Tourist Info Emmen

What Tourist Info Emmen does

Tourist Info Emmen (legally 'Ontdek Emmen') is the official destination marketing organization for Emmen and the surrounding Drenthe region in the Netherlands. Founded in 2008 and operating with a 5-person team from a headquarters in Emmen (adjacent to WILDLANDS Adventure Zoo), the organization functions as a municipal-style DMO that curates and publishes comprehensive tourism information for prospective visitors. Its primary audience is tourists (day-trippers, weekend visitors, and longer-stay travelers) seeking information about attractions, accommodations, dining, nature areas, cultural venues, and events in the Emmen region; a secondary audience comprises local hospitality and tourism businesses that seek visibility through the platform.

The core product is the multilingual destination portal ontdekemmen.nl, supported by an interactive digital map at kaart.ontdekemmen.nl (powered by WolfMaps) that aggregates 700+ points of interest across eight categories — day recreation, dining, attractions, museums/arts/culture, nature areas, routes, regional products, accommodations, and tourist info. An event calendar (Uitagenda), accommodation and food & drink directories, an activities directory, and accessibility/parking information supplement the core site. The platform is offered in Dutch, English, and German, with a #ontdekemmen social media presence and an earned-media profile amplified by the 2024 Koningsdag royal visit. A separate webshop (ontdekemmen.shop) sells maps, guides, and tourism merchandise, and a physical Tourist Information Point adjacent to WILDLANDS provides staffed in-person visitor services.

Tourist Info Emmen's commercial revenue model is two-pronged and modest in scale: (1) promotional listing and directory services for local hospitality businesses, offered on a freemium basis where businesses can self-register via an online questionnaire; and (2) webshop transaction revenue from merchandise sales. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and there are no standardized tiers. The organization maintains strategic partnerships with anchor attractions — WILDLANDS Adventure Zoo, ATLAS Theater (c. 65,000 annual visitors), Van Gogh Huis Drenthe, Rensenpark/DIEP, Bargerveen/Staatsbosbeheer, Center Parcs Parc Sandur, and Veenpark Bourtange — forming the ecosystem that the platform aggregates and cross-promotes. Financial details (revenue, ownership structure, funding) are not publicly disclosed.

Name

Tourist Info Emmen

Legal name

Ontdek Emmen

Website

https://touristemmen.nl

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Tourist Info Emmen (Ontdek Emmen) is the official destination marketing organization for Emmen, Drenthe, Netherlands, operating a multilingual website, interactive map, event calendar, webshop, and physical Tourist Information Point to promote local attractions, accommodations, dining, and events to visitors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Destination Marketing & Tourism Information Services

NAICS

Convention and Visitors Bureaus (561591)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

National Park & Protected Area Tours (THAJAIAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Ecotourism Operators & Nature-Based Tours (THAAAAAF)

Keywords

• Destination marketing
• Tourism information
• Travel directory
• Visitor information services
• Local attractions guide

Headquarters

HQ city

Emmen

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Business listing and promotion services: The platform promotes local hospitality businesses, attractions, and accommodations through directory listings and editorial content. Businesses can sign up to be featured on the platform, suggesting a promotional/marketing services revenue model.
2. Webshop sales: Operates a webshop (ontdekemmen.shop) selling maps, guides, and tourism-related merchandise.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Tourist Info Emmen (legal name Ontdek Emmen) is the official tourism marketing organization for Emmen in Drenthe, Netherlands. It provides visitors with comprehensive information about local attractions, accommodations, restaurants, events, nature areas, and activities through a multilingual website (Dutch, English, German), an interactive WolfMaps-powered digital map covering 700+ listings, an event calendar (Uitagenda), and a staffed physical Tourist Information Point adjacent to WILDLANDS Adventure Zoo. It also operates a webshop selling maps, guides, and tourism-related merchandise, and offers promotional listing services to local hospitality businesses.

Product overview

Ontdek Emmen is a tourism information platform for Emmen and the Drenthe region in the Netherlands. The platform operates as a unified tourism portal combining an interactive map (powered by Wolfmaps), an event calendar, and comprehensive directories of accommodations, restaurants, activities, and attractions. The core product is the main website at ontdekemmen.nl, which serves as the primary discovery platform for visitors. Supporting products include the interactive map application, the event calendar (Uitagenda), the food & drink directory (56 listings), accommodation listings, activities directory, and accessibility information. The platform also offers a hospitality business registration form for local establishments to list themselves.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Ontdek Emmen Tourism Portal The primary tourism information portal for Emmen and the Drenthe region, available in Dutch, English, and German, providing comprehensive content on attractions, accommodations, restaurants, events, and activities for visitors.
• Interactive Destination Map An interactive digital map powered by WolfMaps displaying 700+ points of interest across categories including day recreation, dining, attractions, museums, nature areas, routes, regional products, accommodations, tourist info, and transport/parking.
• Event Calendar (Uitagenda) An event calendar (Uitagenda) listing upcoming events in Emmen including WILDLANDS Zomeravonden, Open Dag FC Emmen, De Gouden Pijl festival, and Vliegerfestival Emmen.
• Tourism Webshop An online webshop (ontdekemmen.shop) selling maps, guides, and tourism-related merchandise related to the Emmen region.
• Hospitality Business Listing Service An online registration/questionnaire form allowing local hospitality businesses (restaurants, hotels, attractions) to sign up and be featured on the official Ontdek Emmen platform as a promotional listing.
• Physical Tourist Information Point A staffed physical Tourist Information Point located adjacent to WILDLANDS Adventure Zoo entrance, providing visitors with personalized assistance, printed maps, and recommendations.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• WILDLANDS Adventure Zoo EmmencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWILDLANDS is Emmen's flagship attraction and primary tourism driver. The Tourist Information Point is located directly adjacent to WILDLANDS. The organizations collaborate on promoting Emmen as a destination, with WILDLANDS serving as a anchor attraction for visitors.
• ATLAS Theater EmmencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerATLAS Theater is a major cultural venue in Emmen, attracting approximately 65,000 visitors annually. The theater is promoted as a key cultural attraction, featuring international productions, cabaret, classical music, dance, and family performances.
• RensenparkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRensenpark is a creative urban park in Emmen's center, transformed from the old Noorder Dierenpark. Features street art, artist studios (Zookeeper program), and cultural events. Home to DIEP Emmen contemporary art museum.
• Van Gogh Huis DrenthecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Van Gogh Huis Drenthe in Nieuw-Amsterdam/Veenoord is the only place in the Netherlands where visitors can enter a house where Vincent van Gogh actually lived. The platform promotes Van Gogh heritage routes and cultural tourism tied to his 1883 Drenthe period.
• DIEP EmmenminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDIEP Emmen (formerly CBK Emmen) is a contemporary art organization for 50+ years, featuring exhibitions, educational activities, and collaborations with local and international artists. Located in Rensenpark.
• Bargerveen / StaatsbosbeheercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBargerveen is one of the last living raised bog areas in the Netherlands, managed by Staatsbosbeheer (Dutch State Forestry Service). Promoted as a key nature destination for hiking and cycling, with the Veenloopcentrum Weiteveen visitor center.
• Center Parcs Parc SandurminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCenter Parcs Parc Sandur is a major holiday resort near Emmen featuring waterfront bungalows, subtropical water park, and golf facilities. Promoted as a key accommodation option for families.
• Veenpark BourtangeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOpen-air museum showcasing historical peat extraction heritage of the Bourtanger swamp region. Located near Emmen, it provides cultural tourism related to the area's industrial history.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves2 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Others

• Wolfmaps: Provider of the interactive mapping platform powering Tourist Info Emmen's kaart.ontdekemmen.nl portal — ecosystem supplier rather than a competing DMO.

Broad incumbents

• NBTC Holland Marketing: National-level DMO for the Netherlands. Operates as the umbrella tourism marketing organization above regional DMOs like Tourist Info Emmen, serving overlapping visitor audiences.
• Toerisme Vlaanderen (Visit Flanders): Belgian regional DMO with comparable multilingual visitor information platform (cycling routes, nature parks, cultural sites) targeting German, Dutch, and international tourists in a neighboring Benelux region.

Direct peers

• Visit Limburg: Dutch regional DMO for Limburg province. Comparable destination-marketing scope (accommodations, dining, cycling, culture) with a strong focus on cross-border German/Belgian tourist segments.
• Visit Zuid-Holland: Another Dutch regional DMO operating a multilingual destination portal with event calendar, listings, and editorial content — structurally identical to Tourist Info Emmen.
• Visit Bruges: City-scale DMO operating a multilingual visitor portal with editorial content, event listings, and accommodations directories. Comparable in scope (single city + region) to Tourist Info Emmen.
• MarketingOost (Overijssel): Regional DMO for Overijssel province, neighboring Emmen. Similar structure promoting nature, heritage, and tourism business listings via a multilingual platform with event calendars.
• VVV Drenthe: Regional DMO for the Drenthe province where Emmen is located. Directly comparable as a destination marketing organization promoting nature, cycling, heritage, and accommodations in the same Dutch province.
• Visit Groningen: Regional DMO for Groningen province, adjacent to Emmen/Drenthe. Comparable in scope and scale — promoting nature reserves, cycling routes, cultural attractions, and accommodations across a northern Dutch region.

Regional players

• Tourismus Information Münster: German cross-border DMO comparable in operating model (physical info point + multilingual destination portal) and target audience (German visitors seeking short breaks in the Dutch border region).

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/tourist-info-emmen

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 Tourist Info Emmen