Gunter Riechey, former BVCD president, received ACSI Personality Award 2022

ACSI general manager Ramon van Reine presented the ACSI Personality Award to Gunter Riechey on the occasion of the North German Camping Day 2022, which took place in Travemünde on November 16 and 17, during which campsite operators met for a 2-day industry event. This year ACSI introduced the ACSI Awards for the first time, and not only campsites were honoured, but several personalities also received an ACSI Camping Personality Award. This is an important recognition for professionals involved in open-air tourism in Germany. Gunter Riechey was chosen for his commitment to the German camping industry, first as president of BVCD, the Federal Association of the Camping Industry in Germany, which brings together more than 1,200 professional camping operators, and now as an entrepreneur in the industry, as founder of Haveltourist, a group of 8 campsites including the well-known Ferienpark Havelberge.

Riechey was president of the BVCD for 12 years, from 2010 until the spring of 2022, during he helped to support the professionalisation of the sector with great energy in a strongly flourishing market in Germany. During his leadership, the BVCD was seen by the federal government as an important representative of camping tourism with which to develop it. One of its most important initiatives is undoubtedly having demanded and obtained the reduced VAT rate for camping stays. On March 1st this year, he handed over the presidency of the BVCD to SPD MP Stefan Zierke Riechey, in order to encourage new ideas and stimulate the sector with new projects. Today, he is full-time in charge of Haveltourist, a nature-focused project that brings together 8 campsites in the middle of the Mecklenburg Lake District between Havel and Müritz in the Müritz National Park. An ideal landscape for campers, water sports enthusiasts and nature lovers. The most famous of these campsites is an ADAC Superplatz – the 5-star Havelberge on the Woblitz has a canoe centre, a marina and a high ropes course in the forest.