Resilient tourism: innovation summit in Seefeld inspires!

Resilient tourism: innovation summit in Seefeld inspires!

On May 20, 2025, the third Euregio network meeting between Bavaria and Tyrol took place in the congress center in Seefeld, Tyrol. The theme was “Resilience in Tourism – Innovation and Collaboration Across Borders”. The event was organized by the Euregio Zugspitze-Wetterstein-Karwendel in collaboration with the Tyrolean state government office. The aim was to strengthen cross-border cooperation in the tourism sector and to discuss innovative approaches for sustainable development in the Alpine region.
The opening speech was given by Andreas Reiter from the ZTB Future Office, who discussed current challenges such as climate change, seasonal dependencies, a shortage of skilled workers and overloaded infrastructure. Particularly important was the discussion about the need to develop innovative approaches that combine digitalization, cross-border cooperation and sustainable development.

Innovative projects presented

As part of the event, three projects were presented that cover different aspects of resilience and sustainability in tourism:

• FH Kufstein: Projekt „Resilienter Tourismus“ mit dem Lehrgang „ResilienzmanagerIn im Tourismus“.
• Naturparke Ammergauer Alpen und Karwendel: Projekt Besuchermonitoring in Kooperation mit Outdooractive.
• Bezirksforstinspektion Imst: Inklusion im Erholungsgebiet Reutte durch ein neues Klassifizierungssystem für Wanderwege.

There was also a panel discussion with Governor Anton Mattle, Marion Appold and Sophia Kircher. The acceptance and challenges in tourism were discussed. The event concluded with an excursion to the historic woodworker's hut in Scharnitz, where insights into the history of wood use were provided. The event primarily served to promote dialogue and networking between Bavarian and Tyrolean players in the tourism sector.

INTERREG projects to support tourism

In addition to the discussions at the Euregio event, the INTERREG projects in the Bavaria-Austria VI-A program are important. These include numerous projects that aim to strengthen the competitiveness of companies in rural border areas and enable sustainable development in tourism. A highlight of these programs is the “Livable Alpine Region” project, which aims to develop participatory solutions for sustainable tourism in Chiemgau and Salzkammergut. Interreg-Bayaut.net also mentions the “Resilient Tourism” project, which develops strategies for crisis resilience in the tourism industry.

These studies conclude that cross-border collaboration and innovation are essential to meet the challenges of modern tourism. The event and the projects listed illustrate the importance of sustainability and resilience in the Alpine region, both for the local population and for tourism stakeholders.
Overall, it is clear that the topics and projects discussed are aimed at building a strong and networked tourism industry for the future.