Prof. Dr. Jürgen Schmude
Department of Economic Geography and Tourism Research
Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich

The aim of this sub-project is to analyze the Naumburg Cathedral’s offers for tourism and its integration in forms of cooperation as well as to show possible prospects for a sustainable quality management and quality improvement. This research project is divided into two theses.

Project I contains, additionally to the interdisciplinary analysis of the cathedral’s cultural offers, the development and necessity of its touristic valorisation. The calculation of direct economic effects on employment and income linked to the utilization of the Naumburg Cathedral in tourism prepares the calculation base of the indirect and induced economic effects (project II). A comparison with other cathedrals’ touristic valorisation helps to identify the offer’s strengths and weaknesses. In the view of tourism research churches are almost ubiquitous attractions, wherefore the search for a unique selling position (USP) and its marketing appear to be significant. With regard to the tourists’ demand for information concerning art and history the specific content as much as its didactic implementation will be focused on. Against the background of “how much tourists the Dome can take” the area of conflict between use and consumption will be discussed interdisciplinary. Here a confrontation between positive economic effects, supposable negative socio-cultural ones (ecclesiastic vs. museum-like use) and relevant effects for conservation (such as photoflash, hand-fat, breathing air, dust immission, humidness due to wet clothing, surface erosion) will take place.

Project II focuses on the sustainable integration of the touristic aspect of the Naumburg Cathedral into regional as well as nationwide cooperation. Additionally the focus lies on the analysis of further potential cooperation. From regional organization theory and network research it is known that ideally so-called non-institutionalized forms of cooperation constitute strong ties and are of major importance. Therefore, institutionalized and non-institutionalized networks and cooperation are to be identified. In this regard tourist information offices, theme tours and integration in academic structures in secondary and tertiary education as well as non academic forms of cooperation are of interest. In connection with the sustainable integration of the Naumburg Cathedral an analysis of the tourist activities before and after the visit of the cathedral gives vital hints concerning their mix of activities. Based on these findings lasting and effective cooperation in the fields of communication, marketing and price policy (i.e. discount systems) can be achieved. In addition to vertical interlinking with further participants of the touristic value chain (hotel business, gastronomy) as well as content related further cultural objects (horizontal interlinking), also distance related components as well as the possibility of the interlinking with other market segments (culinary tourism, bicycle tourism) are relevant. Furthermore, the economic effects of the Naumburg Cathedral related tourism (day travelers, overnight stays) will be evaluated in connection with political decisions (see project I). A special image analysis will be made in order to find out the level of popularity of the Naumburg Cathedral as well as the area around Naumburg. This analysis gives essential hints to what potential the Naumburg Cathedral offers to the region concerning the increase of touristic interest.

Every single step of the project (methodological as well as concerning the content) will be taken in close cooperation between the two projects. In this respect the strengths and weaknesses analysis of the touristic valorisation of the Naumburg Cathedral, the chances and risks of the Naumburger Cathedral for the Saxony-Anhalt State Exhibition 2011 in relation with a possible application for the UNESCO World Heritage should be specially named as the common goals of the two projects. In order to be able to make a sustainable touristic development possible the intention is to establish a common monitoring system. The cooperation with PhD-teams of other fields is an integral part of the project concept, especially with regard to an applicable implementation of the findings for the broad public.