Balanced Tourism - Southern Styria
Solution-oriented visitor guidance for the South Styria adventure region
Motivation and initial situation
Southern Styria is a typical weekend destination with dynamic visitor numbers. Particularly along the picturesque wine routes, the high attractiveness leads to lively visitor flows and increased traffic, as many guests – especially day visitors – arrive by private car.
The visitor management project of the South Styria Tourism Board aims to identify tourist hotspots, relieve congestion and create a balance between the experience space for guests and the living space for locals. Our innovative project combines anonymised mobile phone data with on-site surveys to precisely analyse visitor flows and derive sustainable management measures. Targeted visitor management measures are intended to secure and improve tourism acceptance in the region in order to increase the quality of life and experience in the long term.
Using state-of-the-art data analytics technologies (‘Tourism Insights’) from external project partner Invenium Data Insights GmbH, anonymised and aggregated mobile phone data is used to create precise and objective analyses of visitor flows. This is supplemented by qualitative surveys on site, enabling targeted strategies to be developed. The project is scientifically supported by Graz University of Technology, which is contributing its expertise in mobility analysis to help interpret the data.
Key milestones
Status quo survey: An analysis of existing visitor flows based on mobile phone data provided insights into mobility in the region. Data from January/February 2024 was compared with the peak season months of September and October 2024. This identified potential hotspots.
Data validation and expansion: Based on the initial surveys, additional measurement points were set up and the foundation for the on-site survey was defined. A basic distinction was made between two types of visitors, namely overnight guests and day visitors, as these groups have different mobility needs. A total of almost 1,300 people were surveyed between the end of September and the beginning of December 2024.
Development of visitor management strategies: In the third project phase, concrete visitor management strategies will be developed. An interactive workshop with stakeholders will define the basis for validation and implementation.
South Styria adventure region, Styria
838,955 overnight stays, with almost 90% of these occurring between March and October (tourism year 1 November 2023 to 31 October 2024)
The region is known for its wine and picturesque hilly landscape. It offers a wide range of culinary delights, from wine taverns and regional restaurants to fine dining. Three wine routes run through the region, including the South Styrian Wine Route. Numerous hiking and cycling tours invite visitors to explore the area actively. Regional art and culture also characterise what the region has to offer.
More informations: www.suedsteiermark.com
For further questions:
Claudia Peschmann, TVB Südsteiermark
peschmann@suedsteiermark.com
Nicole Reiterer, TVB Südsteiermark reiterer@suedsteiermark.com
Chances
Southern Styria is slowly developing into a year-round destination, with the months from mid/late March to early November establishing themselves as the tourist season.
This gives rise to the objective for the steering measures: How can Southern Styria grow in a healthy way without further promoting motorised private transport, thereby achieving balanced tourism in the region in the long term?
The biggest lever for further sustainable tourism development is mobility – public transport must be made more attractive. This applies in particular to regular visitors in the 50+ age group, who should be encouraged to change their behaviour after many visits to Southern Styria by car. In addition, businesses must actively support and promote public transport.
A holistic mobility concept for the South Styria adventure region will play a central role in this. Targeted marketing measures can be used to influence the distribution of guests in terms of time and space.
Experiences and challenges
There is currently no widespread overtourism in the South Styria adventure region. However, some places are very busy during the high season, especially at weekends. The high number of day visitors on Sundays is particularly noticeable. Despite the availability of climate tickets, most visitors arrive by car. Public transport is often perceived as inflexible, which greatly limits its use.
Future prospects
The mobility concept will form the centrepiece of the planned visitor management concept. In addition, targeted marketing measures can be used to spread visitors out over time and space, for example by promoting less frequented locations or visits outside the high season.