix of regional charm and tourist offerings could be the key to keeping your head above water even in difficult times and gaining new impetus for the city. Let's stay tuned to see how the situation will develop further.