Wagrain-Kleinarl, Austria, has been recognised as a best practice by the Sustainable EU Tourism project for its strategy to strengthen the acceptance of tourism by residents. 

In the last years, rising housing costs and infrastructure congestion have led residents to adopt a more critical attitude towards tourism. To address this, the destination implemented measures such as regular surveys to monitor tourism acceptance, initiatives to preserve local culture, and the beActive app (2023) offering local employees and their families discounts on tourism and leisure activities. The DMO also extended its efforts to encourage sustainable visitor behavior through awareness campaigns since 2015, “10 tips for conscious travel” (since 2022), and a digital commitment for responsible tourism. Moreover, the AI concierge provides 24/7 multilingual assistance. Wagrain-Kleinarl also earned the Green Destinations Certificate (2022) and the Austrian Ecolabel for Destinations (2023), improving its governance and sustainability. 

Wagrain-Kleinarl’s experience demonstrates how destinations can successfully revert the residents’ declining acceptance of tourism through effective targeted measures. For more details on the key challenges the destination has faced, and the solutions implemented to address them, please refer to the attached document.