Working Hand in Hand (3): Gutshof Liepen_LT

Working hand in hand – The success of a vibrant network

Working hand in hand is the key to success, especially for single-acting entrepreneurs like most Nature Guides are. Therefore, we decided to set up a website-series of possible partnerships and hands-on cooperation between Nature Guides and network partners to show opportunities for enlarging the benefits for all Nature Guide Network parties.

Part three: Gutshof Liepen and its solar boats in Germany

Water, the connecting element: along the course of the Peene River, between Anklam, Liepen and Stolpe, another successful partnership model can be found. At the end of March, solar-powered boats were once again put into the water here, on which tourists and nature lovers can glide almost silently across the water to explore the typical flora and fauna closely.

In this case, there are several committed actors behind the partnership model, who create unforgettable experiences for their guests. As the owner and renter of the solar boats, Gutshof Liepen, managed by Stefan Wollert, plays a central role: in addition to the actual rental, the manor also works together with Nature Guides and other partners who make it possible to expand the tourist offer.

These include the two Nature Guides Frank Götz-Schlingmann and Günther Hoffmann, who offer guided tours on the „Amazon of the North” to guests of the manor, but also of the Gutshaus Stolpe hotel and the Flusslandschaft Peenetal Nature Park. With the support of the Vorpommern Tourism Association, all parties involved benefit: the Gutshof Liepen , the Gutshaus Stolpe and the Nature Park expand their repertoire and offer their guests, both overnight and day guests, additional customer-binding offers. On the one hand, the Nature Guides benefit from recommendation marketing and save expensive and sometimes unsuccessful advertising costs. On the other hand, they can make use of infrastructure without having to finance it themselves.

Frank Götz-Schlingmann, who is not only active as a guide but also as a network coordinator for the German side of Rewilding Oder Delta, coordinates the project by establishing communication between the hotels or the boat owner, the local guides and the Vorpommern Tourist Board. They are all united by the common goal of not only creating an exciting product for tourists, but also making a sustainable contribution to regional development. Sustainability here means striking a balance between the needs of the people, both the local population and the visitors, but also nature conservation and environmental protection.

A rich nature and appealing landscapes are the basis for tourism value creation, where all actors should be fairly rewarded for their work without exploiting or disturbing nature. The solar boats, for example, are almost noiseless, without harmful emissions and are digitally coordinated and supervised decentrally – the boats are located at different anchorages – by different contact persons via a common calendar. This means that the boat trips on the Peene River can be spaced out and there are never too many guests on the water at the same time – more peace and enjoyment for the guests and less disturbance of nature.

A special focus of all network partners is to raise the guests’ awareness of the natural environment: the guides not only pay attention to the experience value of their tours, but also impart knowledge about the special features of nature and landscape along the Peene.

The tours can be booked via the website of the Gutshof Liepen and the Vorpommern Tourism Association.

Title picture: Gutshof Liepen