The Vienna Tourism Board and MODUL University explore tourism compatibility

For years, urban tourism has been the driving force behind tourism. In the past five years alone, city trips in Europe have increased by 20 percent. "Tourism is an important contribution to the development, added value and quality of life of a city. The research, initiated and financed by the Vienna Tourism Board, is intended to provide information on how these positive effects can be achieved with increasing guest growth. We expect a scientifically-based guide for the future - not just for the ‘’Smart City’’ Vienna, we want to be a best-practice example for other European cities as well" says Vienna's Tourism Director Norbert Kettner.

Sebastian Ferrari, who won the 3rd place at the Young Hotelier Award in April 2015, was entrusted with this research task. In the coming four years, the German-Italian, who has already completed his Bachelor degree in Tourism and Hospitality Management and his Master’s in Sustainable Development, Management and Policy at MODUL University Vienna, will develop his PhD on "Tourism compatibility in cities". For the Vienna Tourism Board, the debate on the topic is not new, already having been addressed in the study "Tourism Strategy Vienna 2020" published in 2014. "On this basis, we would like to make a forward-looking contribution to sustainable tourism development in urban areas across Europe, which is supported and backed by the local population," says Kettner. Prof. Dr. Karl Wöber, President of MODUL University Vienna, is delighted about the cooperation: ‘’this is a typical win-win situation. Sebastian Ferrari receives the best possible support from the Vienna Tourism Board during his studies, and at the same time he works on a future-oriented research project for the Viennese tourism industry.’’

Networking of science and business

This PhD scholarship is the culmination of a long-standing partnership between the Vienna Tourism Board and MODUL University, which began in 2007. At that time, the two institutions signed a cooperation agreement to promote networking between science and industry in the context of European urban tourism, to further enhance professionalism in the tourism industry and to strengthen university tourism education in Vienna. This cooperation allows students who are distinguished by their outstanding achievements to gain an academic education in the tourism sector. So far, four students from CEE countries have each received a scholarship for the MBA in Tourism Management at MU, which according to the UNESCO World Tourism Organization, is one of the world's top universities with a focus on tourism.

Prof. Dr. Karl Wöber, President of MODUL University Vienna, PhD scholarship holder Sebastian Ferrari and Vienna Tourism Board Director Norbert Kettner at Stephansplatz, one of the many popular tourist destinations in Vienna. Credit: © WienTourism / Rainer Fehringer