Franziska Sunderlund - Visit Düsseldorf

Introduction

Franziska Sunderland is Head of Data & Innovation at Visit Düsseldorf. She is responsible for data-driven strategies and digital products for the tourist development of the state capital. As a co-designer of the tourism strategy "Future of Tourism Düsseldorf 2026," she works on linking tourism more closely with urban development and quality of life. Her focus is on collaborating with business, politics, administration, and urban society to translate future thinking into concrete decisions and sustainable transformation processes.

The future cannot be predicted, but the way we think about the future influences the decisions we make today. In light of climate change, technological acceleration, social tensions, and demographic changes, destinations face the challenge of redefining their role in an increasingly uncertain world. It's not enough to optimize existing systems. What's needed is the ability to question fundamental assumptions, develop alternative future scenarios, and reassess their purpose under changed conditions.

This thematic block understands Futures Thinking not as a forecasting tool, but as a strategic practice. Central is the question of how future competence can contribute to refining the 'Why' of a destination, creating long-term orientation, and actively shaping transformation. What future images guide our actions? What assumptions about growth, mobility, quality of life, or success shape tourism decisions—and are these still viable? How can scenarios, data, artificial intelligence, and futures methods be used to act not only more efficiently, but also more meaningfully and resiliently?

International perspectives from Futures Research, data analysis, and destination management show how futures thinking can help question strategic decisions, open up new courses of action, and make regenerative forms of tourism conceivable. The subsequent discussion deepens the question of how destinations can make their purpose a long-term guide even under uncertainty.

Framing Keynote: Joshua Ryan-Saha, Edinburgh Futures Institute

Austrian Good Practice: Edurne Estevez, Geoville – CCET

Subsequent Panel Discussion: Joshua Ryan-Saha, Edinburgh Futures Institute / Edurne Estevez, Geoville – CCET / Franziska Sunderlund, Visit Düsseldorf / Nicole Ortler, Tirol Werbung