Since 2021, Kitzbühel Tourism has been taking a co-creative approach to strategic destination development. By involving all those interested in the region – including locals, second-home owners, entrepreneurs, and employees – a shared vision for the future has been developed.
After a comprehensive evaluation of the status quo in 2021, which included more than 1,200 respondents, intensive and sometimes heated discussions led to a major milestone: a common understanding of the future development of tourism in Kitzbühel. This resulted in a vision for the future with five success patterns and a shared core of services.
Brand Development Process #wirsindKitzbühel
Since the launch of the brand development process by Kitzbühel Tourism in 2021, more than 70 Kitzbühel residents of all ages and professional backgrounds have been actively and voluntarily working to implement specific projects within the jointly developed vision for the future. While existing successful products continue to focus on quality and excellence – with key themes such as "Outdoor Active" and "Culinary Delights" – emerging trends like "Workation," which is still in its early stages, have also been considered.
Everything that arises from this new future vision of Kitzbühel Tourism serves one purpose: to make Kitzbühel an even more attractive place to live (My Preferred Place for Being) – for visitors as well as for locals, second-home owners, and employees.
Regular steering committee meetings and internal follow-up discussions have shown a strong interest in discussion rounds on specific product topics. Following the analysis of the status quo, the formation of working groups, and the establishment of the steering committee, the #wirsindKitzbühel brand development process entered its fourth phase in the fall, focusing on dialogue formats aimed at further refining and improving the identified success patterns.
From the Next Generation for the Next Generation
Following two successful workshops on revitalizing the town center and hiking, the third dialogue format focused on the Next Generation. Key questions were discussed, such as: Who and where is the Next Generation? What topics are important to them? How can this generation be best integrated into the brand development process?
Through constructive discussions, it quickly became clear that the Next Generation must be involved immediately. Their ideas and concerns should be heard, and a long-term development strategy should be pursued together. Two young Kitzbühel residents have already been successfully recruited to support this initiative – and this is just the beginning. Over the coming weeks, they will work intensively on new formats and bring in other interested individuals who want to actively shape the future of tourism. After all, only by the Next Generation for the Next Generation can long-term integration into the brand development process be ensured. "Thinking about the future without including the next generation is meaningless. We are therefore all the more pleased that Kitzbühel has so many dedicated people who want to actively contribute," says Dr. Viktoria Veider-Walser, managing director of Kitzbühel Tourism.
The next workshops on relevant tourism topics, such as skiing and biking, are planned for the coming months. Further details will be announced soon. Those interested are encouraged to contact project manager Bettina Wiedmayr at wirsind@kitzbuehel.com – this applies, of course, to all members of the Next Generation as well.
For more information about the #wirsindKitzbühel brand development process initiated by Kitzbühel Tourism, please visit marke.kitzbuehel.com.
