Christine originally comes from Bad Lausick and now lives on Kaßberg in Chemnitz. She is a volunteer for the Capital of Culture and supports the volunteer editorial team with organisational issues.
Travelling is one of the most popular leisure activities around the globe. We Saxons are also curious about foreign countries, wish for holidays in summer temperatures, enjoy floating in the turquoise blue sea or want to experience the beauty of glistening snowy landscapes.
This is exactly what many travel agencies offer. And international tour operators gathered inspiration for Germany as a travel destination at the GTM Germany Travel Mart™, the largest incoming workshop for Germany as a travel destination, in Chemnitz in 2024.
From 21 - 23 April 2024, the Deutsche Zentrale für Tourismus e.V. organised the 50th GTM Germany Travel Mart™ together with Chemnitzer Wirtschaftsförderungs- und Entwicklungsgesellschaft mbH (CWE mbH) and TMGS- Tourismusmarketinggesellschaft Sachsen.
As a volunteer, I was able to help prepare the opening event and later attend the finale. What a wonderful experience!
My assignment started on 21 April at 11.00 a.m. in Kraftverkehr. I had to set tables for the evening buffet, supply the artists' dressing rooms with drinks and snacks, carry things from A to B ... all the while keeping an eye on the stage to watch the dress rehearsal taking place: The ballet company from Theaters Chemnitz, Junge Philharmonie Augustusburg, the "Glück Auf" Oelsnitz Mountain Music Corps with the Oelsnitz Bergmusik e.V., Geoffrey Goldberg, composer and pianist, and last but not least, solo dancers from the Chemnitz Ballet. Between the individual performances, Hanna Hummel shone with her refreshing presentation in English.
I was very impressed by the way in which our Saxon homeland was presented via video and music (e.g. fantasy about the Steigerlied). The visually and musically powerful performance by the Bergmusikkorps was a real blast. And that was just the dress rehearsal.
From 5.00 p.m., the guests from a total of 39 nations were expected, who found their seats with ease. The atmosphere was lively and exuberant.
To open the programme, Hanna Hummel pedalled on racing bikes together with participants of the European Peace Ride to power up the systems to play the first video.
This was followed by the inevitable speeches by important people from the tourism industry, all in English, including the Minister of State for Culture and Tourism and our Lord Mayor Sven Schulze. The latter did a very good job. I didn't realise he could speak English so well.
The highlight of the programme was of course the performance of the mountain musicians, who suddenly marched through the crowd at high volume from a side entrance. They received the most applause.
Together with other volunteers from Kulturhauptstadt Europas Chemnitz 2025 gGmbH, I really enjoyed this event, especially the great sense of community.
I'm already looking forward to more interesting tasks and can only advise everyone: Get involved so that Chemnitz 2025 becomes a good European Capital of Culture!
