Sustainable holidays are becoming increasingly important.It's not just tourists who are mindful of their ecological footprint when travelling. It is also important for locals to preserve their region in order to make it worth living in and worth experiencing for guests in the future. In addition to numerous sustainable projects, the Saalfelden Leogang region also impresses with so-called "Green Events" and has been nominated for the first time in the well-known "Sustainable Winning" competition organised by the Federal Ministry for Sustainability and Tourism.
The Saalfelden Leogang holiday region in Salzburg supports numerous sustainable measures, such as energy-efficient mountain railways, an energy self-sufficient climbing hall and sustainably designed events. Marco Pointner, Managing Director of Saalfelden Leogang Touristik, comments: "The most important thing for Alpine regions that live from and with tourism is an intact natural environment. We want to preserve this for the future by acting sustainably and conserving resources. For some years now, we have been working on various projects in which we pay particular attention to sustainability."
One of the companies that consume energy in an alpine holiday resort are the mountain lifts. Here in Saalfelden Leogang, practical solutions have been found to reduce consumption and therefore also costs: heating communities with neighbouring hotels and heat recovery from lift motors for heating adjacent rooms.This has enabled the Leoganger Bergbahnen to reduce energy consumption by 68 per cent. The Steinbergbahn alone has since saved around 245,000 kilowatt hours per year, which equates to 23,500 euros. At the Asitzbahn it is even 38,500 euros. The region was honoured by the state of Salzburg in 2012 and 2016 for this environmentally conscious energy concept. In 2017, the Leoganger Bergbahnen was one of eight Salzburg businesses that collectively save 1,700 tonnes of CO2 per year to receive the "Umwelt Blatt Salzburg" award.
Furthermore, when building the "felsenfest" climbing hall, for example, a conscious decision was made not to connect it to the local gas supply. Instead, 130 square metres of solar panels were installed on the roof of the hall, which ensure an energy-autonomous heat supply even in winter. In addition to the "felsenfest" climbing hall, Congress Saalfelden is also focussing on sustainability.This summer, the photovoltaic system on the roof of the building was completed and will now supply the Congress with solar power. In addition, the gas heating was replaced by district heating, the building's air conditioning is provided by groundwater and in 2011 the Congress was awarded the Austrian "Green Meetings" eco-label. Several hotels in Saalfelden Leogang also operate sustainably. Many businesses use self-produced energy from their own biomass heating plants, wood chip plants or composting facilities. The town of Saalfelden has been active in the 'e5' state programme since 2007, making it one of 32 municipalities in Salzburg that are committed to greater energy efficiency.
More and more events in Saalfelden Leogang are being organised as so-called "green events", such as the Nordic Park Experience in winter and the 24-hour hike "Stoabergmarsch" in summer. "Green Event" means that particular attention is paid to waste avoidance, energy efficiency and environmentally friendly travel for guests. This year, the "Nordic Park Experience" was submitted for the first time as a green event in the annual "Sustainable Winning" competition. The competition was organised by the BMNT for the eighth time this year.On 5 July, the time had finally come and Saalfelden Leogang Touristik GmbH was awarded a certificate for the "Nordic Park Experience" event series in the "Sports Events" category. Marco Pointner, Managing Director of Saalfelden Leogang Touristik, is delighted: "We are delighted about the nomination and are proud that the Nordic Park Experience is one of the best practice events in the area of "Green Events" throughout Austria. We are confident that more events from the region will make it into the "Green Event" network. From the cable cars to the events - our goal in Saalfelden Leogang is to impress guests with sustainable projects and secure our own future."
