Sustainable Toursim

Austria holds a top position among important European tourist destinations. In ...

Austria holds a top position among important European tourist destinations. In 2008, direct and indirect contributions of tourism to the GDP amounted to 7.7% (STATISTIK AUSTRIA 2010a). International tourist arrivals in 2009 amounted to 32 million guests (STATISTIK AUSTRIA 2010b).

Sustainable development, as stipulated in the UN Rio Declaration and in the Agenda 21 of 1992, is of particular environmental relevance in the tourist sector and thus of crucial importance in Austria, as it is aimed at the preservation of natural landscapes as well as of cultural and regional elements and traditions.

While there are several approaches to the promotion of sustainable tourism, an overall sectoral strategy for tourism contributing to sustainable development in Austria is still missing. In 2010, a new Austrian Tourism Strategy (BMWFJ 2010) was therefore presented. The strategy focuses on marketing, subsidies, innovation, infrastructure and general economic conditions. Aspects of sustainable development are, although addressed in the process, not sufficiently included in this strategy.

In Austria, most measures adopted so far for promoting sustainable tourism have been taken in response to trend developments or tourist requirements. Participatory processes have also been undertaken although all these efforts have as yet not resulted in a comprehensive approach.

Measures in line with sustainable development have mostly been undertaken in the transport sector to reduce the impact of large transport volumes. Examples include the transnational pilot projects organised by the Austrian Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, Environment and Water Management: Alps Mobility, AlpsMobility II Alpine Pearls (see: www.alpinepearls.com), MOBILALP and Alpine Awareness (with the EU funds) and the Austrian klima:aktiv mobil programme (see: www.klimaaktiv.at/article/archive/12054/).

These projects and initiatives focus on soft mobility solutions for the tourism sector at transnational, national and regional level and contribute to the development of larger networks, particularly in the Alps. In environmental management, the national as well as the European ecolabels are used as incentives for a number of Austrian businesses. While the total number of certified tourism businesses remained relatively stable, more and more businesses in higher categories are now certified with the ecolabel (VKI 2009). Since its creation in 2008, the "travel offer" ecolabel has been used as an award for ecologically sound holiday packages (STERREICHISCHES UMWELTZEICHEN 2008). Sustainable tourist activities that capitalise on regional traditions and agriculture include the promotion of farm holidays and the marketing of traditional crafts and industries for tourism.

Winter tourism is particularly important. In 2005, the number of overnight stays in winter caught up for the first time with the number of overnight stays during the summer season. Winter tourism is of particular environmental relevance since energy consumption is higher during the indoor heating period and there is a greater tendency to use the car. Moreover, skiing activities in winter take up larger expanses of terrain and require higher inputs of energy (for establishing ski runs and pistes, building ski lifts and cable cars), while allowing tourists to encroach on ecologically sensitive, high mountain areas. In the winter season 2008 09 the total ski area available covered 25,400 hectares of land, 15,500 hectares of which (62%) equipped with artificial snowmaking facilities (STERREICHISCHE SEILBAHNEN 2009). To reduce environmental impacts, it will be necessary to assess the suitability of areas as winter sports destinations for the longterm future (BMLFUW 2008).

In the next few years, the aim will be to move on from individual best practice models to an overall approach towards sustainable tourism, in line with global efforts to promote ecotourism (YUNIS, HILLEL 2000) as well as the Global Code of Ethics (see www.worldtourism.org/code_ethics/eng.html). Available criteria for the sustainable development of tourism in Austria should be evaluated and advanced as well as implemented in different action lines of the tourist sector. The tourism strategy should be implemented across all sectors and developed further to include every aspect of sustainability. Taking climate change into account is equally important as including all actors concerned and documenting progress by compiling an annual progress report on tourism and sustainability for the Austrian parliament. Moreover, all tourism subsidies should be made dependent on their contribution to sustainable development.

STATISTIK AUSTRIA (2010a): Die volkswirtschaftliche Bedeutung des Tourismus in sterreich 2000 bis 2009.

STATISTIK AUSTRIA (2010b): Anknfte und Nchtigungen im TourismusKalenderjahr (2000 bis 2009).

BMWFJ Bundesministerium fr Wirtschaft, Familie und Jugend (2010): Neue Wege im Tourismus. Die neue sterreichische Tourismusstrategie, Februar 2010, Wien.

VKI Verein fr Konsumenteninformation (2009): Statistik der mit dem sterreichischen Umweltzeichen fr Tourismusbetriebe ausgezeichneten Betriebe (unverffentlicht).