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Pioneer and Educator
The Seefeld region welcomed Austria's teachers for training on regenerative tourism.
In 2023, the Seefeld region was the first region ever to receive the Austrian Eco-Label for tourism destinations. Sustainability and resource-saving tourism are therefore not only part of our strategy; they are an integral part of our daily actions. This places us in a pioneering role in Austria and makes us a role model for other regions, tourism businesses, and the future of our world – our children.
Therefore, it was not only an honor for us, but also a commitment to welcome the participants of the nationwide teacher training organized by the University of Education Tyrol in 2024 on the theme "Beyond Sustainability – Shaping Regenerative Tourism" in Leutasch. We acted not only as hosts but also as experts. "We strive daily to be pioneers in our region when it comes to sustainable tourism,” explains TVB Managing Director Elias Walser. "This also includes passing on our knowledge to future generations of guests, employees, and entrepreneurs. And where better to start than in schools?" Together with two of our Plateau Pioneers, Österreich and Tirol Werbung, and Christian Baumgartner as an external expert, we created an informative three-day program and demonstrated that regenerative tourism does not have to be a utopia, but is already being practiced today.
Sustainable Pioneers
To operate sustainably means to align all activities with the preservation of the planet, to create a symbiotic relationship between people, animals, and plants, without exceeding the planetary limits in our daily lives and during our vacations. The Plateau Pioneers of the Seefeld region have been pursuing this approach for years and play an important pioneering role in this. "They boldly lead the way, experiencing that it works. With their concrete experiences, they can motivate others to take this new path", says Sustainability Coordinator Michaela Kraler from TVB Seefeld.
Impulses of Best Practices
As part of the teacher training, the Plateau Pioneers Christian Wandl from the Biohotel Leutascherhof and Wolfgang and Maria Pfeiffer from the Hotel aufatmen presented their sustainably operated businesses and provided insights into their daily routines. Wandl explained his concept of the common good balance sheet. TVB sustainability coordinator Kraler, together with her predecessor, the native Leutascher Raphael Chrysochoidis, who now works for Austrian Tourism, and Nicole Ortler from Tirol Tourism, gave a keynote speech on the local, regional, and supra-regional aspects of regenerative tourism. "It is extremely important to focus education on the topic of sustainable economics because it is about our future, and we can only shape it together,” advocates Chrysochoidis for more events of this kind. To conclude, there was a hike into the Gaistal. Here, the experts, including Anton Heufelder from the Karwendel Nature Park and the mayor of Leutasch Jorgo Chrysochoidis, provided insights into their work and answered the questions of the teachers. "The exchange was very enriching, and we were able to truly inspire the teachers,” says Kraler.
Shaping the future
At the end of the three days, the teaching staff returned home with many impressions and information. The acquired knowledge will now be used to guide the students of the middle and high schools to critically engage with unsustainable tourism developments and to creatively shape regenerative tourism. "In this way, they can appreciate our sustainable work as guests in the future or even become valuable employees and visionaries when it comes to making vacations in Tyrol's high plateau increasingly regenerative and carrying it into the future", Walser concludes.