DGT Annual Conference at MCI

The DGT Annual Conference was recently held at MCI Tourism for the third time after 2003 and 2011. Almost 100 participants discussed current topics in tourism research.

The main theme of this year's conference was "Tourism Development and Policy". For this reason, Hubert Siller presented the "Tyrolean Path" as the tourism strategy of the state of Tyrol at the opening. In the subsequent panel discussion, Karin Seiler (Managing Director of Tirol Werbung), Monika Bandi-Thanner (Head of CRED-T in Bern), Mario Gerber (Minister for Tourism, Economy and Digitalization of Tyrol) and Jürgen Schmude (DGT President) discussed different approaches to tourism policy between the three DACH countries, the concept of living space, year-round tourism, necessary forms of dialog for greater tourism awareness, and the focus on sustainable tourism development.

The sessions on the following two days covered a wide range of topics which were assigned to specific thematic blocks. These ranged from tourism policy visions to destination management, mindful travelling, possibilities and limits of shaping tourism policy, measuring sustainability in tourism and new approaches in tourism. A detailed description of selected presentations can be found here.

In addition to the sessions, there was also a poster presentation in which seven scientists presented their research work and answered questions.

The intensive conference program was rounded off by an evening event on the Nordkette in a high alpine snowstorm and culinary contributions from the Axamer Bäuerinnen, Villa Blanka and the Futterkutter.