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Werfenweng – the role model of a genuine ecotourism destination
The International Ecotourism Society (TIES) defines ‘ecotourism’ as “responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment, sustains the well-being of the local people, and involves interpretation and education”. While there are plenty of tourism businesses and destinations worldwide that devoted themselves to both ecotourism principles and eco-friendly activities, Werfenweng is a unique destination as it specialises on the first two words of the TIES’s definition – the responsible travel.
The village is located 50km south from Salzburg and it lies right at the foothills of the Tennengebirge mountain region at an altitude of 900 meters above sea level. Thanks to its position, the nature is unspoilt, the air is fresh and both locals and wildlife enjoy good health. No wonder this region is highly attractive for tourists all year round. But how to manage the ever-increasing tourist flow without jeopardising the precious environment? The key, as it turns out, lies in the transportation. In other words, by bringing tourists to the area while using alternatives to cars as means of transport helps tremendously in mitigating the pollution in the region.
To tackle the problem and proceed with solution, several Alpine villages joined their forces in 2006 to form ‘Alpine Pearls’ organisation, which stands for environmentally friendly mobility. With headquarters in Werfenweng, this destination has showcased its stewardship and won several awards and prizes over the years after introducing the SAMO card.
SAMO is derived from ‘Sanft Mobilie’ which means ‘soft mobility’ in German. The main initiative is to experience amazing and at the same time climate-friendly holiday without the use of cars.
SAMO Card detailsSource: https://www.alpine-pearls.com/en/holiday/austria/werfenweng/
The table above describes the many mobility possibilities on how to get around the Werfenweng village, ranging from shuttle buses, e-taxis to e-/bikes. Given the great variety of means of transport, it enables the tourists to explore the area whilst conducting numerous sport activities in the nature, be it snowshoeing, cycling, horse riding, hiking in guided tours or tobogganing. As tourists have more options to choose from on how they interact with the natural environment, which are both eco-friendly and cost-effective, the area is enjoying increasing number of visitors. Just four years after the introduction of the SAMO card the overnight stays increased by 31% whereas in 2019 it was 60%. Although there are more tourists in the area, everything is under control and managed by roughly 1000 residents who call Werfenweng their homes. Having local people being employed who also provide locally-sourced food and souvenirs, the destination is indeed authentic and sustainable.
For further information, please watch Mrs. Mentil, the director of Alpine Pearls, explain the whole concept of the organisation in a nutshell:
The local cable car takes you all the way up to the ‘Summit of Winter / Summer’ (depending from the season), which remains the main attraction in the village. In addition to the ‘ordinary’ winter activities taking place on the snowy slopes such as snowboarding and skiing, in Werfenweng the visitors can also go for paragliding adventure (see the picture above). Flying like birds and as free as it may seem, the municipality has invested in several signs which describe the borders within which the paragliders can fly in order not to disturb the local wildlife. By giving clear instructions on what behaviour is desired and appreciated as well as explaining the cause behind, the sportsmen show nothing but respect and obedience, which only adds to the already well managed tourist behaviour in the area. Such an observation is a textbook example of numerous researches indicating that people are more likely to respond according to any “Do’s and Dont’s” when the reason behind is also known and explained. Without solid explanation, ‘rebellion’ against the rules is more likely to occur.
Paragliding start on the summit. Photo by the Author.
To sum up, the Werfenweng village and its surroundings is THE eco-paradise on Earth, where humans and nature live together in peace. The values of this place stand indeed for quality in tourism, climate protection and sustainability. With respect to the previously mentioned definition of ecotourism, the destination of Werfenweng is a living example of a well-functioning ecotourism destination because it has developed an efficient, climate-friendly yet economically-viable transportation network, the destination stimulates and enhances responsible behaviour and activities within the natural environment (of both tourists and locals) with emphasis on nature conservation and it also supports local and family-owned businesses.
Further reading:
https://www.werfenweng.eu/EN/Werfenweng/
https://www.merian.de/europa/oesterreich/galerie/nachhaltiger-tourismus-in-werfenweng
https://www.theuiaa.org/conservation-of-biodiversity/alpinepearls2017/
https://umwelt.naturfreunde.at/files/uploads/2011/07/Good_Practice_Soft_Mobilty_in_Europe.pdf
