The successful kick-off of the Interreg project Resilient Tourism took place in mid-January. 30 partners from tourism associations, businesses and schools from the regions of Bavaria, Salzburg and Tyrol came together for the kick-off meeting and were motivated to pull together.
After many years of preparation, the launch of the new Resilient Tourism project was a complete success, much to the delight of everyone involved. In addition to the four project partners (FH Kufstein Tirol, Chiemgau GmbH - Tourismus, FH Salzburg, ÖHV), a total of 25 associated partners from various areas of the tourism industry are involved in the project. The first ideas were already developed by the participants in a workshop at the FH Kufstein Tirol in 2021. The kick-off in January was the ideal opportunity for all newcomers to get to know each other and network, laying the foundations for further cross-border cooperation.
Resilience in Comparison
After the initial introduction, Prof. (FH) PD Dr. Christoph Hauser from the FH Kufstein Tirol presented the concrete objectives and planned activities of the project, whereby he defined the term resilience very clearly: "While an oak tree can easily withstand weaker winds but is susceptible to hurricanes, a reed moves with every breath of air, but can therefore react flexibly in extreme situations." Esther Jennings, Managing Director of Euregio Inntal, then presented the Interreg Bavaria-Austria program. This EU funding program for cross-border cooperation also provides financial support for the Resilient Tourism project.
Interactive Workshop
The highlight of the event was an interactive workshop to find out the expectations of the project and the joint collaboration. Over the course of 60 minutes, the partners exchanged ideas in small groups on predetermined questions about key areas of interest, opportunities for participation, concerns and success criteria and recorded their thoughts in writing. One recurring theme was the desire for supra-regional and long-term cooperation in order to tackle problems together and share solutions. The Resilient Tourism project aims to meet precisely this need of tourism destinations, for which congresses and fireside chats as well as a joint training program to become a resilience manager are planned. The project manager at FH Kufstein Tirol, Lea Carnuth, MA, is confident that this will be successful: "The participants were highly motivated to pull together and contribute to the project with all their possibilities and contacts".