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Rasmus Schjødt Larsen, the Managing Director of Sustainia, shares his experience of the tourism landscape in Austria and explains why he believes that "sustainability in Austria isn't just a goal, but a way of life."

In her presentation, Anna Pollock addresses the pressing questions of our time: What challenges does the tourism sector face and what challenges should it face? How can regenerative thinking lead humanity to a healthier future?

Founded in 1948, the European Travel Commission (ETC) is an association in the tourism industry that represents the national tourism organisations of European countries. Its mission is to promote the sustainable development of Europe as a travel destination. In 2022, the ETC signed the Glasgow Declaration on Climate Action in Tourism, committing to develop a consistent strategy to reduce carbon emissions and strengthen climate action by actively supporting its members to commit to net zero. Teodora Marinska gives an insight into the plans.

Stephan Obenaus has been project manager at the Climate and Energy Model Region Tourism in Zell am See-Kaprun for the past three years. This project gave the region the opportunity to mould various existing sustainability measures into an overall concept. Due to the international appeal of the region, the idea of a sustainable year-round tourism destination was brought to the world, the need for ecologically compatible holiday experiences increased and in Zell am See-Kaprun you can experience this first-hand.

The "Envisioning 2030" project deals with the question of what role data and measurements will play in an emission-free future and how global tourism can be made emission-free by 2050. Through full electrification with renewable energies and the use of 100% e-fuels in air travel, sustainable development of the tourism sector can be achieved without restricting travel activities.

The Hohe Tauern National Park Leader Region and the Hohe Tauern National Park Holiday Region decided to take part in the Federal Government's call for tenders for the development of a regional information system in 2023 and won the tender. The approaches and developments in the project as well as the knowledge gained and, last but not least, the final result of this RESY project will be presented.

In a future in which participatory processes determine the shaping of our society, the common good becomes a reality through collective action. Franziska Albers presents this vision by showing how an inclusive culture of participation in the tourism sector can bring about transformative change.

With the introduction of the Nature Forum 4.0, the region has established a participatory process aimed at protecting nature while making it usable for people. This project promotes dialogue between landowners, the hunting and forestry industries and tourism professionals in order to find common solutions for the conflict-free use of nature.

The task of the tourism research department at Austria Tourism is to secure and further expand knowledge about markets, (potential) holidaymakers and trends on the basis of professional market research. These data sources are of immense importance, especially when it comes to touristic sustainability.

At the beginning of the year, Susanne Kraus-Winkler, State Secretary for Tourism, defined her work focus for the coming months: she wants to promote positive interaction between the local population and the tourism industry and thereby further increase the acceptance of tourism.

The world is currently undergoing a profound transformation process. The twin transformation means thinking about the major issues of our time - the digital transformation and the sustainability transformation - together and implementing them together. But what does this mean for tourism in concrete terms?

In her keynote, Theresa Haid shows how effective sustainability communication can make the difference between empty promises and real commitment. She looks at internationally recognised guidelines and standards and the art of communicating authentically to the outside world without falling into the trap of greenwashing.

A kilometre travelled by car is 15 times more harmful to the climate than the same distance by train. The region Seefeld - Tirols Hochplateau launched a mobility campaign in summer 2023: anyone travelling by train or FlixBus in an environmentally friendly way and booking at least five nights in regional accommodation will have their travel costs reimbursed by the tourism board.

The survey of tourism acceptance plays a decisive role in analysing and improving it. Rebecca Daul, project manager for the amendment of the Tourism Demand Statistics Ordinance, sheds light on the background and shows how Statistics Austria proceeds with the survey of tourism acceptance and which quality assurance measures are taken in the process.

The current, representative survey on the acceptance of tourism among the Viennese population provides an up-to-date picture of the mood: Manova conducted an online survey of 3,648 Viennese aged between 18 and 70 on behalf of the Vienna Tourist Board. The result: 9 out of 10 respondents have a positive attitude towards tourism. This top approval rating has been maintained for years. Daniela Kolesa from the Vienna Tourist Board will explain how this is achieved, as well as why the Austrian capital pays such close attention to the perspective of the local population.