Winter sports and climate change at Naturefriends conference

Alongside other top tourism experts, MU Prof. Dagmar Lund-Durlacher spoke at the 21st Naturefriends Environmental Conference in Graz on September 30th. The conference addressed how increasing climate change in the alpine region affects tourism to these areas, and how winter-sport enthusiasts and tourism providers alike will have to adapt to new circumstances.

Prof. Lund-Durlacher’s presentation posed the question ‘’Where is the trend in winter sports going?’’, which focused on shifting trends in cold-weather tourism. She noted that in the winter months tourism is most concentrated in the provinces of Salzburg and Tyrol, evidencing the captivating pull of Austria’s mountain peaks. However, in planning for the uncertain future, many winter sports destinations must have the courage to innovate and focus on new concepts. These include growing interest in winter sports independent of snow and desire for cultural activities in the area, as her research indicates that holiday-makers are looking for the authentic as well as the extraordinary in their vacation destination. Off-the-slopes activities and wellness options are becoming increasingly popular, increasing the demand for trained tourism professionals to create tailor-made packages with maximum flexibility.

Other prominent speakers at the conference included Christian Baumgartner, Secretary General of Naturefriends International and a past speaker at MU’s Latest Trends series (embedded link) and Meteorologist Prof. Helga Kromp-Kolb, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna.

More information about Naturefriends International can be found at www.nfi.at

Pictured: Prof. Dagmar Lund-Durlacher and Christian Baumgartner