PREMIUM Project 2026-2027: Visit Zuid-Limburg

The Project:

Help us redesign how a destination connects with entrepreneurs and residents

Visit Zuid-Limburg is the destination organisation for South Limburg. We work with municipalities, tourism businesses, residents and other partners to strengthen tourism and recreation and contribute to a sustainable and future-proof region. We are currently evolving from a traditional Destination Marketing and Management Organisation (DMO) towards a Destination eXperience Organisation (DXO), with a stronger focus on collaboration, knowledge sharing and creating value for the destination as a whole.

This transition raises an exciting question: what should partnership look like in the future?

Our current partnership model has existed for many years and is primarily designed for tourism businesses, offering visibility, promotion, and marketing services in return for a financial contribution. Its value is largely demonstrated through traditional indicators such as website traffic, clicks, and referrals. 
But as our role changes, we believe partnership should be about much more than promotion. As we evolve from a DMO into a DXO, this model no longer fully reflects our broader role in destination development. We need to rethink how we create and demonstrate mutual value: what we offer entrepreneurs beyond promotion, and what they can contribute to the wider destination ecosystem.  At the same time, we aim to strengthen partnership revenues, attract more entrepreneurs and explore how residents can become part of this model.

We need the bright minds of PREMIUM students to give us insights and clear recommendations on how to create such a new, future-proof partnership and membership model for Visit Zuid-Limburg. Research into the needs, motivations, and willingness to contribute of entrepreneurs and residents will provide the foundation, but the main objective is to translate these insights into innovative and financially sustainable value propositions and practical scenarios. We encourage students to challenge our current model, bring in fresh perspectives, and design new ways of creating mutual value between Visit Zuid-Limburg, entrepreneurs, residents, and the wider destination ecosystem. 

We challenge you to help us design a new, reciprocal, and financially sustainable model. What value can Visit Zuid-Limburg offer entrepreneurs beyond marketing? What can entrepreneurs contribute in return to the wider destination ecosystem? 

This project is very important to us, because our transition to a DXO requires stronger and more meaningful relationships with entrepreneurs and residents. A future partnership model should not only provide sustainable revenues for Visit Zuid-Limburg but also strengthen the wider destination ecosystem. By moving from a primarily promotional relationship towards mutual value creation, entrepreneurs can contribute their knowledge, networks, innovation and expertise to the development of South Limburg. Involving residents can further strengthen local engagement and ownership of the destination. 
Ultimately, the project can help create a stronger network in which Visit Zuid-Limburg, entrepreneurs and residents jointly contribute to a sustainable and future-proof South Limburg.

Visit Zuid-Limburg intends to use the project outcomes as a foundation for the actual redesign and implementation of its partnership model. Our current model has been in place for many years, and changing it requires a solid, research-based foundation. The project can provide the evidence needed to substantiate strategic choices and support a well-considered transition towards a new model.

The proposed scenarios and value propositions will help us develop new propositions for entrepreneurs, attract new partners and strengthen existing relationships. The project should also provide a basis for exploring and testing a membership model for residents, such as “Friend of South Limburg”. Ultimately, the recommendations should translate into a practical roadmap for implementing a reciprocal, financially sustainable DXO partnership model.

The Client:

Visit Zuid-Limburg is the destination organisation for South Limburg, working to strengthen tourism and recreation and to contribute to a future-proof region and destination. We work closely with municipalities, tourism businesses, residents and regional, national and international partners. 

Our activities range from destination development, branding and marketing to data and research, route development, sustainability, accessibility, innovation and visitor services. 

Visit Zuid-Limburg is currently evolving from a Destination Marketing and Management Organisation (DMO) towards a Destination eXperience Organisation (DXO), with an increasing focus on collaboration, knowledge sharing and creating economic, social, and environmental value for South Limburg.