Carnival in Cologne: 850 tourists celebrate the return of vacation jokes!

Carnival in Cologne: 850 tourists celebrate the return of vacation jokes!

On Wednesday, February 7, 2025, around 850 tourismists gathered in the Cologne dance fountain to celebrate the first tourist carnival event of the "Vacation Jecken". This event, which was launched in 1992 by the Rewe Group's tourism division, has been experiencing a new revitalization since 2023 under the direction of Jürgen Büchy and Christiane Blaes. The guests appeared in colorful costumes and comrades a spectacular program accompanied by music bands such as Brings, Cat Ballou, Höhner, Kasalla and Klüngelköpp.

The television presenter and comedian Guido Cantz created the right mood, while the event itself not only served to celebrate, but also served networking. After a quarter-hour program, an after-show party took place, which was sponsored by AIDA. Jürgen Büchy reports in the Reise Vor9 Podcast From the Renaissance of this tourist carnival party and emphasizes the importance of common festivals.

an outlook on upcoming events

The next "vacation jeins" are already planned for January 21, 2026 under the motto "Jecken-Circus". This continuous tradition not only shows the commitment of the tourism industry, but also the joy of celebrating and exchange as part of the carnival.

parallel to the celebrations in Cologne, a career day took place at the CMT in Stuttgart, in which Jürgen Büchy a lecture on "Career in tourism - what is the key to success?" held. Around 500 participants found out about various career opportunities in the travel industry and received valuable tips for young professionals. The organizer CMT and the Young Travel Industry Club were very satisfied with the program and course of the day. In the context of digitization, Büchy emphasized the need for flexibility and adaptability.

The importance of digitization for the tourism sector is also highlighted in the Hogapage . At the event "Ecoach Day 2024" in Traunstein, practical insights into the digital transformation of tourism were given. Experts discussed digital trends and tools that improve the guest experience and increase business success.

digital transformation in focus

The event organized by Tourism Oberbayern Munich e.V. and Chiemgau Tourismus GmbH promoted the exchange about the importance of digital visibility and the use of AI applications. Participants were able to deepen specific topics such as website optimization and social media strategies in 1: 1 coaching. The aim was to strengthen the digital skills of the actors in tourism and to present Upper Bavaria as an innovative tourism destination.

Overall, the current developments in the tourism industry not only illustrate the joy of celebrating, but also the urge to face the challenges of digitization. Through events such as the celebration of the "vacation jokes" and the various career days, both the community within the industry is consolidated as well as a view of future -oriented trends.