As Council Chairman, State Councilor Josef Schwaiger invited people to the 33rd meeting in Salzburg. State Councilor Sara Schaar, Carinthia, State Councilor René Zumtobel, Tyrol, and section head Christian Holzer, representing Federal Minister Leonore Gewessler, approved the council budget for 2025 and discussed future-oriented projects.
In 2025, around 890,000 euros will be invested in 17 cross-border projects in the Hohe Tauern National Park in the areas of natural space management, research, education and public relations. Especially in the area of research, large, complex, multi-year monitoring programs that provide valuable data on the area only make sense across countries. In long-term monitoring, which has been running since 2016, 8 different research branches are working on the common basic recording of important indicators, including for climate change and biodiversity. At the end of 2026 – after 10 years – the first cross-disciplinary long-term data will be available in the form of a synthesis report.
Visitor motivation survey
The results of a survey of visitor motives by MCI Internationale Hochschule GmbH, Innsbruck, are expected by the end of the year. From the beginning of July to mid-September 2024, around 1,100 national park visitors were surveyed at 15 locations across the entire national park about their personal travel behavior, satisfaction and affinity for the national park. “We are eagerly awaiting the results of the survey by the end of the year, which will give us information about where we will be confirmed in our work, but also where further leverage can be applied. In addition to the great importance of the national park as an internationally recognized nature reserve and an important retreat for animals and plants, the Hohe Tauern National Park is a special feature for the region that guests appreciate and enhances the tourism region compared to other travel destinations. The good cooperation since the beginning with the landowners and other interest groups in the region have brought the national park not only into people’s minds, but into their hearts,” emphasizes Council Chairman Josef Schwaiger.
Multi-year, cross-border research and monitoring program
On September 30, 2024, the process of developing a multi-year, cross-border research and monitoring program for the Hohe Tauern National Park was started with a workshop in Salzburg. The planned program will provide space for problem-oriented approaches to address specific issues relating to nature conservation, research and management in a timely manner, but will also provide practical recommendations for action. Existing projects and activities are prioritized and country-specific projects are examined for opportunities for cross-border standardization. The program should be available by the end of 2025.
Overall public relations strategy
At the beginning of 2024, work began on merging the individual areas and existing strategies into an overall, cross-border public relations strategy. The aim is to define and sharpen the core topics, goals and messages, backed up with measures, but also non-topics, which will determine the communication of the Hohe Tauern National Park brand to the public in the future across all countries. This top-down development process is largely developed independently with external support.
“The Hohe Tauern National Park is an internationally recognized national park with strong roots in the region. “Constant communication, sharpening of goals in the various management areas and constant evaluation and further development are essential and will lead our Hohe Tauern National Park forward into the future,” agree the council members from Carinthia, Salzburg, Tyrol and the federal government.