20^th Eco-gen Ambassador Program- 1^st Report, July 2018

What is Sustainable/Eco Tourism?

Sustainable tourism is conscientious travel. It demands that tourists are careful with the environments that they explore and respect the communities that they visit. Two overlapping components of sustainable travel are ecotourism and ethical tourism. The International Ecotourism Society (TIES) defines ecotourism as responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment and improves the well-being of local people.

 

TIES suggests that eco-tourists follow the following principles:

1. Minimize environmental impact.

2. Build environmental and cultural awareness and respect.

3. Provide positive experiences for visitors and hosts alike.

4. Provide direct financial benefits for conservation and for local people.

5. Raise sensitivity to host countries' political, environmental, and social climates.

6. Support international human rights and labor agreements.

 

Austria- A Well known Tourist Destination

A well-known tourist destination, Austria is a small and beautiful country in south-central Europe. The Alps and the Danube River are the two best-known natural features of the Austrian landscape. A biodiversity hotspot, the Alpine region is home to numerous species. The Danube flows through Austria, supporting unique wetland and floodplain habitats.

Some of the popular reasons for which tourists visit Austria are: Recreation, hiking, lakes, culture, sport holiday/bicycle travelling and wellness holiday.

Sustainable/Eco-Tourism in Austria

 

Austrian tourism organizations and the government pay due importance towards saving nature and culture while promoting tourism. Austria welcomes tourists while at the same time promotes eco- tourism.

Some common Eco-Tourism tips from Austria are listed below:

 

Recycling

1. Austria recycles more of its waste than any other country in Europe.

2. Colour-coded bins for paper, plastic and glass can be found on many street corners, at public areas, train stations, in trains and at airports.

3. Some glass containers, particularly beer bottles, have a 'pfand', a refunded deposit of up to 25 euro cents depending on the bottle's size. Look for the flaschen rücknahme (bottle return) machines at many supermarkets.

4. Supermarkets offer disposal of packaging before you leave the premises and batteries can be returned to the stores for safe disposal.

 

Transport

1. The public transport system in Austria is excellent.

2. The ÖBB, the Austrian Federal Railway network, connects all major national and international cities.

3. The public bus transportation network in Austria includes more than 2,800 scheduled routes. Almost all notable tourist sites can be reached by bus.

4. One of the best ways to get around Vienna is by the U-Bahn subway system. Vienna also has buses and trams.

5. Citybike is Vienna's public bike rental system. You can hire the bikes at 58 bike stations across the city. Bookings can be made directly at a Citybike terminal or by Internet. Similar bike rentals are available in most major cities.

6. All over Austria, bike lanes and pedestrian walkways are prominent in the planning layouts. This encourages residents as well as tourists to use cycles/bikes.

 

Hotels

1. Austria has a variety of affordable places for environmentally conscious visitors, from B&Bs and guesthouses to campsites and mountain huts. More than 180 accommodations have achieved the standards of the Östereichische Umweltzeichen – Austrian Eco-label – a government run scheme that attaches particular importance to efficient waste and energy management, easy-to-use recycling systems, minimising the use of packaging and using seasonal, local, organic food, sustainable materials in bedrooms and 'soft chemistry' to clean bathrooms.

2. Austria has the largest number of eco-friendly mountain huts and chalets in Europe.

The 40-bed Adolf Nossberger hut in Carinthia's Schober Mountains is a unique example of excellence in eco-tourism. It is one of 63 accommodations that have achieved the Austrian Alpine Association's Seal of Environmental Excellence. It uses solar-charged batteries to power low-energy light bulbs, sustainably sourced wood for heating and a combination of filtration and composting to process toilet waste. The owner, Roland Hummer sources food from local suppliers and minimises the amount of packaging used. His quest for sustainability is commendable considering that throughout summer, he lugs 20kg of supplies up the mountain three times a week to reduce the number of helicopter flights needed to supply the hut.

(Website of the Adolf Nossberger hut:  http://www.nossberger.at/)

3. Austria has a lot of small family owned businesses. Many homeowners open their homes to guests during the summer/holiday seasons. One specialty is holiday on farms, where tourists can stay at a farm, experience the lifestyle of local community and get some insight about the region. Culture and nature is a very big part of Austrians tourism.

4. Many hotels in Austria encourage guests to use towels and bed linen for more than a single day and thus save water and drainage of soiled water from washing.

5. They also encourage guests to ask for new toiletries only after finishing the earlier ones, rather than replenishing the soaps/shampoos/shower gels daily and discarding the unfinished /partly used ones.

 

Food and Drinking Water

1. At 15%, Austria has the highest proportion of organic land in Europe.

2. Several Austrian organic labels, like 'AMA organic label' or 'BioAustria', help consumers identify food from organic farming.

3. You can find a number of vegetarian restaurants and organic stores in all major cities

4. Look for the Austrian Eco-Label at most stores and supermarkets to ensure that the products you are buying are produced in an environmentally friendly manner.

5. In most restaurants, diners can ask for potable tap water rather than seeking bottled/mineral water.

6. There are many small family run restaurants and wineries that take care of small groups of tourists and give them fresh home cooked food with home grown kitchen produce

 

Souvenirs

1. Fair produce Chocolates, hazelnut wafers and marzipan are popular culinary souvenirs.

2. Organic wines from Austria are available.

 

Green Spots

There are six national parks and every federal state has natural reserves (Naturparke). So the awareness of nature and culture is an important part in tourism. They are advertising on their homepages how to reach there by bike, train, or bus (public transportation), and a lot of background knowledge for example, why there is a park and what is special about the nature, landscape, or culture. Some 'must visit' parks are listed below:

Lake Neusiedl-Seewinkel National Park: Located about 45 miles southeast of Vienna, the transborder national park between Austria and Hungary is a sanctuary for migrating birds in spring and autumn. The park's Lake Neusiedl is one of the largest steppe lakes in central Europe.

Donau-Auen National Park: Starting in Vienna and stretching to the border with Slovakia, this national park preserves the last remaining major wetlands in central Europe. The Danube River flows through the park.

Hohe Tauern National Park: Austria's first national park and Central Europe's largest area of protected landscape that extends over three Austrian provinces: Tirol, Carinthia and Salzburg. It is a region of ancient forests, lush green alpine pastures, rugged mountainsides and spectacular waterfalls.

Türkenschanzpark: This park on the outskirts of Vienna is known both for its rare botanical species and for its topography. Hills are interspersed with meadows, and meandering paths invite the visitor to take a stroll.

Blockheide Nature Reserve: This nature reserve in Gmünd-Eibenstein in Northern Austria is unique with legendary giant stones and rock formations, natural monuments shaped by nature. I have visited the park and recommend it as a great natural retreat.

 

Conclusion

Austria is one of the world's best destinations for sustainable tourism, and this has been recognised and commended by the World Economic Forum in the Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Report. 

With the onset of summer starts the holiday season. As a resident of Austria, I thought this as an opportune time to introduce the forum to some of the eco-tourism tips from Austria.

 

Source and Reference:

https://www.frommers.com/destinations/austria/planning-a-trip/sustainable-travelecotourism

https://naturparkatterseetraunsee.wordpress.com/ecotourism-in-austria/

https://www.austria.info/uk/service-facts/about-austria/austria-green-credentials/green-austria

http://wwf.panda.org/get_involved/live_green/travel/on_vacation/eco_tips/austria/