The Office Régional du Tourisme (ORT) Région Mullerthal - Petite Suisse Luxembourgeoise has announced its new "Propper Regioun" campaign to promote responsible tourism in the region by treating nature with respect.

The series of guidelines being promoted include:

- Please stay on the paths.
- Riders and bikers, please stay on HARD SURFACE paths.
- Please keep dogs on the leash.
- Please only collect impressions and observations, not plants or animals.
- Please by Quiet! Some of the animals shy away from noise.
- Please only pitch your temp on designated campsites and lnly light fires on designated barbecuw sites.

An intact nature is the basis for tourism in the Mullerthal Region - Luxembourg's Little Switzerland. The increasing number visitors bears new challenges, especially when it comes to handling rubbish at car parks and rest areas and along the hiking paths. For this reason it is very important to inform guests and partners how to take care of nature.

The Mullerthal ORT has commenced an initiative to tackle the issue of waste avoidance and disposal, along with municipalities, tourist information, the Natur- & Geopark Mëllerdall, LEADER Regioun Mëllerdall and the Nature anf Forest Administration.

The Propper Regioun campaign aims to inform visitors and encourages them to support the regional partners in protecting the environment. A future aim should be zero waste which is also a goal of the Natur- & Geopark Mëllerdall which apllied to become a Global UNESCO Geopark member.

The campaign Däi Bësch - Mäi Bësch had been set up in a working group on the subject of “Forests and Tourism” of GAL LEADER Regioun Mullerthal with the aim to reduce the amount of rubbish left behind in the forest. Partners of the campaign back then were the Nature Administration with the Berdorfer forester Fränk Adam, the Regional Initiativ Mëllerdall, the primary school of Berdorf and the Natur- & Geopark Mëllerdall.

At that time visitors were adressed directly via pictograms and rules of conduct that had been developed in a positive approach. Most of the behaviour rules in nature are formulated as prohibitions, which tend to cause resistance or alternative behaviour. Photographs have a strong effect and are intended to reinforce rules of conduct in order to make forest visitors aware of how to treat nature with respect.

In the future, social media posts are planned to raise awareness of the topic of waste avoidance, as well as putting up “Däi Bësch - Mäi Bësch” signs up to encourage people to take their own rubbish back with them. The pictograms with the rules of conduct will be seen in the local tourist offices and on boards in the Mullerthal Region. At the same time, they are placed at busy forest entrances or near to touristic highlights.

The aim for the future is a uniform approach throughout the region and the initiative is to be expanded.