alpe adria trail. why trekking routes? „great walks“ worldwide – milfort track, new zealand...

Alpe Adria Trail

Why Trekking Routes?

• „Great walks“ worldwide

– Milfort Track, New Zealand– Appalachian Trail, North America– Trans Canada Trail, Canada– Peer-Gynt-Trail, Norway…

• Signal function related to the hiking and trekking competence in a region

Top Trails of Germany

• 12 certified hiking trails (Rothaarsteig, Rheinsteig, Westerwaldsteig, Goldsteig, …

• Considerable range of hiking possibilities• Germany hiking destination• ‘new’ competitor in hiking tourism• Increase of overnight stays• Each trail an independent brand• Operated by central organizations

Market Research T-Mona periodical visitor survey

• Sportive activities– Swimming (in the lakes) 58%– Hiking 54%– Swimming (indoor or outdoor pools) 43%– Cycling 36%

• Criteria for destination decision– Landscape / nature 66%– Air quality / climate 56%– Lakes / lidos / swimming possibilities 45%– Mountains 43%

• Kind of holidays you spent– Swimming / beach holidays 48%– Recreational holidays 47%– Active holidays 40% & Family holidays 40%– Hiking holidays 28%

Alpe Adria Trail – Key facts

• First trilateral touristic project in this area• From the highest mountain in Austria (Großglockner) to the

Adriatic Sea (Muggia / Triest) – or vice versa • Across the most attractive hiking regions in Friuli Venezia

Giulia, western Slovenia and Carinthia• Storyline: Hiking in the garden of Eden (Glory – Chill -

Intensity) • 43 stages & approx. 750 km (3-coutries tour included) • Each stage approx. 15 – 20 km; 6 h hiking max.• Each stage with an adequate trail quality • Existing guideline for creating Alpe Adria Trail stages

Alpe Adria TrailHiking in the Garden of Eden

Storyline„Garden of Eden“

Technical funciton(Routing, infrastructure, logistic,

services, …)

nature

culture food

Basi

c Q

ualit

y

QMS

Exce

llenc

e Q

.

Common for all

Possibility of differentiation

Common communication with image contrast

Common core with regional specifications

Arc of suspense / excitement

Starting / final place

Landmark

Magic Point

Route

From Großglockner to the Sea

(or vice versa)

• Ca. 750 km plus ca. 130 km 3-countries round-tour• 37 stages plus 6 stages 3-

countries round-tour• Common project Tourismo

FVG, Slovenia Tourism, Carinthian Tourism• 1st presentation ITB 2012 -

March

Integrated 3 countries tourWeiterer Verlauf AAT

Stage Locations

Italy 3 (Valbruna, Tarvis, Rif. Zacchi)

Slovenia 1 (Kranjska Gora)

Carinthia 3 (Baumgartnerhöhe/Faaker See, Warmbad, Nötsch/Feistritz)

Weiterer Verlauf AAT

Content cooperation agreement

• Trilateral cooperation • Existing hiking paths• Common storyline – hiking in the garden of Eden• Main product for hiking tourism• Long-term project – management organization to be installed• Costs for product development proportionate• € 15.000,- marketing costs per stage and year (agreement for

the next 3 years)• Costs for infrastructure (ca. € 25.000,- per stage) each

country / region by itself or via subsidies – in the next 1 to 2 years to be implemented

Examples for signposting

Evaluation:• Signposting in both directions!• Affirmation sign after crossings (200 m)• General improvement

CD – installations in nature

Starting-/ending pointsSo far 9 starting-/ending points in Carinthia; 10 more to come

Column in the middle: info about position; right & left columns information about the departing stages towards sea resp. towards glacier.

Ring filling is typical for the region (e.g. larch wood; granite; limestone)

Millstätter Alpe - Alexanderhütte Seeboden - Klingerpark

St. Oswald – Falkerthaus/Lärchenhütte Heiligenblut – Kaiser Franz Josefs Höhe

Design of boards • Bilingual

(national language + Englisch)

• QR-Code (Link to the app with detailed info in all 4 languages)

• Function: general trail info (random tourist) resp. stage info for AAT-hiker

Landmarks & magic places

• Landmark-information (prototype left): Landmarks are witnesses resp. elements of the cultivated and natural landscape along the stages (e.g. churches, chapels, mills, waterfalls, …)

• Magic places (above): special places in the Garden of Eden. They invite the hikers not only to see the beauty of the landscape but also to feel it and thus to experience deep emotions (intensity).

Next steps

• Perfect signposting • Alpe-Adria-Trail

accommodation – special criteria• Alpe-Adria-Trail packages• Common booking center (one-stop-shop):

accommodation, luggage transfer, return transport, lunch vouchers, other services

• Installations in nature (common starting points; landmarks; magic points)

Thank you for your attention!

bojan.meden@slovenia.info