After a 2023 that ended with a deficit of 444,381 kroner, things have changed at Visit Lolland-Falster A/S. The newly published annual report for 2024 reports a surplus of 129,837 kroner and is described as "satisfactory".
- It has gone as expected. We are on the budget approved by the board, and we have the activity level and follow the plans that have been laid out, says director Mikkel Wesselhoff.
This year's improved result is primarily due to a significant reduction in personnel expenses - from just over six million kroner in 2023 to just over four million kroner in 2024. The average number of full-time equivalents was reduced from ten to seven.
The figures cover a permanent staff and a number of project employees on a part-time basis, and the decrease is linked to a decision that sparked much debate.
- It is an expression of the reorganisation that took place in the guest service area, says Mikkel Wesselhoff.
More precisely, it involves Visit LF closing tourist offices to instead focus digitally with 33 info points at businesses, museums, and other places where tourists visit.
On par with record year
Visit Lolland-Falster - owned by the Business LF Foundation, which was established by the Lolland and Guldborgsund municipalities - is tasked with promoting the tourism industry in Lolland and Falster. And tourism is doing well, as can be read in the management report:
“2024 was a satisfactory year for tourism in Lolland-Falster. With a marginal decline of 0.8 percent, the number of overnight stays was on par with the record year 2023. The decline in the number of overnight stays is mainly due to fewer Danish overnight stays at campsites and in marinas.”
The management further writes:
“Throughout the year, Visit Lolland-Falster has worked purposefully to strengthen marketing, particularly in Denmark, Germany, and the Netherlands, as well as to develop new sustainable experiences and business models for tourism operators. Initiatives such as the digitalisation of guest experiences and strategic partnerships have been crucial in the effort to attract more guests and extend the season. Additionally, there has been a strong effort to make Lolland-Falster a sustainable tourism destination. This has included development programmes focusing on green certifications, the development of regenerative tourism products, and the initiation of networks for companies that prioritise sustainability.”
