Kathrin Pape joined the Compass Tourism Partner eG team at the beginning of the year as a new partner based in Hamburg.
We are delighted to welcome her not only with her extensive international tourism expertise, but especially with the many joint consultancy projects that we will now be tackling together with her. To kick things off, Kathrin has given us some insights into her exciting tasks and activities to date.
What are your particular areas of specialisation at co:compass?
I have already worked in many different areas of tourism, from vocational training in a travel agency to student jobs in hotels in Constance, New Zealand and the Bahamas. From 2012 to 2021, I worked in Southeast Asia in a destination management company in the areas of sustainability, productand quality management and later in international cooperation in destination management, especially on improving working and environmental conditions and piloting entrepreneurship models for young people in a destination in Indonesia.
The management of tourism destinations, especially with regard to sustainability, is very close to my heart. I like to look at the entire tourism value chain together with private and public stakeholders and also like to try out innovative and/or transdisciplinary models. In international cooperation, I find it exciting to have a regular change of perspective and exchange.
What projects and topics are you most interested in at the moment?
Until last month, I was still working in a permanent position, so I spent the first few weeks of this year getting to know co:compass and the team better. On the one hand, I like keeping in touch with former colleagues and partners in Southeast Asia, but I'm also really looking forward to working more in tourism areas in Germany and getting to know new regions.
What do you particularly like about Compass Tourism Partner eG?
I was particularly impressed by the wide-ranging expertise of the other team members and how we complement each other well. I also find it exciting to become active in tourism in Germany again after returning from abroad and to contribute my experience. In recent years, I have worked very flexibly, from any location and in different team constellations - all points that I have learnt to appreciate very much and that a cooperative like Compass brings to the table.
And last but not least: What does tourism mean to you?
For me personally, of course, it means that my work in tourism has always given me the opportunity to live and work in wonderful places. Tourism areas have a very special quality of life, and I was often very privileged and could, for example, eat lunch on the Mekong River during my lunch break, go snorkelling in Lombok to assess the tourism potential above and below the water, or travel to the Solomon Islands on business.
More generally, I have seen in many regions how sustainable tourism can provide positive impetus, especially in rural areas. Job creation, the emergence of new business ideas, but also improvements in infrastructure such as waste management (which is fast becoming a resource), strengthening local products, innovative transport systems, or even improvements in health care become more important as tourism numbers increase.
Thank you very much for these insights, Kathrin. We are very much looking forward to working with you!