Sylt course
The Sylt tourism strategy will serve as a binding guideline for tourism activities on the island and pave the way for sustainable, future-oriented development. This page explains how the strategy is being developed, what goals it pursues, and how the participatory process is structured. It also provides insights into the background, upcoming milestones, and opportunities for active participation.
Tourism on Sylt significantly impacts economic activity, employment, and quality of life in all five municipalities and twelve villages on the island. At the same time, businesses and municipalities on the island face identical challenges due to rising costs, changing visitor demographics, and increasing demands for sustainability, quality, and digitalization. Ideally, a joint tourism strategy provides guidance and a binding framework for future decisions and investments. Furthermore, numerous funding programs and special grants are contingent upon the existence of such a tourism strategy.
In addition to the state marketing by the Schleswig-Holstein Tourism Agency (TASH) and the work of regional tourism marketing organizations (TMOs) such as Nordsee-Tourismus-Service GmbH, many individual places used to organize their tourism tasks independently.
In order to better meet the growing demands of the tourism market and to position themselves more strategically, so-called Local Tourism Organizations (LTOs) were created nationwide.
The LTOs…
Based on jointly developed Tourism development concepts (TEK) The LTOs form the backbone for the strategic positioning and development of the regions as well as the pooling of resources.
A total of 22 Limited Tourism Organizations (LTOs) have been established in Schleswig-Holstein since 2008. Most of these have already been officially recognized by the responsible tourism ministry.
Our LTO is Sylt Marketing GmbH, the only local tourism organization in Schleswig-Holstein without a strategy!
The costs for the tourism strategy are covered by the budget of Sylt Marketing GmbH. These include:
As part of the first phase, a Online survey from May 27 to June 19, 2026 This is offered and is open to all interested parties. There, you have the opportunity to comment on the thematic map. The link will be published here on this page.
Sylt residents also have the opportunity to become Random citizens to be selected for the second phase.
Furthermore, active participation for one's own island location in one of the twelve Local groups Participation opportunities will be announced here and in the Sylt press.
A thematic map is a visual overview of key topics, questions, and areas of tension, serving as a basis for exchange, structuring, and further development in the participatory process. In our case, it answers the question:
What key challenges and questions regarding Sylt's tourism development should be addressed in the further process?
SMG is supported in developing its tourism strategy by a 24-member steering committee comprised of the island's mayors and representatives from business, politics, nature conservation, culture, and society. This committee provides expert guidance throughout the participatory process, ensures the inclusion of diverse perspectives, and guarantees that the results form a sound basis for political decisions.
Overview of the steering committee members:
The current plan is to complete the tourism strategy by the end of 2026.
We are currently in the process of doing this.
The concrete implementation phase begins in April 2026. At its core is a multi-stage participatory process designed to capture and systematically integrate the various perspectives on the island's tourism development. This participatory process is the central element of the strategy development. Its aim is to create a common foundation for further steps by drawing on diverse viewpoints. Sylt Marketing GmbH is responsible for coordinating and financing the process.
The SMG is supported by a 24-member team. steering committee with the island's mayors as well as representatives from business, politics, nature conservation, culture, and society. The committee provides expert guidance throughout the participatory process, ensures the inclusion of diverse perspectives, and guarantees that the results form a sound basis for political decisions.
The participatory process for developing the tourism strategy for Sylt is divided into several successive phases and formats. Starting at the end of April, key topics and questions will be identified and structured, then explored in greater depth from mid-June onwards using various formats and compiled into recommendations.
In the second phase, recommendations for the tourism development concept are developed in a moderated process based on the thematic map. These recommendations include proposals for strategic statements and corresponding recommendations for action, as well as identifying conflicting objectives and differences of opinion.
First, from June 15th to 19th, twelve Local groups (with, for example, club presidents, business owners, local council representatives, and volunteers from the respective island community) they incorporate the perspectives of the individual island communities. The aim is to identify location-specific characteristics. Furthermore, they develop ideas and recommendations for action that they can later implement (co-)implement locally.
In parallel, eight will be working from June 22nd to June 26th. Focus groups on specific topics. In these sessions, experts from a wide range of fields come together to delve deeper into issues and discuss potential solutions. The focus groups help to identify the specific needs of each group, as well as their knowledge and ideas on selected areas of the thematic map.
In July, a Random group of citizens The process involves randomly selecting participants from the five island municipalities and grouping them according to socio-demographic criteria to reflect the breadth of the island's society. Additionally, individuals who work on Sylt but live off the island are also included.
The results of all formats will be used as a recommendation for further developing the strategy within the framework of a handover event Presented on August 26th.
Duration:
June 15 to the end of August 2026
Actors:
Focus groups, randomly selected citizen groups and local groups per island town
Result:
Recommendations for the further development of the tourism strategy (including strategy statements, recommendations for action and conflicts)
"The needs of the local population on the one hand and the expertise of our tourism professionals on the other must be combined in a joint tourism strategy. Only in this way can we ensure that tourism is supported by everyone and that the island's most important economic factor serves the common good and a good life for all – locals as well as our guests."Kai Müller, Head of the Sylt Landscape Office
These are the next steps.
Following the review of the recommendations by the community assemblies and their comments, the development of the tourism and development concept will begin. steering committeeDepending on the topic, external experts provide specialist input.
The strategy group takes the lead in this process. It may be accompanied by external consultants.
The tourism strategy will undergo final ratification by the five municipal councils and the business associations. These associations will ensure that their members recognize the strategy as a guideline. The municipalities will ensure appropriate internal communication (within political groups and among local residents). The implementation phase will be based on an action plan. The tourism strategy is scheduled for completion by the end of 2026.
Duration:
Until the end of 2026
Actors:
Municipal councils, SMG strategy group, mayors, town council chairpersons, business associations, representatives from nature, culture & society and subject matter experts
Result:
Adopted tourism strategy
These are the steps we have implemented so far in the process.
Online survey
Between May 27 and June 10, 2026, the thematic map was made available for comment in an open online survey and was accessible to all interested parties on an online portal. The aim was to gather different perspectives and to supplement the existing thematic map with further viewpoints, experiences, and ideas.
These were the questions addressed:
The developed thematic map then serves as a content compass for the participation formats of the second phase.
Dialogue thematic collection
What are the key challenges and future issues shaping Sylt's tourism development? Around 120 representatives from business, administration, nature conservation, culture, and other sectors of society on the island addressed this question on May 18, 2026, during the "Dialogical Topic Collection" in the hall at the cliff in Wenningstedt.
Moderated by Katharina Fender and Claudine Nierth from the nexus Institute, the workshop focused on further developing the so-called thematic map. At various stations, participants contributed their perspectives to existing and new topics, adding missing aspects, open questions, and specific challenges. The individual topic clusters were then discussed, categorized, and further developed in small groups before being presented to the entire group at the end of the evening.
“Today’s event was deliberately designed to be open. The aim was not to develop ready-made solutions, but to gather different perspectives, clarify key issues, and highlight important questions,” emphasizes Dirk Erdmann, co-spokesperson of the core tourism strategy team. “This diversity of perspectives is a crucial foundation for the next steps.”
Digital survey among local councils
All elected community representatives received an invitation to the survey via email and were able to comment on a first draft of the thematic map and add further topics between April 27 and May 10, 2026.
Tender for process support
During the tender phase, a professionally qualified facilitator was sought to structure, moderate, and guide the participatory process. This includes the conception, implementation, and preparation of workshops and voting formats, as well as the contribution of expert input and analyses, and advisory support in the development of the tourism strategy. Transparent communication and accompanying press relations throughout the entire process are also part of the contract.
For external process support, this is nexus Institute The contract was awarded to the Berlin-based Institute for Cooperation Management and Interdisciplinary Research, which impressed the selection committee with its concept, methodology, and references. The institute specializes in designing and facilitating participatory processes and brings many years of experience from projects at the federal, state, and municipal levels. A particular focus is on participatory processes for shaping living spaces, especially in the context of mobility, urban development, the environment, and tourism development. The nexus Institute has extensive experience with randomly generated participatory formats in this area. The project team, led by Katharina Fender (project management and moderation) and Carlo Thomsen (research associate), is supported by Claudine Nierth (moderator) and Jacob Birkenhäger (strategic consultant).
Presentation of the Sparkasse Tourism Barometer Sylt
A tourism development plan requires a statistical foundation so that discussions and decisions are based on verifiable facts, not just gut feeling. Data on visitor numbers, age distribution, and regions of origin, as well as surveys on quality and value for money, reveal strengths, weaknesses, and trends, and make developments measurable. This allows for targeted selection of topics and measures, and enables objective evaluation of success later on.
For this purpose, Sylt Marketing GmbH invited guests to the Haus am Kliff on February 3, 2026, for the presentation of the Sparkassen Tourism Barometer Sylt.
Presented were current guest statistics, results of the Sylt Island Tourism Service's guest survey, and selected key figures from the Sparkasse Tourism Barometer. These placed the tourism development of Sylt and North Frisia in comparison to Schleswig-Holstein and Germany as a whole. Myrate supplemented the analysis with an outlook, providing insights into the market dynamics of Sylt accommodations based on data on availability and price trends.
The presentations shown are available for download:
Sylt maintains a consistently high level of popularity. With the exception of pandemic years, the number of visitors has remained stable at over 900.000 per year since 2016. While the average length of stay has been declining in the long term, it has leveled off at around 7,4 days since 2014.
With approximately 181.000 overnight stays from abroad, a new record was reached in 2024 – a significant increase compared to previous years. North Rhine-Westphalia remains the most important source market, while Schleswig-Holstein continues to climb to second place.
While the summer months of July and August are slightly declining, May, June, and September are gaining in importance. At the same time, demographic shifts are becoming apparent: increases in guests over 51 and in the 21- to 30-year-old age group, and declines in the middle age groups.
Guest satisfaction, at 87,8 percent, is significantly higher than the state and national averages. Results from the latest guest survey conducted by the Sylt Island Tourism Service (ISTS) confirm this very high level of satisfaction. Accommodations and value for money are rated predominantly as good to very good.
With the presented price and market analysis methodology from "myrate," hosts can better assess developments up to 365 days in advance. Data and the market information derived from it will be published regularly via this channel in the future.
Resolution of the municipal councils
All municipal councils on the island pass corresponding resolutions, so that the process of developing the strategy can officially begin.
Joint launch: Island communities decide on the development of an integrated tourism strategy
The mayors of the five island municipalities on Sylt agree: An integrated, island-wide tourism strategy is an important step for the future development of the island. Therefore, at a joint press conference at the end of November, they will initiate the process of bringing the topic before their respective municipal councils to discuss and decide on the approach.
Since the tourism strategy focuses on the living environment on Sylt, the process is deliberately initiated by politicians in close coordination with the local councils. The overarching goal is to create a common foundation that shapes the future development of tourism on Sylt in harmony with nature, the economy, and quality of life.
"It is important to us that this process is transparent, cooperative and future-oriented from the very beginning."Tina Haltermann, Mayor of the municipality of Sylt
The photo shows (from left to right): Dirk Erdmann (Tourism Strategy Group), Andreas Dobrzinski (Chairman of the Municipality of Sylt), Moritz Luft (Managing Director of Sylt Marketing GmbH), Kai Müller (Head of the District Office of Sylt and Mayor of Wenningstedt-Braderup), Stefanie Böhm (Mayor of Kampen), Udo Hanrieder (Mayor of Hörnum), Ronald Benck (Mayor of List on Sylt) and Tina Haltermann (Mayor of the Municipality of Sylt) and, like the attached PDF on the Integrated Tourism Strategy, is available for free editorial use.
