Hannover Marketing & Tourism, Inc.

VPR - Annual Kickoff Event for Bus and Group Tour Operators in Hanover

"VPR Internationaler Verband der Paketer e. V.", or VPR International e.V. for short, is an association of leading tour operators and tourism service providers in the bus and group tourism sector. Package tour operators are wholesalers active in the B2B sector (reseller segment) who compile and offer attractive travel packages using tourism services and individual components such as hotel accommodations, events, or sightseeing tours.

Herrenhausen Gardens - one of the most popular sights in Lower Saxony — Herrenhausen Gardens - a popular sight in Lower Saxony

The kickoff event for 2017, known as the VPR VIP Meetup, will take place for the first time in Hanover from February 2–5. The approximately 350 participants will have the opportunity to learn about the latest tourism offerings and services at a dedicated travel fair. Hannover Marketing und Tourismus GmbH (HMTG) will be showcasing the city at its own Hannover booth alongside its partners: the Herrenhausen Gardens, the Erlebnis-Zoo, Marienburg Castle, the GOP Varieté Theater, and the “9 Cities +1” initiative. Mayor Stefan Schostok highlights the state capital’s tourism appeal: “Hanover is delighted by the interest shown by leading group tour operators. More than 3.8 million overnight stays in the Hanover region—2.2 million of which are in the state capital each year—show that we have a lot to offer a wide variety of travelers. We’re also impressively demonstrating this with a Hanover booth at the exclusive travel fair held as part of this industry gathering to kick off the year.”

New town hall — New City Hall overlooking Human Rights Square, formerly Trammplatz.

An evening event at the Hannover Adventure Zoo on Thursday and a gala evening on Friday round out the first two days of the event. As part of the VPR VIP Get-Together, participants are invited by “9 Cities +1” and the HMTG to take free tours of the Hannover vacation region and the 9 cities over the weekend (February 4 and 5). Options include a city tour to the Herrenhausen Gardens, the New City Hall, and the Old Town—including a brief visit to the GOP Variety Theater—as well as a trip to Marienburg or the Autostadt in Wolfsburg. So far, around 150 participants have already signed up for these tours. Tina Behringer, President of VPR International e.V., is delighted by the high level of interest: “Hanover is one of the attractive ‘9 Cities +1’ in Lower Saxony and offers a wide range of sights, a rich history, a special charm, and a wealth of experiences.”

“9 Cities +1” in Lower Saxony

Hanover, Braunschweig, Celle, Göttingen, Goslar, Hamelin, Hildesheim, Lüneburg, Wolfenbüttel, and the Autostadt in Wolfsburg are jointly promoting Lower Saxony abroad. In addition to joint presentations at travel fairs and trade events, the activities focus particularly on international press relations tailored to each target market. The primary target audience here is travel journalists, as well as an increasing number of (young) travel bloggers. The unique combination of the various attractions and event highlights offered by the “9 Cities + 1 in Lower Saxony” creates attractive packages for multi-day trips to Lower Saxony by international visitors. The city partnership has been active in neighboring European countries for 33 years and has thus become a staple of tourism marketing for Lower Saxony.

Press contact:
Hannover Marketing and Tourismus GmbH
Maike Scheunemann
7 Vahrenwalder Straße, 30165 Hanover
Phone: 0511/123490-26
Email: presse@hannover-marketing.de

Published: February 2, 2017

Historic, vibrant, unique

9 cities + 2 in Lower Saxony

A tour of the nine +2 cities in Lower Saxony offers plenty of variety.

read