Destinazione Nassfeld-Pressegger See, Lesachtal and Weissensee
Who we are:
The Nassfeld-Pressegger See, Lesachtal and Weissensee (NLW) in Carinthia is a prominent tourism destination that for several years has been moving steadily to improve its impacts on sustainability. Comprised of ten municipalities and a total population of 21.214, every year the NLW generates around 2.2 million overnight stays and over 440.000 arrivals. The regional cooperation exists since 1999, in the beginning the name was “Karnische Tourismus GmbH”. The name of NLW was given in 2014.Over the years, the destination has been able to develop and regenerate its tourism products, by meeting market demand and by increasingly involving the community in its decision-making processes.
Tell us about sustainability, what are you good at?
The three areas comprised in the NLW destination have developed their own claim and tourism concept, but they are characterised by a commonly shared integrated sustainable approach, based on some key initiatives and strategies supporting sustainable forms of tourism in the destination.
These include:
- Handling of the region with local products – Slow Food Travel – Alpine pastures – MADE, Malga and Alm Desired Experience
- Energy and resource use – AAE – Association Energie-Autark – E5 (eeeee) communities
- Reduction of tourist traffic – Mobility concept – FRED car sharing
- Exemplary waste water and waste disposal or recycling – Wastewater Association Carnic Region – Waste Management Association West Carinthia
Why did you choose GSTC certification?
- 1st region Austria-wide with this standard
- cross-border region worldwide (Tarvis and NLW)
- applied worldwide in contrast to other certifications
- Shall lead to a common understanding of “sustainable tourism”
- Recognized by Assurance Services International (international body that ensures the validity of sustainability standards on an international level) •
- Verification/control of the standard by an independent organization
- Standard refers not only to environmental criteria, but also to cultural, socio-economic and management criteria
Please leave Vireo some feedback
The audit went very well and it was an important experience for us. Throughout the certification process, we have become even more aware of the importance of the following points:
- Networking with stakeholders
- Feedback from locals and guests We are already very satisfied with our approach to sustainability, but of course we know that this is a continuous process and we have to keep working on it.