On 1 January 2011, the first pilot phase of the comparative visitor monitoring of spas and health resorts (in short "VGM") began, in which 16 pilot destinations from Lower Saxony are participating.

The VGM is a written visitor survey, which is carried out both online and with a printed questionnaire. What is special about VGM is that it provides not only site-specific results, but also a large number of comparative values from the industry against which its own results can be measured. Benchmark Services cooperates with Tradetraks Marktforschung in the implementation of the VGM.

Today, a first positive balance can be drawn. Since the start of the project - in only 3 months - almost 6,000 guests have already taken part in the survey and provided the spas and health resorts with a wide range of suggestions for more effective marketing or for optimising the range of services.

The first results on guest profiles for 2010 and earlier are expected to be presented in April. A first half-yearly balance report for the year 2011 will follow in summer.

More detailed information: alexandra.partale[at]benchmark-services.de