Rostock

What Rostock does

Tourismuszentrale Rostock & Warnemünde is the official municipal tourism authority (Eigenbetrieb) of the Hanse- und Universitätsstadt Rostock, a Baltic Sea coastal city in northern Germany founded in 1218. The entity operates the rostock.de digital tourism portal as its core product, complemented by the GästeCard tourist card (free public transport plus 50+ partner discounts), the Rostock Kompass digital travel companion app, an electronic guest registration system (AVS Meldescheinsystem), a tickets and experiences booking platform, a host portal for accommodation providers, and the annual Mein Urlaub vacation magazine. It serves primarily vacationing tourists, families, accessible-travel visitors, cruise passengers, and local residents, with an emerging B2B/industrial angle via the green ammonia export corridor initiative tied to Rostock Port.

The business model combines statutory tourist tax (Kurabgabe) collection, GästeCard-related revenues, brochure and souvenir sales, and ticket/event commissions, distributed through a hybrid online-and-physical channel mix spanning rostock.de, the Rostock Kompass app, in-person tourist information offices, and a network of accommodation partners, cruise lines, and transit operator Verkehrsverbund Warnow. Pricing is unit-based by accommodation type and season, with reduced rates for children, persons with disabilities (GdB 50+), and exemptions for persons with GdB 80+. The entity holds i-Marke, Reisen für Alle, ServiceQ, and TourCert certifications, reinforcing its official positioning.

Recent strategic activity centers on digitization (Rostock Kompass, AVS, DigiCard to go) and the flagship 2026 ACWA/EnBW/VNG green ammonia export corridor MoU, which extends Rostock's economic role beyond tourism into hydrogen and ammonia logistics through the port. The organization is led by Tourism Director Matthias Fromm and operates as a non-equity government entity — there are no shareholders, funding rounds, or M&A signals, and standard PE/VC investment frameworks are not directly applicable.

Name

Rostock

Legal name

Tourismuszentrale Rostock & Warnemünde (Eigenbetrieb der Hanse- und Universitätsstadt Rostock)

Website

https://rostock.de

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Tourismuszentrale Rostock & Warnemünde is the municipal tourism authority of Rostock, Germany, operating the rostock.de portal, GästeCard, Rostock Kompass app, and booking systems to serve tourists, families, and cruise visitors along the Baltic coast.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Destination Marketing & Tourism Services

NAICS

Convention and Visitors Bureaus (561591), All Other Travel Arrangement and Reservation Services (561599)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Inbound/Local Retail Travel Agencies (Destination Booking Offices) (THAKABAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Booking Engines & Direct Web Booking (THALACAD), Permitting, Reservations & Visitor Information Services (Passes, Booking, Visitor Centers) (THAAAGAD)

Keywords

• Destination marketing
• Tourist information
• Visitor services
• Tourist card
• Travel booking

Headquarters

HQ city

Rostock

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Kurabgabe (Tourist Tax): Mandatory tourist tax collected from overnight guests in Rostock and the seaside resorts. Revenue funds infrastructure maintenance, visitor services, event organization, and water rescue services.
2. GästeCard Services: Guest card system providing free public transport and discounts at partner establishments. Revenue generated through the tourist tax component and partner fees.
3. Brochure Sales: Sale of travel magazines, brochures, maps and promotional materials with shipping fee of 4.90 Euro per order
4. Souvenir Sales: Sale of souvenirs and gifts at Rostock Information centers and online
5. Ticket Sales: Commission from ticket sales for theater, concerts, and events

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Tourismuszentrale Rostock & Warnemünde operates the official destination management platform rostock.de, providing visitor information, accommodation and ticket booking, the GästeCard tourist card with free public transport and partner discounts, the Rostock Kompass digital travel companion, and the AVS electronic guest registration system used by local accommodation providers to administer the mandatory tourist tax (Kurabgabe).

Product overview

Rostock operates a unified tourism destination platform comprising the main information portal (www.rostock.de), the GästeCard system for visitor benefits and free public transport, and the Rostock Kompass digital travel companion. Additional modules include a booking platform for tickets and experiences, a host portal for accommodation providers to manage tourist taxes, and branded publications like the Mein Urlaub vacation magazine. The offering functions as a comprehensive destination management and visitor services ecosystem rather than a standalone software product.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• GästeCard Rostock Tourist card available to overnight and day guests in Rostock and its seaside resorts, providing free public transport within the Verkehrsverbund Warnow (VVW) network and discounts at over 50 partner businesses. An annual variant (JahresgästeCard) is also offered.
• Tickets & Erlebnisse Booking Platform Online booking service for tickets to theater, concerts, and events as well as guided tours, boat excursions, and curated experiences in Rostock and Warnemünde, available to leisure visitors.
• Rostock Kompass Digital travel companion providing visitors with personalized recommendations, maps, and local tourist information for Rostock and Warnemünde during their stay.
• Gastgeberbereich (Host Portal) Online portal for hotels, pensions, vacation rentals, and campgrounds to register guests, collect and remit the Kurabgabe tourist tax, and issue GästeCards via the AVS electronic registration system.
• Mein Urlaub Vacation Magazine Annual print vacation magazine showcasing Rostock destinations, accommodations, experiences, and local partners, available for download or postal delivery (4.90 Euro shipping) to inspire visitors.
• Print Prospekte and Souvenirs Sale of travel magazines, brochures, city maps, promotional materials, souvenirs, and gifts at Rostock-Information centers and online, with postal delivery available for a 4.90 Euro shipping fee per order.

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.

• ACWA (Saudi Utility Company)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 February 2026ACWA signed MoU to develop a green ammonia export corridor from Yanbu, Saudi Arabia to Rostock Port in Germany. The initiative aims to convert green ammonia into hydrogen for injection into Germany's core network, contributing to global decarbonization efforts. Operations planned to begin by 2030.
• EnBWcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGerman energy company partner in the green ammonia export corridor project to Germany, collaborating with ACWA and VNG for decarbonization efforts.
• VNGcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGerman gas infrastructure company partner in the green ammonia export corridor project, working with ACWA and EnBW on hydrogen infrastructure.
• Verkehrsverbund Warnow (VVW)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional public transport association providing free transit access for GästeCard holders in the VVW network (excluding ferries and Molli train).

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Hamburg Tourismus GmbH: Official DMO for Hamburg, the largest city in northern Germany. Directly comparable as a municipal tourism authority operating an integrated booking, GästeCard-style (Hamburg CARD), and visitor information platform in the same Hanseatic tourism segment.
• Stralsund Tourismuszentrale: Municipal DMO for Stralsund, a nearby Hanseatic and UNESCO-listed Baltic coast city. Comparable as a regional competitor offering similar old-town, harbor, and Rügen island gateway experiences for similar visitor demographics.
• Lübeck und Travemünde Marketing: DMO for Lübeck and Travemünde, also a Hanseatic UNESCO heritage city on the Baltic coast. Comparable in scale, municipal structure, and product mix (old town + Baltic seaside), making it the closest geographic and demographic peer.

Regional players

• Ostseeland Tourismus (Ostsee-Holstein-Tourismus): Regional DMO for the Schleswig-Holstein Baltic coast. Comparable as a competitor for German domestic Baltic tourism with overlapping offerings of beach, nature, and coastal resort experiences.
• Usedom Tourismus GmbH: DMO for the German side of the Island of Usedom, a primary Baltic beach destination sharing the same coastline market. Comparable as a competing regional tourism brand targeting sun-and-beach travelers in the same Mecklenburg-Vorpommern catchment.
• Dresden Marketing GmbH: Municipal tourism and congress entity for Dresden, comparable as a publicly-owned DMO combining a historic city, river-front location, and integrated visitor service platform in the same East-German tourism ecosystem.

Broad incumbents

• visitBerlin Berlin Tourismus & Congress GmbH: Larger and more capitalized DMO for Berlin operating the visitBerlin brand. Comparable business model (municipal GmbH, destination booking platform, city card) but at substantially larger scale and broader international positioning.
• München Tourismus: Municipal DMO for Munich, one of Germany's leading destination marketing organizations. Comparable as a publicly-owned tourism marketing entity with a similar integrated portal, booking, and city card model, but at much larger scale and inbound volume.
• Tourismus-Agentur Schleswig-Holstein (TA.SH): State-level DMO for Schleswig-Holstein operating the northern German coast brand. Comparable as a higher-level tourism authority covering competing destinations in the same North/Baltic Sea leisure corridor.
• Tourismuszentrale Mecklenburg-Vorpommern: State-level DMO for Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, the federal state in which Rostock sits. Directly comparable as the umbrella authority that includes Rostock and its competitors in destination marketing, statistics, and policy coordination.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCUOfcl2UYv-M7qtCNZ1LShg
• Facebookfacebook.com/rostock.warnemuende
• Instagraminstagram.com/visit.rostock.official
• Pinterestpinterest.com/Rostock52
• Xx.com/hrorathaus
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/stadtverwaltung-der-hansestadt-rostock

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Rostock