Thuringer Tourismus

What Thuringer Tourismus does

Thüringer Tourismus GmbH (TTG) is the official destination marketing organization for the Free State of Thuringia in central Germany, headquartered in Erfurt. Founded in 2021 and co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund (EFRE) and the Thuringian Ministry for Economy, Agriculture and Rural Development, TTG operates a multi-portal digital ecosystem built on its proprietary ThüCAT (Thüringer Content Architektur Tourismus) content management system. The core consumer portal thueringen-entdecken.de serves as the state's primary tourism discovery and booking gateway, with content covering culture, history, nature, hiking, camping, theater, parks and gardens, and insider tips. Specialized sub-portals address distinct segments: tagen.thueringen-entdecken.de for MICE and conventions under the Convention Bureau Thüringen; barrierefrei.thueringen-entdecken.de for accessible tourism; b2b.thueringen-entdecken.de for trade partners; buchen.thueringen-entdecken.de for accommodation bookings; presse.thueringen-entdecken.de for media; and English and Polish language versions for international visitors.

TTG's primary revenue stream is booking intermediation: it acts as a mediator between guests and accommodation providers via buchen.thueringen-entdecken.de, with contractual agreements executed directly between guest and provider and TTG earning transaction fees on mediated bookings. Secondary economic activities include MICE venue sourcing through the Convention Bureau (provided free of charge to event planners, non-revenue advisory), marketing campaigns across Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and Pinterest under the hashtag #DeinThüringen, and content distribution through the Tourismusnetzwerk partner network to regional providers. Logistics and access partnerships with Deutsche Bahn AG and Flughafen Erfurt GmbH support inbound travel.

The customer base is highly diversified across leisure travelers, families, accessible-travel tourists, camping and outdoor enthusiasts, international visitors (English/Polish), and corporate MICE event planners. Segments are served via distinct portals with segment-specific content rather than enterprise contracts. Key technology infrastructure includes the centralized ThüCAT content architecture maintained by trained editors across the network, a WCAG 2.1 / BITV-Test accessibility posture under remediation, and dedicated booking functionality. Operational scale indicators include 101–250 employees, 300+ train stations and stops within the state, ICE rail connectivity from Erfurt to Berlin (1:50h), Leipzig (0:45h), Munich (2:15h), and Frankfurt (2:12h), and concentration of UNESCO World Heritage assets in and around Weimar.

Name

Thuringer Tourismus

Legal name

Thüringer Tourismus GmbH

Website

https://thueringen-entdecken.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Thüringer Tourismus GmbH is the official destination marketing organization for Germany's Free State of Thuringia, headquartered in Erfurt. It operates a multi-portal digital ecosystem — covering leisure travel, MICE events, accessible tourism, and booking intermediation — built on its proprietary ThüCAT content architecture and co-financed by the EU (EFRE) and the Thuringian state government.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Destination Marketing and Tourism Services

NAICS

Convention and Visitors Bureaus (561591), Travel Agencies (561510)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Full-Service Destination Management (Ground Handling & Onsite Operations) (THAHADAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Venue Sourcing & Site Coordination (HSACAAAD), Destination & Activity Wholesalers (Attractions, Tours & Ticket Inventory) (THAKAJAF)

Keywords

• Destination marketing services
• Tourism portal management
• Convention bureau services
• Accessible tourism resources
• Accommodation booking intermediation

Headquarters

HQ city

Erfurt

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Operations

Revenue model

1. Accommodation and Tourism Service Mediation: Thüringer Tourismus GmbH acts as a mediator between guests and accommodation providers/tourism service operators. Contractual agreements are directly between the guest and the service provider. TTG earns through intermediation of bookings for accommodation and other tourism services via its booking portal (buchen.thueringen-entdecken.de).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Thüringer Tourismus GmbH is the official state-level destination marketing organization for the German state of Thuringia. It operates a multi-portal digital ecosystem to market Thuringia as a leisure travel and MICE destination, mediates bookings between travelers and accommodation/service providers, and provides free advisory services for corporate event planners through the Convention Bureau Thuringia. Revenue is generated through transaction fees on accommodation and tourism service intermediation routed via its booking portal buchen.thueringen-entdecken.de.

Product overview

Thüringer Tourismus GmbH operates a multi-portal digital ecosystem for Thuringia tourism. The core consumer portal thueringen-entdecken.de serves as the primary discovery and booking gateway, covering culture, nature, history, hiking, camping, theater, parks and gardens, and accessible travel. This core is supplemented by specialized sub-portals: tagen.thueringen-entdecken.de for MICE/convention services; barrierefrei.thueringen-entdecken.de for accessible tourism; buchen.thueringen-entdecken.de for accommodation bookings; b2b.thueringen-entdecken.de for trade partners; and visit-thuringia.com for international audiences. All content is managed through the internal ThüCAT content architecture platform. The ecosystem is co-financed by the European Union (EFRE) and the Free State of Thuringia.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Convention Bureau Thüringen: The MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Events) division of Thüringer Tourismus GmbH that promotes Thuringia as a conference and business events destination.
• Thüringen entdecken

Products and services

• thueringen-entdecken.de The primary consumer-facing tourism portal for the German state of Thuringia, offering discovery of nature, culture, history, and insider tips; hiking trails; camping; theaters and orchestras; parks and gardens; accessible travel; and booking connections for accommodations. Targeted at individual leisure travelers, couples, and families planning vacations in Thuringia.
• tagen.thueringen-entdecken.de (MICE Platform and Convention Bureau Portal) MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, Events) platform and Convention Bureau portal providing location finder for conference venues, convention region information, unique framework programs, and free advisory services for corporate event planners seeking venues in Thuringia.
• barrierefrei.thueringen-entdecken.de Dedicated accessible tourism portal offering travel ideas, sights, and accommodations for barrier-free holidays in Thuringia. Targets people with mobility, visual, and hearing impairments, as well as families with strollers and seniors with reduced mobility.
• buchen.thueringen-entdecken.de Booking Platform Online booking platform for accommodations and tourist services in Thuringia. Enables travelers to make reservations with certified TOP-Gastgeber hosts and approved accommodation providers. TTG earns transaction fees from intermediating bookings between guests and service providers.
• visit-thuringia.com (International Portal) English-language international tourism portal mirroring the German thueringen-entdecken.de site, presenting Thuringia as a travel destination to English-speaking audiences worldwide, with content covering culture, nature, history, and travel planning.
• Convention Bureau Thuringia Advisory Service Free, non-binding advisory service for event planners, providing venue sourcing, framework programs, and provider referrals for conferences, congresses, meetings, and incentive events across Thuringia. The Convention Bureau serves as a central point of contact for MICE clients seeking venues and event support.

Quantifiable outcome

• 15 UNESCO World Heritage sites in Weimar — the highest concentration per capita in Germany for a mid-sized city
• +3 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Deutsche Bahn AGcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerDeutsche Bahn provides event tickets for conference attendees traveling to Thuringia, with one-way tickets from 51.90€ (2nd class) to 84.90€ (1st class), using 100% green electricity. The partnership enables cost-effective and sustainable travel for MICE events. Booking is available at bahn.de with event-specific pricing.
• Tourismusnetzwerk (Tourism Network)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThüringer Tourismus GmbH operates the Thuringian Tourismusnetzwerk (thueringen.tourismusnetzwerk.info), a statewide network connecting regional tourism associations, service providers, editors, and local tourism organizations. The ThüCAT content system supports data maintenance by trained editors across the network.
• Flughafen Erfurt GmbHminorGTM or Marketing PartnerErfurt-Weimar Airport serves as the primary regional airport for Thuringia, offering direct connections and private flight facilities. TTG promotes it as the ideal location for direct connections and private flights to Thuringia.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Booking.com: Global OTA dominating accommodation intermediation. Competes directly with buchen.thueringen-entdecken.de for booking conversion and disintermediates regional DMOs.
• Deutsche Zentrale für Tourismus (DZT): Germany's national tourism board, marketing 'Destination Germany' internationally. Operates one level above TTG and acts as a channel partner and brand amplifier rather than a direct competitor.

Direct peers

• Hessen Tourismus: State-level tourism marketing for Hesse with comparable multi-portal DMO structure and Frankfurt-adjacent positioning. Useful comparable for the convention bureau component given Frankfurt's MICE gravity.
• Tourismus NRW e.V. State DMO for North Rhine-Westphalia with multi-portal digital ecosystem, MICE, and international reach. Comparable in governance structure (association form) and product breadth.
• Tourismus Marketing GmbH Baden-Württemberg: The state-level destination marketing organization for Baden-Württemberg, operating a comparable multi-portal ecosystem (leisure, MICE, B2B, international) under the same German DMO model and EU/state co-financing logic. Most directly comparable state DMO peer given similar governance and product breadth.
• visitBerlin (Berlin Tourismus & Kongress GmbH): Berlin's city-level DMO and Convention Bureau, operating integrated leisure and MICE portals with multi-language reach. Strongest comparable for TTG's combined leisure + Convention Bureau operating model in an urban context.
• Bayern Tourismus Marketing GmbH: Official tourism marketing company for Bavaria, running leisure, MICE, and international portals. Comparable state-DMO scope but operates at significantly larger scale and brand awareness, making it both a direct structural peer and an aspirational benchmark.
• Sachsen Tourismus: State-level DMO for Saxony with similar central/eastern German positioning, cultural heritage emphasis, and multi-portal digital structure. Closest regional competitor for inbound cultural and nature tourism.

Emerging players

• GetYourGuide: Global activity and tour marketplace increasingly partnering with regional DMOs for inventory distribution. Represents the OTA-side competitive threat to TTG's intermediation model.

Others

• ECC Kooperation GmbH: Tourism cooperative bundling marketing for German-speaking regions including Thuringia-adjacent areas. Comparable as an enabling/distribution intermediary that regional DMOs participate in for cross-promotion.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/ThueringerTourismus
• Facebookfacebook.com/thueringen.tourismus.de
• Instagraminstagram.com/thueringen_entdecken.de/?hl=de
• Pinterestpinterest.de/thueringen

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Thuringer Tourismus