FORET NOIRE

What FORET NOIRE does

Schwarzwald Tourismus GmbH, doing business as FORET NOIRE (Black Forest Tourism / Visit Black Forest), is the official regional destination marketing organization (DMO) for the Black Forest holiday region in southwest Germany. Operating from its headquarters at Wiesentalstraße 5, 79115 Freiburg (Kompetenzzentrum Tourismus), the organization manages unified destination promotion, visitor services, and stakeholder coordination across an 11,100 square kilometer area — Germany's largest low-mountain range (Mittelgebirge) — spanning from Pforzheim to Basel and Karlsruhe to Waldshut. Its core platform is the schwarzwald-tourismus.info digital portal, which serves as the primary booking, information, and trip-planning interface for both domestic and international visitors.

The company's product portfolio combines digital and physical touchpoints: the AI-powered 'Frag' Schwarzwaldmarie KI chatbot for conversational trip planning, the SchwarzwaldCard providing access to over 200 regional attractions, the KONUS Gästekarte enabling free public transit across approximately 150 vacation towns, the Schwarzwaldradio vacation radio station (Germany's only vacation radio), the Visitblackforest podcast distributed across major streaming platforms, and emerging categories including Workation and Coolcation stays. The underlying architecture integrates a multilingual booking engine, a PartnerNet regional partner network, and institutional partnerships with Nationalpark Schwarzwald, two Naturparke, the UNESCO Biosphärengebiet, and Tourismus Baden-Württemberg.

The business model serves two primary segments: B2C individual leisure travelers (domestic and international tourists seeking vacation experiences) and B2B regional tourism stakeholders (local tourism offices, accommodations, attractions, restaurants, municipalities). Revenue derives from a hybrid mix typical of German regional DMOs: public funding from state and municipal sources, SchwarzwaldCard subscription sales, accommodation booking commissions, gift voucher sales (Schwarzwald-Gutschein), and partner/membership contributions. Specific pricing for organizational membership and subscription fees is not publicly disclosed, while visitor-facing pricing (SchwarzwaldCard 365 annual pass) is published.

Name

FORET NOIRE

Legal name

Schwarzwald Tourismus GmbH

Website

https://foretnoire.info

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Schwarzwald Tourismus GmbH (FORET NOIRE / Visit Black Forest) is the official regional destination marketing organization for Germany's Black Forest, operating the schwarzwald-tourismus.info platform with an AI trip-planning chatbot, a 200+ attraction pass, free regional public transit card, and integrated partner network spanning 11,100 km².

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Regional Destination Marketing & Tourism Services

NAICS

Convention and Visitors Bureaus (561591), Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (712190)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYTHAJAIAD

Eco-Tours & Sustainable Nature Travel

Travel & Hospitality/Tours, Attractions & Experiences/Nature & Wildlife Experiences (National Parks, Wildlife Encounters, Eco-tours)

SECONDARYTHAJAIAA

National Park & Protected Area Tours

Travel & Hospitality/Tours, Attractions & Experiences/Nature & Wildlife Experiences (National Parks, Wildlife Encounters, Eco-tours)

SECONDARYTHAAAEAF

Rainforest & Jungle Ecotourism Tours

Travel & Hospitality/Adventure, Amusement Parks & Ecotourism/Ecotourism Operators & Nature-Based Tours

Keywords

• Destination marketing services
• Regional tourism promotion
• Attraction pass subscriptions
• Travel planning platform
• Visitor information services

Headquarters

HQ city

Freiburg

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Schwarzwald Tourismus GmbH operates the official destination marketing and visitor services platform for the Black Forest (Schwarzwald) region in southwestern Germany. The company sells and distributes the SchwarzwaldCard (access to 200+ attractions) and KONUS Gästekarte (free regional public transit), provides an AI-powered trip planning chatbot called "Frag Schwarzwaldmarie", and curates multimedia content through the Schwarzwaldradio station and Visitblackforest podcast to support leisure tourism across an 11,100 km² region.

Product overview

Schwarzwald Tourismus GmbH operates the official tourism portal for the Black Forest (Foret Noire) region, offering visitors a comprehensive platform for trip planning and exploration. The organization provides a unified visitor services suite comprising the Frag' Schwarzwaldmarie KI chatbot for AI-assisted trip planning, the SchwarzwaldCard for access to 200+ regional attractions, the KONUS Gästekarte for free public transportation, and multimedia content through Schwarzwaldradio and the Visitblackforest podcast. The platform serves as the central hub for booking accommodations, discovering destinations, and accessing travel information across the 11,100 square kilometer Black Forest region.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• SchwarzwaldCard A subscription-style attraction pass providing free access to over 200 attractions throughout the Black Forest region, allowing visitors to explore the area's highlights without additional entry fees.
• KONUS Gästekarte A guest card providing free travel on buses and trains throughout the Black Forest region, covering routes from Pforzheim to Basel and Karlsruhe to Waldshut, available in approximately 150 vacation towns.
• Frag Schwarzwaldmarie KI An AI-powered chatbot assistant that helps visitors plan their Black Forest vacation by answering questions about destinations, attractions, and travel planning.
• Schwarzwaldradio The only vacation radio station in Germany, featuring Germany's largest jukebox and stories about the Black Forest region, available via podcast platforms.
• Visitblackforest Podcast A podcast providing excursion tips and information about the Black Forest, hosted by Schwarzwaldradio moderator Zarah Roth, available on Spotify, Apple Podcast, Stitcher, and radio.de.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Schwarzwaldverein e.V.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with the traditional Black Forest hiking association for joint hiking tourism promotion and trail management in the region.
• Nationalpark SchwarzwaldcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOfficial partnership with Germany's newest national park, located entirely within the Black Forest region.
• Naturpark Schwarzwald Mitte/NordcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with the northern/central Black Forest nature park for regional nature tourism.
• Naturpark SüdschwarzwaldcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with the southern Black Forest nature park for regional nature tourism.
• Biosphärengebiet SchwarzwaldcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUNESCO Biosphere Reserve partnership for sustainable tourism development in the Black Forest biosphere region.
• Tourismus Baden-Württemberg (TMBW)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState-level tourism marketing organization partnership for broader regional tourism promotion.
• Dreiland (Tri-border region)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCross-border tourism initiative connecting the Black Forest region with neighboring France and Switzerland.
• Original LandreisenminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOfficial booking partner for packaged travel experiences including hiking tours, luggage-free walking trips, and cabin experiences.
• SchwarzwaldradiocoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCo-branded vacation radio station - the only vacation radio in Germany with Germany's largest jukebox, providing regional stories and music.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Visit Flanders: Regional/national DMO for Flanders (Belgium), operating comparable destination marketing, attraction card (Flemish Ardennes card variants), cycling/hiking content, and stakeholder coordination. A direct structural peer among European regional DMOs.
• Eifel Tourismus GmbH: Regional DMO for the Eifel region in Germany, operating similar nature-park anchored destination marketing, Eifel National Park partnership, attraction card programs, and hiking/cycling content. Direct structural and functional peer.
• Allgäu Tourismus: Regional DMO for the Allgäu, another major German Mittelgebirge/nature destination. Operates a comparable stack of digital portal, attraction card (Allgäu Walser Card), guest card transit programs, and partnerships with nature parks and hiking associations.

Broad incumbents

• Schweiz Tourismus (Switzerland Tourism): National DMO of Switzerland, a cross-border partner via the Dreiland initiative. Operates a sophisticated multi-language digital platform, AI-assisted planning, and attraction pass programs at a national scale comparable in ambition to Schwarzwald Tourismus.
• Tirol Werbung: Austrian state-level DMO operating an alpine/nature destination marketing model with multi-language portals, card ecosystems, podcast/radio, and broad stakeholder coordination. Comparable in scope and digital maturity to Schwarzwald Tourismus.
• Bayern Tourismus Marketing GmbH: Regional DMO for Bavaria running a comparable destination-marketing model: digital portal, booking tools, attraction passes, podcast/radio content, and partnerships with nature parks. Closest structural analogue to Schwarzwald Tourismus at a larger scale.
• Visit Denmark: National Danish DMO with a similar nature-and-coastal positioning, multi-language digital portal, attraction passes, podcast and storytelling content. Useful analogue for digital-maturity benchmarks in a smaller-country DMO.
• Tourismus Baden-Württemberg (TMBW): State-level DMO for Baden-Württemberg and an explicit partner of Schwarzwald Tourismus GmbH. Both operate multi-tier destination marketing, content portals, and stakeholder coordination in the same German region; TMBW is the broader incumbent while Schwarzwald Tourismus is the sub-regional specialist.

Others

• Nationalpark Schwarzwald: Official national park authority that is both a content partner and feature attraction of Schwarzwald Tourismus. Comparable in mission (nature park digital portals, visitor education, events) and is closely aligned though it is a public-sector entity rather than commercial DMO.

Regional players

• Original Landreisen: Booking partner for packaged Black Forest hiking and walking tours listed on the Schwarzwald Tourismus platform. Comparable as a tour operator partner feeding into the DMO's distribution, but not a direct destination-portal competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/foret-noire

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 FORET NOIRE