In 2015, Jacques Sitz, Mayor of Remich and President of the Union, proposed Luc Thillmann to join the Board of Directors of the City of Remich Tourist Information and Tourism Office.
He had been organizing cultural and tourist events at the Luxembourg City Tourist Office for 20 years. It was a logical decision in his professional career.
In 2019, he left his position at the LCTO and retired. The time had come to clear his head and embark on new challenges. His “retirement” didn’t last long. In January 2020, when Jacques Sitz left the Union, Luc Thillmann took over and accepted the position of President, a new challenge for him.
His vision was to transform a group of friends into a small company with clear and strict administrative and financial structures. He therefore introduced rules. His goal: “to move forward.” Unfortunately, some will not follow suit, but others will join this new structure.
Much will change. The minigolf and minicar park, the flagship site of the Union and Remich, will be reorganized in its operational structure, the site will be renovated, and personnel management and accounting will be analyzed and reviewed. Since the site will never be able to operate profitably with staff from the Union itself and paid by it, other hiring avenues will be explored. Adem and the National Office for Social Integration (ONIS), under the supervision of the Ministry of Family, will be the union’s new partners. The goal is to give young and old alike a chance to find work and a future with a view to reintegrating into the primary labor market. In addition, every year, from June to September, the Union welcomes students hired by the ORT and paid by the Ministry of Tourism.
Social responsibility becomes the second leitmotif of the tourist office. However, the Syndicate’s activities are not limited to organizing tourist and cultural events, nor to managing the Minigolf/Minicars site. In 2020, the College of Aldermen decided to stop operating the Visit Remich center as a tourist reception office and shop due to a lack of staff and operational resources. The Syndicate, under the leadership of its president, decided to resume operation of this center, which is extremely important for promoting tourism in Remich and the surrounding area. An agreement was reached between the College of Aldermen and the Syndicate. Two full-time employees were hired and pre-financed by the Syndicate, then reimbursed by the city. After a difficult start, the Visit Remich center is now a welcoming and meeting place for tourists, a ticket sales point for the M.S. Princesse Marie-Astrid boat, as well as for the two Navitours maritime excursion boats, and the largest subsidiary (in terms of number of rentals) of Rent-a-bike.
We don’t intend to stop there. Other challenges are already on the horizon, and the Syndicate is ready to invest in new projects and assume its responsibilities.
Luc Thillmann is a central figure in the link between the municipality and the promotion of tourism in Remich. He plays a leading role in local initiatives and in raising the city’s profile in the Luxembourg Moselle region.