Experiences
Consultancy, Process Facilitation and Conference Moderation
Consultancy and moderation enables the participants to use their own knowledge and skills.
High Atlas / Morocco: From "living school" to holistic life education. Sustainable tourism in local hands.
Funded by EZA Vorarlberg, Christian works with Weltweitwandern Wirkt! on basic tourism training for disadvantaged young people and women in Ait Bougmez in the High Atlas. At the campus vivande, theoretical and practical opportunities for entry into tourism are to be offered.
https://www.weltweitwandernwirkt.org/bildungsprojekte/marokko/
Future Tourism Austria – Beyond Recovery
Inspired by DMAA (Destination Monitor Austria) and the Austrian Tourism Board (Österreich Werbung), Austrian destinations were looking for goals and ways to transform tourism: sustainability transformation as well as digital, cultural and systemic transformation. Christian moderated and coordinated the sustainability transformation part.
Sustainable Tourism in Kyrgyzstan
Financed by GIZ (Deutsche Gesellschaft für internationale Zusammenarbeit) and in cooperation with KATO (Kyrgyz Association of Tour Operators), travel offers in Kyrgyzstan are made more sustainable. Trainings and an internal certification bring more added value and participation for local communities as well as a reduction of the climate footprint.
Conference moderation CEETO
CEETO project main objective is to protect and enhance the natural heritage of Protected Areas (PAs) and Natura 2000 Network by promoting an innovative sustainable tourism planning model, which reduces usage conflicts, sustains social and territorial cohesion, improves the quality of life of local communities, and encourages the tourism industry to concretely contribute to nature conservation.
Christian Baumgartner gave a keynote speech and moderated the final conference of the INTERREG project CEETO (Central European Ecotourism)
https://www.europarc.org/about-us/europarc-projects/ceeto-project/
Healing Landscape Lesachtal
Two health congresses and a workshop series have led to a strategy 'Helsame Landschaft' for the Carinthian region Lesachtal (AT).
Many aspects in the valley are 'healing': long researched is the positive health effect of hiking at high altitude and the healing effect of aerosols from waterfalls. In recent years, the analysis of the healing effect of the stay in the forest was added. All in all, it can be said that spending time and exercising in nature is clearly beneficial to health. In addition, healthy food directly from (organic) producers, old domestic animal breeds, slow food and the traditional cultural landscape contribute to deceleration, balance and psychological health.
The religious history and the tangible spirituality in everyday life in the Lesachtal cover another area of psychological and spiritual health.
Healing Landscape Lesachtal' tries to summarize all these dimensions and stands for a further development of the valley, in close cooperation with the neighboring East Tyrolean communities, which should not only benefit the population, but can also set new impulses in tourism in the direction of Alpine health tourism. The prerequisites for this are excellent.
NatureTourNet
NatureTourNet is a cross-border project within the funding programme Interreg SK-AT, which supports the sustainable development of the protected areas of the border region between Slovakia (region Schüttinsel) and Austria (National Park Neusiedler See-Seewinkel, Nature Park Rosalia-Kogelberg and Nature Park Neusiedler See - Leithagebirge) and thus aims to stimulate ecotourism. Response & ability develops a strategy for the joint development and marketing of cross-border ecotourism products.
European Cultural Route of Reformation (ECRR)
On the occasion of the Reformation year 2017, 11 partners from 7 countries worked on the development of a cultural route of Reformation, which is certified by the Council of Europe, as part of an Interreg Central Europe project. In addition to the historical analysis, the development of tourist products, the creation of a web portal and the training of local stakeholders were central project tasks. Response & ability took on different tasks for one of the two Austrian partners, the Lutherian Church.
Certification by the Council of Europe took place in May 2019 - much earlier than expected.
Status of preservation of Reformation linked cultural heritage (pdf, english, 0,2 MB)
Austrian World Summit
Moderation of the breakout session "Sustainable Tourism and Climate Change" within the Austrian World Summit R20AWS.
Nationalparks Austria position paper tourism
Response & ability developed the position paper 'Tourism in Austria's National Parks' in several workshops with the directors of the Austrian National Parks. Sustainability as an opportunity for successful nature conservation and regional development'.
Positionspapier Tourismus der Österreichischen Nationalparks (pdf, 1,4 MB)
Healing Landscape
Within the framework of a LEADER+ project the Lesachtal (Carinthia / Austria) wants to achieve a new positioning with a comprehensive health tourism. This should strengthen the living and economic space of the locals as well as contribute to a long-term protection of the traditional cultural landscape. Christian Baumgartner will moderate the two international health tourism conferences and a strategy workshop that will pour the results of the project into long-term development strategies.
Georgian Mountain Rural and Eco-Tourism and Organic Agriculture (GRETA)
For the Austrian Development Agency (ADA), a project application was prepared for the EU for a project to develop sustainable mountain tourism and strengthen organic agriculture in Georgia. Several visits to the country, interviews and stakeholder workshops were the basis for project documents, which finally led to a successful EU application.
Moor conference of the Alpine Convention
As part of the Austrian Presidency of the Alpine Convention, response & ability moderated the international Moor Protection Conference at the Styrian Ödensee (Austria).
CIPRA Alpentourism
Together with CIPRA International (International Commission for the Protection of the Alps, www.cipra.org), the framework conditions for sustainable tourism in the Alps are being analyzed on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety (BMUB). Different departmental responsibilities, policy levels and challenges in federal states are equally taken into account.
WWWW - Weltweitwandern Work-shop in the desert
For the Austrian tour operator Weltweitwandern a workshop in Morocco was provided - together with Harald Friedl and Margit Leuthold - with moderation and content input. Partner agencies from 15 countries participated in the desert walk with daily discussions, exchange of experi-ences and strategy developments.
Industrial culture on the Fischa Cycle Route, Fischamend, Lower Austria / AT
Together with Ulrike Balek / pronatour, a concept for the staging of the industrial culture on the Fischa cycle path in the LEADER region Römerland-Carnuntum (Lower Austria) was developed and presented to the region. The concept also includes a target group analysis and exemplary tourist offers along the way. The implementation is to happen 2018-19.
3rd Tourism Mobility Day
Cooperation is essential for the implementation of sustainable mobility solutions in tourism. Especially at the destination level, common goals and increased cooperation between the partners involved is of great importance. On 11 October 2016, the Federal Ministry for Transport, Innovation and Technology, the Federal Ministry for Agriculture, Forestry, Environment and Water Management and the Federal Ministry of Science, Research and Economy invited for the 3rd Tourism Mobility Day in Velden am Wörthersee / Austria. Response & ability helped with the content preparation and Christian Baumgartner could take over the moderation of the event.
Church & Tourism - development of model regions
Building on the study 'Pastoral care in tourism in the surroundings of the Austrian tourism industry', the follow-up project seeks to position the protestant church in the vicinity of touristic destinations and develops spiritual tourism offers in four Austrian model regions. The model regions are: Neusiedlersee - Rosalia (Burgenland) / Upper Gailtal-Lesachtal-Weissensee (Carinthia) / Inner Salzkammergut (Upper Austria) / Ossiachersee - Gerlitzen Alpe (Carinthia).
Proposals are also being developed on the future structure of the pastoral care in tourism service.
Carbon neutral tourism in Montenegro
Commissioned by UNDP Montenegro response & ability analysed in the frame of a larger project 'Carbon neutral tourism in Montenegro' the possibilities for the implementation of a climate- or eco-label for accommodations in Montenegro. Existing European labels were studied, possibilities for their implementation in Montenegro and the willingness of the tourism sector in the country for certification processes.
Transdanube
The Danube is passing ten countries on its way to the Black Sea. Therefore it is one of the most transnational rivers in the world. Nevertheless the river‘s role as a connecting transport axis between the regions was long limited.
Transdanube is aiming at tackling the weak accessibility levels and poor quality of transport services in SEE as a major constraint for further economic development and growth in the region. By developing sustainable mobility offers the project will improve accessibility and facilitate the concept of sustainable tourism in the whole Danube region. The regions will benefit from increased added value from tourists being able to reach touristic destinations even in the hinterland of the river.
Christian Baumgartner worked on this project for the Danube Competence Centre.
CultTour – Cultural (garden) heritage as a focal point for sustainable tourism.
CultTour is an INTERREG IVB Project, funded by the EU within the framework of ETC (European Territorial Co-operation), the South East Europe Programme (SEE) and co-funded by ERDF (European Regional Development Fund). CultTour is seeking to implement strategies designed to preserve and valorise cultural garden and open space heritage sites by putting them to contemporary use in tourism while conserving their "genius loci". CultTour also aims at creating scenarios and strategies for an integrated development of tourism, based on the principles of sustainable tourism and regional economy.
Feasibility studies and model re-utilisation concepts for pilot sites are drawn up in Bulgaria, Greece, Italy and Romania.
Christian Baumgartner was involved in this project on behalf of the IMC FH Krems.
DanubeHike – Hiking tourism along the Danube
DanubeHike analysed the options for hiking tourism along the Danube as well as the requirements and options for developing new hiking-tourism programmes as an implementation project of the European Strategy for the Danube Region (EUSDR).
The project was funded by the European Commission, DG Enterprise, by the department and section for tourism of the Austrian Ministry of Science, Research and Economy and by the Slovakian Ministry of Tourism.
The projects was implemented on behalf of Naturefriends International.
China: Sustainability strategy for the German School in Shanghai
In 2012, Christian Baumgartner developed a sustainability strategy for the German School in Shanghai.
Montenegro
In his capacity of Tourism Development Expert, Christian Baumgartner was invited by OSCE Montenegro to visit the Bjelasica/Komovi region in May 2001 and to assess the region’s potentials for sustainable tourism development. He moderated a participative workshop which was attended by representatives of all the municipalities and of the National Park.
The outcome of the assessment was a 10-year programme for the Bjelasica region; and in the subsequent years he was continuously involved in the development of a strategy for sustainable regional and tourism development.
Landscape of the Year 2007 – 2009 The Danube Delta
‘Landscape of the Year’ is a regional development model for which Naturefriends International received the 2013 Ulysses Prize for sustainable development awarded by the World Tourism Organisation.
Christian Baumgartner was, inter alia, mainly responsible for the Landscape of the Year – the Danube Delta (Romania, Ukraine), which generated a number of incentives to the sustainable development of the delta and of the entire Danube region.
Iron Curtain Trail
Under an assignment contract of the European Commission/DG Enterprise/Tourism Sector, Christian Baumgartner organised a series of regional Multi-Stakeholder Workshops with a view to preparing and discussing a cycling trail (Eurovelo XIII) along the former Iron Curtain.
https://ec.europa.eu/growth/sectors/tourism/offer/sustainable/cycling-routes_de
European conference ‘Environmentally friendly travelling in Europe. Challenges and Innovations facing Environment, Transport and Tourism'
Within the context of the Austrian EU Presidency and the Austrian presidency of the Alpine Convention, the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, Environment and Water Management, the Federal Ministry for Transport, Innovation and Technology and the Federal Ministry of Economics and Labour mounted a European conference on ‘Environmentally friendly travelling in Europe. Challenges and Innovations facing Environment, Transport and Tourism’.
Christian Baumgartner was closely involved in formulating the programme, in organising the event and in preparing the final document and the conference brochure.
China
Christian Baumgartner was actively involved in two modules of the China-EU Environmental Management Co-Operation Programme: On the one hand, in the development of an eco-tourism strategy for Hailin City (Province Heilongjiang) with the focus on the Amur Tiger and on forest and lake reserves. On the other hand, in assessing the options for sustainable tourism development in Zhaotong City / Yunnan region with the emphasis on an ecologically sound tourism development of the Yu Dong reservoir and the Da Shan Boa nature reserve.