Dr Gunter Riechey, Managing Partner of Haveltourist and a leading figure in the German camping industry, has been awarded the Ehrennadel (Badge of Honour) of the State of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern in recognition of his many years of commitment to open-air tourism.
The honour was presented by Minister-President Manuela Schwesig as an acknowledgment of Riechey’s long-standing voluntary contribution to the development of the sector, particularly through his work within the Bundesverband der Campingwirtschaft in Deutschland e. V. (BVCD) and the regional association of campsites and leisure businesses in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, now known as BVCD-MV.
The award highlights the value of Riechey’s work not only from an entrepreneurial perspective, but also in the associative and institutional spheres, supporting the growth, professionalisation and representation of the camping sector at both regional and national level.
The conferment of the Ehrennadel also carries broader significance for the industry as a whole: it represents a clear signal of institutional recognition of the strategic role played by camping tourism in the economic and tourism development of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and, more generally, within the German and European open-air tourism landscape.
Photo: Haveltourist

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