SYLT GEARS UP FOR TOURISM WITH APP
The island relies on nationwide contact tracking.
25 February 2021
Sylt, is one of the most popular holiday regions within Germany. But tourists from other parts of the world also like to pay the idyllic North Sea island a visit. To ensure that tourism soon returns to its usual form and the island becomes busier again, Sylt has come a long way in terms of contact tracking in the face of the Corona pandemic: over 200 businesses on the island have registered for the "luca" app. This is an app that is intended to help effectively and in accordance with data protection to break possible chains of infection.
An app saves tourism
Through the possible exchange of information with the health offices, the app saves important time in contrast to conventional, analogue systems. In addition, "luca" can also be used without a smartphone, for example with the help of QR code cards or key fobs. "For us islanders as well as for our guests, "luca" is the no-alternative building block for the functioning of everyday life and tourism during the pandemic," says Moritz Luft, Managing Director of Sylt Marketing Gesellschaft, who initiated the system on the island at the end of last year.
In addition to the ongoing installation of the app in Sylt's gastronomy and accommodation, the SMG team is currently pushing ahead with the implementation in other areas with customer or guest traffic. For example, medical practices, law firms, fitness studios or hair salons are being familiarized with "luca", soon to be followed by schools and daycare centers. "With our cross-sector deployment, we can demonstrate that the desire expressed at federal level, among others, for uniform contact tracking can be realised with "luca". All the necessary conditions are met to ensure nationwide use," sums up Luft. In the future, it should also be possible to integrate test results and vaccination confirmations from the population and guests. "In this way, a further step of transparency would be possible for all concerned and the upcoming test offensive could achieve a corresponding positive effect."
For the coming weeks until the new start of the tourism season, Moritz Luft wishes for one thing above all: "The knowledge gained on Sylt for the implementation of "luca" is ideal as inspiration for all the regions and cities that are currently dealing with the topic. So we shouldn't waste any more time and coordinate feasible ways of living with the pandemic in the form of a knowledge exchange," is his call for cooperation.
On the websites www.sylt.de/luca or www.luca-app.de the application is available for download free of charge.
Picture Credits: Sylt Marketing / Monica Gumm, culture4life, Kerstin Herrmann / Pixabay
