Otztal Making Itself Fit For The Future
Preserving the tried and tested, promoting the new and creating an attractive living, economic and leisure area: this strategy is being pursued at various levels in the Ötztal. For example with a regional shop in the Mesner Haus in Längenfeld, a Tyrol-wide pilot project in the successful networking of farmers and gastronomy or the unique get-together for tourism students from five nations at the end of March in Sölden. Answers to the question of which path the longest side valley in Tyrol takes with its brands Ötztal, Sölden and Gurgl are provided by the future processes supported by municipalities, Ötztal tourism and mountain railways.
First Widum, then inn and today a point of contact for those looking for information. The historically valuable Mesner house from the 17th century has endured as a frequented center in the spa town of Längenfeld. It also houses a regional shop, which nine local producers use to sell their products. After the first few months, those responsible draw a positive interim conclusion. "From Ötztal honey and sheep's wool products to high-quality brandies: the range has become well established among locals and guests and is in high demand," says Leopold Holzknecht, who is responsible for the Ötztal brand at the tourism association Employees of Ötztal Tourismus They only have to refill the shelves.
Pilot project with gastronomy & series of events
Since October 2022, Raphael Kuen has been responsible for the sustainability agenda in Ötztal as habitat manager. A milestone in bringing gastronomy and farmers together is the cooperation with the companies of Martin Riml GmbH in Sölden. This has agreed to include one of the Tyrolean quality meat programs, which up until now has only been anchored in retail, on its menu. This goes hand in hand with the purchase of Tyrolean alpine cattle as a whole. "Since the start of the World Cup in Sölden at the end of October, 30 animals have already been sold. A total of almost 20,000 kg of high quality Tyrolean meat should be on the plate by the end of the season. The Tyrol-wide supply guarantees security of supply," reports Raphael Kuen. What are the consequences of climate change for the Ötztal and what measures can be taken on site? A new series of events was initiated to sensitize the Ötztal population and guests to the topic. The start is a lecture by the well-known TV meteorologist Markus Wadsak on April 20th in the Gurgl Carat.
Sölden is looking for the gastro super talent
48 tourism students from five European countries between the ages of 17 and 20 will gather from March 27th to 29th, 2023 at the summit of the Gaislachkogl for the premiere of "Sölden sucht das Gastro Supertalent". The program includes competitions in the areas of cuisine, service and Marketing where the next generation demonstrates their skills The idea behind the event is also to promote the exchange of young professionals with top names in the industry and at the same time to provide a platform to highlight the positive aspects of the associated professional fields such as young people from the Villa Blanka in Innsbruck, the Swiss Hotel Management School in Lucerne or the Bergius School in Frankfurt.
What does the Ötztal stand for?
The development processes for the Ötztal, Sölden and Gurgl brands started in autumn 2020. The initiative was brought to life by municipalities, Ötztal Tourismus and the mountain railways - with the aim of creating a successful living, business and leisure area for locals, employees and guests. The regions position themselves with their special strengths and unique selling propositions. Overall, the Ötztal is to be perceived as “The alpine sports park” in the future. While Sölden addresses the group of sporty lifestylers, Gurgl wants to provide active premium holidaymakers with a comfortable home base. In the central Ötztal, sporty and active explorers are addressed, the front Ötztal is aimed at sporty adventurers with its outdoor competence. Both locals and guests benefit from the associated projects. Current proof of this is the newly created village maintenance team in Sölden, which has been taking care of a clean ambience every day since December 2022.
Dialect as a connecting element
The dialect has not only been considered an identity-forming element in the Ötztal since it was chosen as an intangible cultural heritage. In the context of his latest work "Ban ins dinnan im Tol", the local musician Gilbert takes up the beauty and peculiarities of the local dialect. During a concert on 25 February at the Vivea Health Hotel in Umhausen, the songs on the CD will be presented to a broader public in Ötztal for the first time.
