Cycling and hiking: Carinthia's tourism sets new standards!

Cycling and hiking: Carinthia's tourism sets new standards!

The Central Carinthia tourism region set the course for a successful future at its tourism day at the Gasthof zum Schumi in Reipersdorf. On Wednesday, around 70 guests, including well-known personalities from the region, gathered to find out about tourism developments and offers. Gunter Brandstätter, the managing director of the tourism region, presented the four central themes that Central Carinthia focuses on: hiking, cycling, cuisine and culture. These priorities are intended to make the region more attractive for tourists and at the same time stimulate the local economy.

The certification of three communities – Gurk, Guttaring and St. Urban – as “hiking villages” is particularly pleasing. In order to receive this seal of quality, villages must have high-quality hiking infrastructure and a convincing range of experiences. Ultimately, the entire region was awarded the Austrian Hiking Quality Seal, which underlines the commitment to sustainable hiking tourism. In the new LEADER period, a project will be implemented that aims to further optimize the hiking experience. The aim here is to also obtain the European Hiking Seal of Quality.

Cycling in focus

Marco Haller, a successful professional racing cyclist, played a central role at the Tourism Day, emphasizing the importance of cycling for tourism. He advocated for bike-friendly offerings in the region, because cyclists not only use top hotels, but also simple campsites, which illustrates the diversity of the needs of this target group. Haller summed it up: “The cycling community is growing and has a high calorie requirement, which is an advantage for the catering industry.” It becomes clear here that cyclists and their demands represent a great opportunity for regional tourism.

New on the radar is the Badwandl restaurant in St. Veit, which is particularly popular as an ideal starting point for cyclists. Next year, community events will take place via the sports app STRAVA, which will bring both racing bike and gravel enthusiasts together and make the region even better known.

Economic effects of cycling

Cycling is not only a pleasure, but also has a lot of economic importance. A study by the Vienna University of Technology shows that cycling is becoming increasingly important in Austria as an environmentally friendly, healthy and cost-effective means of transport. According to the study, the direct and indirect added value from cycling in Austria amounts to 882.5 million euros, which is generated primarily through cycle tourism and the associated services.

The study also admits that 18,328 full-time equivalents result from the cycling sector. These figures speak for themselves and show that cycling is not just a leisure activity, but also makes a massive contribution to local and national economic growth. The combination of sporting activity and tourist offerings gives hope for a fruitful future in which cycling and hiking will continue to gain in importance.

The efforts in the Central Carinthia tourism region appear to be paying off. With a clear focus on hiking and cycling infrastructure as well as a wide range of culinary offerings, the region is increasingly becoming a destination for those seeking relaxation and sports enthusiasts. It will be interesting to see how developments in the region will continue to unfold.

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