Ostsee-Holstein-Tourismus e. V.

What Ostsee-Holstein-Tourismus e. V. does

Ostsee-Holstein-Tourismus e.V. (OHT) is a registered non-profit association (eingetragener Verein, e.V.) under German law, headquartered in Scharbeutz, Schleswig-Holstein. Formed in 2004 through the merger of Ostseebäderverband Schleswig-Holstein e.V. (founded 1964) and Holsteinische Schweiz Tourismus e.V. (founded 1967), OHT serves as the regional destination marketing organization for the Baltic Sea coast of Schleswig-Holstein. Its members comprise approximately 53 ordinary and 2 supporting entities, including municipalities, cities, districts, and companies in the leisure economy located along or near the coast.

The organization operates a multi-channel digital and traditional marketing platform centered on the 'Ostsee Schleswig-Holstein' regional brand. Core products and infrastructure include the Ostsee Guide mobile application (iOS and Android), a B2B Business-Portal, a direct booking storefront, and the Ostseecard loyalty program delivered through its affiliated entity Ostseecard AG. Supporting channels span social media (Facebook, Instagram, YouTube), a branded podcast, email newsletters, print brochures, and real-time webcam and weather feeds. Beyond consumer marketing, OHT coordinates strategy and sustainability work, participates in Interreg cross-border projects and the Metropolregion Hamburg cooperation, and engages in policy advocacy (notably the joint position with TVSH on Nationalpark Ostsee).

OHT's revenue is generated primarily through recurring membership contributions from its ~55 member organizations, supplemented by likely public-sector and EU project funding; financial details are not publicly disclosed. As a non-profit e.V., it has no equity ownership, no venture or private capital involvement, and no parent company. The entity is governed by its members rather than external shareholders.

Name

Ostsee-Holstein-Tourismus e. V.

Legal name

Ostsee-Holstein-Tourismus e. V.

Website

https://ostsee-business.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Ostsee-Holstein-Tourismus e.V. is a registered non-profit regional destination marketing organization for the Baltic Sea coast of Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, serving approximately 55 member municipalities, cities, districts, and tourism companies through collective digital marketing, mobile apps, booking platforms, and policy advocacy.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Scharbeutz

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership Contributions: OHT generates revenue through membership fees from its approximately 53 ordinary and 2 supporting members, which include municipalities, cities, districts, and companies operating in the leisure economy along the Baltic Sea coast.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Ostsee-Holstein-Tourismus e.V. (OHT) is a regional tourism marketing association that collectively promotes Baltic Sea coast tourism in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. It delivers destination marketing campaigns under the "Ostsee Schleswig-Holstein" brand, manages a consumer-facing website and mobile travel guide, operates a B2B member portal, and runs the Ostseecard loyalty program (via affiliated Ostseecard AG) for visitors along the coast.

Product overview

Ostsee-Holstein-Tourismus e. V. (OHT) operates a tourism promotion platform for the Baltic Sea region in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. The organization offers a consumer-facing vacation destination website, a mobile application (Ostsee Guide) available on iOS and Android, and a B2B Business-Portal for member partners. Additional offerings include the Ostsee Chancen initiative for tourism development. The organization was formed in 2004 from the merger of two earlier tourism associations and represents approximately 53 ordinary and 2 supporting member organizations including municipalities, cities, counties, and tourism-related businesses along the Baltic Sea coast.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Ostsee Guide Mobile App Mobile travel guide application providing destination information, travel planning, and real-time updates for the Baltic Sea (Ostsee) region in Schleswig-Holstein, available on iOS App Store and Google Play Store.
• Business-Portal B2B web portal providing marketing services, member information, and partnership resources for tourism businesses and municipalities along the Baltic Sea coast of Schleswig-Holstein.
• Ostsee Chancen Strategic initiative and program focused on developing tourism opportunities and partnerships along the Baltic Sea coast of Schleswig-Holstein.
• Ostseecard Loyalty Program Loyalty card system (operated by affiliated Ostseecard AG) offering benefits and discounts to visitors at participating establishments throughout the Baltic Sea tourism region.
• Ostsee Schleswig-Holstein Brand Campaigns Collective regional marketing campaigns under the unified "Ostsee Schleswig-Holstein" brand, executed through digital, social, podcast, newsletter, and print channels for destination promotion.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and regional.

• Tourismusverband Schleswig-Holstein (TVSH)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOHT and TVSH jointly position themselves on Baltic Sea protection issues, including a shared position paper on the Nationalpark Ostsee consultation, advocating for voluntary protection measures instead of a national park establishment.
• Ostseecard AGcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOstseecard AG is an affiliated entity of OHT, providing a loyalty card system for the Baltic Sea region that offers benefits and discounts to visitors at participating establishments.
• Metropolregion Hamburg (MRH)regionalStrategic or Co-development PartnerOHT participates in the Metropolregion Hamburg cooperation, connecting Baltic Sea tourism with the greater Hamburg metropolitan area for regional development and tourism promotion.
• InterregregionalStrategic or Co-development PartnerOHT is involved in Interreg projects, which are European territorial cooperation programs supporting cross-border collaboration and regional development initiatives.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Bayern Tourismus Marketing GmbH: State-level DMO for Bavaria; analogous destination marketing organization with mobile apps, B2B portals, and loyalty programs and an established regional tourism brand.
• Tourismus NRW e.V. Municipal-funded DMO for North Rhine-Westphalia; comparable legal-form (eingetragener Verein) and public-private partnership destination marketing model at much larger scale.
• Niedersachsen Tourismus GmbH: State-level DMO for Lower Saxony covering the Lüneburg Heath, Harz, and North Sea coasts — analogous public-private destination marketing organization at a larger geographic scale.
• Tourismus-Agentur Schleswig-Holstein (TA.SH): State-level umbrella DMO for the entire federal state of Schleswig-Holstein and a stated strategic partner of OHT — covers the same geography with broader portfolio scope (state-wide brand, market data, EU programs).

Regional players

• Eifel Tourismus GmbH: Regional DMO for the Eifel region on Germany's western border; similar municipality-supported destination marketing organization of comparable scale to OHT, but focused on inland rather than coastal tourism.

Direct peers

• VisitBerlin: DMO for the German capital; comparable municipal/federal-chamber funded tourism marketing organization that runs a city app, B2B partner portal, and loyalty card programs at a larger scale.
• Hamburg Tourismus GmbH: City-state DMO for Hamburg on the Elbe/Baltic estuary — operates the same destination marketing + city card + booking platform model for a related Northern German tourism market and overlaps with OHT via the Metropolregion Hamburg partnership.
• Ostfriesland Tourismus GmbH: Regional DMO marketing the German North Sea coast of Lower Saxony; directly comparable membership-based, municipality-funded destination marketing organization serving a coastal leisure-economy in Northern Germany.
• Tourismusverband Mecklenburg-Vorpommern e.V. (TMV): State-level regional DMO for the neighboring German Baltic Sea coast of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern — runs an almost identical destination marketing, mobile app, and B2B partner model for an adjacent coastal geography.
• Bremen Touristik: City-state DMO for Bremen on the North Sea coast; comparable scale and funding structure to OHT and operates the same destination marketing + booking + city card model for a Northern German coastal location.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCx2e9WmCgBvh-J8Jz9N9vYQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/ostseeschleswigholstein
• Instagraminstagram.com/ostsee.sh
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ostsee-holstein-tourismus

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Ostsee-Holstein-Tourismus e. V.