The Innsbruck Tourist Association has had a new chairman, Mario Gerber, since Monday evening. And otherwise one of the most important associations in the country will break new ground in the next few years. The pandemic made it necessary.
Until recently, there had been criticism of holding the TVB general assembly in lockdown. Karin Seiler, Managing Director of Innsbruck-Tourismus, made a statement on the Monday before the meeting, once again referring to the legal necessity of the regular meeting and to the fact that the election of the committees did not allow a digital alternative. In any case, the security concept was extensive and the 150 “masked” participants had plenty of space in the hall in the trade fair forum, which was approved for 600 people. Mario Gerber elected chairman as expected TVB chairman. IKB board member Thomas Pühringer was elected chairman of the supervisory board (deputy Johann Penz). As expected, ÖVP-LA Mario Gerber – chairman of the hotel industry in the Chamber of Commerce and hotelier in Kühtai – became TVB chairman (deputy Katharina Schnitzer-Zach, second deputy Lisa Peer). Gerber’s predecessor Karl Gostner was no longer a candidate after twelve years of chairmanship. His chances of renewed approval had recently dropped to zero after internal quarrels. At the meeting, he was left with the task of reviewing the path of Innsbruck Tourismus and the associated regions Kühtai with Sellraintal and Mieminger Plateau with Inntal, which was very successful up to the pandemic. With 3.5 million overnight stays, 2019 was the strongest year. Away from the mere view of the overnight stays, the tourism year is balanced with an overnight stay decrease of almost 60 percent compared to 2019 because of the pandemic. So how should it go on? To this end, TVB managing director Karin Seiler presented the “Strategy 2025”. Above all, this provides for a move away from the mere view of the overnight stays. “We are thus focusing on a holistic view of the tourism industry,” said Seiler. Categories such as sustainability are to be given more importance, and the mountain Christmas is to be repositioned. Mario Gerber sees it as a goal to “focus even more on the quality of life in the city in the future”.
source site-12