The Plateau Pioneers

My parents managed a mountain pasture in the Gaistal valley, so I was exposed to the topics of nature, tourism, regionality, and related questions from birth. Whenever the topic of sustainability arose, my father liked to use the Greek word for sustainable – it is statheros. He translated it as "persistent". I like this version – to act sustainably means that everything we do should have permanence for the future.

I started my career in the technical quality department of an industrial company. There, I quickly sensed that I would like to further develop our habitat and thus my "Dahoam" (home) to be able to provide such a wonderful home for future generations as well.

No one starts from scratch, and especially here on Tyrol's high plateau, the theme is somehow already in our genes: We live in a nature-connected region among many locals who think sustainably. Today, we use terms like biodiversity, social, ecological or economic sustainability, climate protection, and so on. In essence, they express nothing other than what we have already learned from our grandparents: nature, regionality, tradition, and a conscious interaction with what we have available.

Even in the tourism association, our most valuable asset, our nature, our living environment, has always been respected. In 2020, Franz Straubinger was finally hired by the Karwendel Nature Park to bundle all previous projects and efforts, give it all a name, and try to set concrete goals. In 2022, I joined as the habitat and sustainability coordinator. His and my work eventually led to our 2023 Genuine Sustainability Strategy and our action plan.

As a sustainability coordinator, the topic of programs is currently very much in focus, and my tasks and projects are widely varied. Principally, we, as the TVB (Tourism Association), orient ourselves towards the United Nations' Agenda 2030 and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). My core task at the beginning was to develop a clear action plan and ultimately our Real Sustainable Strategy from the numerous projects, initiatives, ideas, and opinions.

It was completed in early 2023 and includes our personal SDG Compass as well as our 4 Pillars of sustainability: Sustainable Management, Socio-ecological Sustainability, Economic Sustainability, and Mobility.

This strategy serves as my working document or task list. Continuous exchange with our team, as well as idea generation and critical discussions with our partners and experts at networking meetings, are also part of it.

Of course, our board and we had a few pioneering companies in mind from the very beginning. The project was then presented to all our member companies in 2022 and openly announced. This allowed every business in our region to join.

The most important prerequisite was the willingness to change. Those who had this had already overcome the entry hurdle. Together with an expert in sustainable development, we approached the process step by step. The biggest challenge at the beginning of the project was that the existing sustainability levels and goals of the participating businesses were very different. We had to hold many discussions to understand the individual expectations of the project. The path was long and at times rocky, but that is exactly why we are now such a closely-knit group.

The diversity of the group – ranging from bed and breakfasts to 5-star hotels to the Karwendel Nature Park – is now our greatest strength. Everyone can learn from the experiences of the others. The nature park often serves as our corrective. We, as the tourism association, primarily act as a coordination office and motivator, organizing the workshops and the necessary exchanges. Furthermore, we utilize our channels for active communication and marketing and, like all pioneering businesses, we work on our own "sustainability projects".

The Environmental Label for Tourism Destinations cannot be obtained alone, neither by municipalities nor by tourism associations. It is awarded to the region as a whole and only if all players cooperate. The project and the associated good collaboration between the tourism board and businesses were essential for the region to receive the Environmental Label for Tourism Destinations. We really set a high pace here. The acquisition of the Environmental Label in 2023 was a significant milestone for us. It showed us that we are on the right track and motivates us to pursue this path consistently in the future.

The results of the first two project years of the Plateau Pioneers are really good. The many puzzle pieces that each individual has worked on have resulted in two out of the six Plateau Pioneers from the accommodation segment being certified with the Austrian Environmental Label and the EU Eco Label in the summer of 2023. The remaining four businesses submitted their certification applications in 2023.

As a joint project, the public transport and the public arrival in the region were focused on. The tourism board and businesses developed a joint communication package as well as special incentives for guests, which were very well received.

For the next two years, a detailed project plan supported by regional management is available. Based on the successes of the first two years, we are ready and already in the process of implementing the first concrete projects for the region.

One of them is the Plateau Potato. Together with five motivated farmers and our Plateau Pioneers, approximately 2.5 tons of seed potatoes were planted at various locations in our region in spring 2023. After intensive care during the summer, we were able to harvest for the first time in autumn 2023. During a joint tasting event featuring excellent potato dishes, two favorites were selected from the initial five varieties, which will be planted again in 2024. This year's harvest was mostly taken by the Plateau Pioneers and other regional businesses and served in special regional dishes. Since there were some initial problems with calculations and logistics at the beginning of the project, the Plateau Pioneers and farmers decided to donate an additional 800 kg for those in need to the Dinner Club Innsbruck in the spirit of social sustainability.

Despite all the excitement, we must not forget our main task for the next two years: We need to inspire more businesses for our path and gain new members for our Plateau Pioneers group. We eight were the pioneers, now we need more allies for a more sustainable future!