Abstract
Destination management has discovered design as a possible way to amplify the value of destinations. Design as means for value enhancement must be investigated critically: what will happen if design and destination planning are connected? First: it is necessary to differentiate design from design thinking.
Design thinking as toolkit guarantees a comprehensive analysis of problems and provides a range of creative solutions. Even if destination planning is carried out in a responsible way, it is questionable if design interventions are necessary at all to increase the numbers of visitors. Second: every design activity is an intervention into the status quo of nature and culture, and this intervention could change the perception and behaviour of visitors fundamentally. Third: based on the thesis that every destination is a landscape, the text investigates the possibilities and limits of shaping them via design thinking and design practices. Destination management must absolutely respect the fact that the visual imagery of the communication of a destination has lost its value. The perception of the atmosphere of a destination defines its aesthetic value, and this value could be communicated most suitably by telling unique and honest stories about the specific site. A photographic field study supports the written argumentation.