Luxembourg’s Moselle region, in the east of the country, is brimming with potential from a tourism perspective. Its main asset is the river. “It’s an exceptional geographical position on the border with France and Schengen,” says Nathalie Neiers, manager of the Luxembourg Moselle Regional Tourist Office (better known as “Visit Moselle”). “This gives us a special position in the country for tourism.” On a day-to-day basis, Neiers and her colleagues are working to expand the tourism offerings in the area.

The river is, of course, central in these efforts. “We have a number of very dynamic tourism partners who are offering water-based activities such as culinary cruises, hourlong discovery tours on a boat, as well as themed festivals,” says Neiers. “And for the past two years, we’ve also had a service provider offering electric boat hire without a licence from Remich.” Among these parters are Navitours and Entente Moselle--operator of the M.S. Princesse Marie-Astrid--which both offer boat excursions. Other water sports like water-skiing are not being marketed, however. “Water-skiing is practised on the Moselle, but mainly in clubs,” comments the manager. “So we’re not marketing it as a tourist activity.”

However, river activities alone are not enough to build a solid tourism strategy. Over time, the emphasis has therefore grown to include the region’s other assets.

The government has gotten into it as well: “the ministry is investing heavily in new tourist facilities,” says Neiers, “and this involves renovating tourist information offices, for example, to make them accessible. Six tourist information offices have been renovated in recent years and are open all year round, even when the season is a little slower in winter.”

Wine tourism and outdoor activities

The promotors are also keen to take into account the demands of tourists, which has led to efforts surrounding another local asset: the presence of winegrowers. “We’re seeing a strong trend towards guided tours coupled with tastings,” says Neiers. “So we offer wine tourism walks. We’ve also launched a series of wine-related events, such as ‘Wine Enjoy,’ which is organised in a variety of ways throughout the year, including ‘Wine and Cheese,’ ‘Wine Light’ and ‘Wine Taste’… There are also many traditional wine festivals in the region.”

Nature and outdoor pursuits are also a strong pillar of tourism in the region. “Hiking and cycling are popular activities here, and in ever-increasing demand,” says the manager, mentioning the electric bike hire via the “Rent-a-Bike” system, where you can pick up a bike in one place and drop it off somewhere else. “This network of nine stations is proving to be a great success, and also makes it possible to create a combined offer: cycling and wine tourism. In terms of hiking, the Moselle cannot compete with the Oesling or Mullerthal regions, which are very popular with hikers, but it does offer a number of routes, several dozen kilometres long, as well as loops suitable for all walkers and families.”

Although Visit Moselle does not keep statistics on the type of tourists, it does note that a large number of visitors are working couples, senior citizens and families interested in “active” tourism. “We’re also seeing more and more visitors coming in groups,” says Neiers. “This year, for example, we had 56% more requests for guided group tours. We used to have groups of six to eight people, but now we have groups of 15 to 25. We also often get expats who come for the day--who live in Luxembourg but know less about this part of the country.”

According to the national statistics bureau Statec, just over 120,000 overnight stays were recorded in the Moselle region of Luxembourg in 2022. This is a figure that Neiers and her colleagues would like to raise. “One of the particularities of our region is that we mainly have tourists staying for a day, because we're short of accommodation,” she comments.

“The lack of accommodation is a major challenge for us,” she continues. “We have fewer and fewer tourist accommodation structures and capacities. So, in terms of overnight stays, we are at lower levels than other regions. It’s a shortage that we’re seeing all along the Moselle, but also throughout the region, and also a little in the hinterland.”

Responding to this challenge will primarily involve studying the needs in terms of housing typology. “We need to ask ourselves what type of housing is right for the region. Should we invest in solutions such as the unusual accommodation that is well known in France, Belgium and Germany? In that case, we also need political support to change things in terms of regulations. As for gites, we already have a number of them, but we need to work on making them more visible, perhaps in conjunction with the Rural Tourism Association.”

Neiers also points to another challenge for the future of tourism, i.e., finding the financial resources for major events. “This is becoming increasingly difficult. Sponsorship is decreasing more and more. We’ll always have ideas for organising great events, but we’ll need motivated people and the funds to do it.”

These are challenges for the region as a whole, over and above the tourism aspect, which also generates economic spin-offs. “Tourism is a source of jobs,” Neiers comments. “It has an impact on the activities of winegrowers and restaurants. But it also has an impact on the day-to-day lives of local people. For example, when the ministry of tourism rebuilds playgrounds, it also benefits local children. It’s also about the quality of life of the people who live here.”

To continue attracting tourists, one strategy is communication. “In recent years… we’ve been relying heavily on radio and social networks to reach our target audiences. For example, we call on expat bloggers who have large communities. We can no longer limit ourselves to traditional communications.” Major projects are also being undertaken to strengthen the offering, says Neiers. One of these is the Wine House, which will be a key element in Visit Moselle’s wine tourism strategy. “It’s a project that dates back 15 years,” she says, “and it will certainly be an undeniable attraction in the region, as well as a great gateway for tourists who come to see us.” It’s due to be done in 2026.

This article in French.