30 y 31 Marzo de 2017 - Tolosa, Gipuzkoa Alpine Pearls Marketing Iraunkorra Marketing Sustainable Tourism www.alpine-pearls.com Karmen Mentil, Director, ÖAR Vienna Head Office Alpine Pearls: Werfenweng, Austria
My presentation: History of Alpine Pearls: how sustainable mobility became an attractive tourism product Marketing activities and results Processes in our destinations: best practice Werfenweng, Austria Co-operation of destinations: implications for the members Outlook for the future: how to carry on creating successful green travel products
Alpine Tourism in the 1990: Tourism destinations saw decreasing number of tourism arrivals but a growing number of cars. The forerunners reacted and developed innovations for soft mobility: Since ~1993-2000 first solutions developed: - (E-) (mtb-)bike rental increased heavily - E-Mobility test sites - First tests for E-Car sharing - greening of the hotel industry started - and much more.
Forerunner Werfenweng, Austria - Soft-mobility Mission Statement developed participatory in 1994 - Participation in Austrian Initiatives for Soft Mobility 1997 ff - Participation in various EU-Projects for Soft Mobility 2000 ff - Development of an outstanding sustainable tourism offer 2001 ff - Co-operation in networks, e.g. Alpine Pearls 2066 ff
2006: Foundation Alpine Pearls 30./31.1.2006
History Alpine Pearls Founded in 2006, with the financial support of EU-project Alps Mobility 2 and several Ministries of Alpine Countries. Objective: foster co-operation and tourism marketing for outstanding green travel destinations in the Alps 20016: 17 tourism destinations from Austria, France, Germany, Italy, Switzerland and Slovenia formed this NPO / association. 2017: Alpine Pearls has 24 Pearls of the Alps Alpine Pearls is a network (internal activities) and umbrella brand (marketing) of tourism destinations with focus on Sustainable Mobility for Guests Extensive catalogue of criteria to be fulfilled by every member: eco-friendly mobility for journey and on site mobility, high service quality, use of renewable energies, etc
Alpine Pearls Criteria the Promise of green Quality 24 places, that can be reached easily by train and public bus 24 places, that prevent their own typical regional characteristics and beauty 24 places, in which culinary and cultural diversity is promoted 24 places, with focus on renewable energies 24 places, where pedestrians are welcome! 24 places, where you can pass eco-friendly vacation with full mobility guarantee
Alpine Pearls... Holidays with mobility guarantee 1. Our Alpine Pearls are easily accessible via train and long-distance bus connections. 2. Last mile: Pick-up services care for the transfer from the train station to the hotel. 3. Guaranteed mobility around the destination thanks to a broad offer of mobility services 4. Trip planning made easy: Hosts support to organize the trip by public transport and motivate to use mobility services
All Pearls of the Alps at a glance: Yearly: 2,5 m. guests, over 12 m. guest overnight stays
The Alpine Pearls - Organization Alpine Pearls is an association based in Werfenweng (Austria) Each participating community has one vote on the member assembly Member fees for one Pearl is 12.000,- p.a. exemption: mini pearls pay 8.000,- p.a. Singular entry fee is 8.000 Alpine Pearl s yearly budget: about 300.000 New since 2015: Not only municipalities but also destinations can participate Legal basis: 1. Statutes of association 2. catalogue of criteria
Alpine Pearls tasks activities Administration, Quality Control Networking internal: with all members and associates, large yearly conference, study tours, workshops for product development, AP-hosts Marketing for its members by promoting their environmental friendliness and fun mobility / Media work / Campaigns Co-operations: railways, tour operators, ministries, mobility centres, tourism organizations, and industry (e-car, car-sharing, bikes, apparel, etc.) (EU-)Projects: develop and realize
EU-Projects Alpine Pearls: E-MOTICON / INTERREG Alpine Space E-Mobility in the Alps STREET / Erasmus+ Trainings for Mobility Managers GEMS / Europe for Citizens Green European Meetings for Sustainability Mobility.Camp.Alps / UBA Germany Bar Camps for sustainable tourism development
Alpine Pearls marketing communication, public-relations and media work, media-agencies in Germany, Italy and France Media trips Print products Website in 5 languages Online Marketing/Social Media Mkt Newsletter for 65.000 addresses Exhibitions, conferences
Alpine Pearls main target group Households without car in cities Mainly: Car-Sharing and car-rental user Train traveller and owners of bonus cards for public transport User of annual tickets for public transport
Label for Hotels: our certified Alpine Pearls Hosts Label for soft-mobility-hotels in our Pearls Alpine Pearls affiliated hosts offer gently-mobile holidays: They sustain sustainability in hotel management and actively support green mobility. In return promotion on varied media platforms of Alpine Pearls and possibilities for marketing activities e.g. marketing cooperations or media trips free of cost Catalogue of criteria has to be fulfilled Currently 74 certified hosts, 25 candidates
10 11 years Alpine Pearls some results Branding: AP is considered as THE expert network and brand for soft mobility in tourism Knowhow: >100 participants at the every yearly soft-mobility-conference Co-operation: strong network with internal and external partners Media: 12.000 media clippings Influencers: 3 Alpine Crossing large press trips / > 100 journalists, >200 indiv press trips on >250 conferences AP presented = 12.500 people reached FB followers: 14.000, Newsletter: 60.000 addresses
Soft Mobility best practice example Werfenweng Head office of Alpine Pearls www.werfenweng.eu
Introduction Werfenweng Soft mobility 45 km south of Salzburg, Austria. 900 inhabitants, 260.000 overnight stays. Core of the soft mobility offer: The SAMO-Card. This customer service card receive guests who arrive by train or bus OR leave their car key with the tourism info. All SAMO-Card offers are then free of charge!
Soft Mobility best practice example Werfenweng SAMO Card mobility offer: Free access to many local mobility offers like E-shuttles to town and railstation E-taxis in the village 12 e-cars to rent charged by solar power Biogas cars with biogas produced of grass
Soft Mobility best practice example Werfenweng SAMO-Card: Fun Mobility Cost-free rental of vehicles in the village center E-bikes, Pedelecs, E-Mountainbikes Electro scooter Segways, Twizy and many more e-vehicles Mountainbikes and bicycles scooter and vehicles for small children special bikes like tandems, etc.
Soft Mobility best practice example Werfenweng SAMO-Card: additional free advantages and offers / summer + winter bus tours guided hiking tours bicycle taxi entry to swimming lake tour with horse coach/sledge ice skating including skates trekking with lamas guided snow-shoe walking tour and much more.
Many positive effects, eg. - Projects for inhabitants - development of overnight stays:
Alpine Pearls: Joint offers of pearls: the pearlsnecklace-trips Train travel from pearl to pearl through Switzerland: Arosa Disentis Interlaken Les Diablerets special package to discover Switzerland and our pearls softly-mobile by train
Advantages for members of Alpine Pearls Clear mutual message on the market: WE are the alpine destinations where environmental friendly vacation is already possible conscious.soft.mobile Using the umbrella brand Alpine Pearls as a role model and communication medium Participation in EU projects (eg trainings, events, co-funding and subsidies) Bundling of resources for marketing, communication, PR and trade fairs Value added by rising no. of arrivals international exchange of experiences for mobility / sustainability numerous awards won by Alpine Pearls with its member destinations
Co-operation partners of Alpine Pearls Ministries, country offices, e.g. ministry of traffic Mobility and carsharing provider like DB, ÖBB, SBB, MeinFernbus Flixbus, JOJOB, Zipcar, Bund Carsharing Deutschland Tour operator: WWF-Nature, Equotube, Ecobnb, mobilito Regional and national tourism organizations: e.g. ÖW International networks: e.g. CIPRA, Alpine Convention, Nature Friends International (NFI), Alpine associations Cross-Marketing with other sectors of the economy
We have won numerous PRICES! Climate Star, Climate Alliance T.A.I. AdvertisingGrandPrix, Tourist Austria International, A VCD: CSR-Mobility Award, D VCÖ: Mobility Award Salzburg, A Energy Globe Award Salzburg Ecotrophea of DRV Nominated for UTOPIA Award Climate Protection Award Austria Travel One Sustainability Award - 2nd place Karmen Mentil Myself Award winner 2011 1st place WTTC Award WWF Panda d Oro 2012 Top 100 Sustainable Tourism Destionations 2016
Sustainable Tourism / Mobility projects Great chance for destinations to sharpen their profile stand out from others and to be successful on the market The lucky winners are the environment AND the entreprises AND the guests AND the inhabitants
Keys to success Local and regional: Create marketable tourism products: like the Werfenweng SAMO-Card : a customer service card with many included services Involve the hotels International networking: transfer of knowledge, dissemination, participantion in numerous projects Strong focus on specific target group(s) Innovations: in products, offers and in communication Inclusion of inhabitants: gently mobility services Credo: No MUSTS and DONT S - just ADVANTAGES
Alpine Pearls - Outlook for the future Our Pearls: work on improving the sustainable profile: mobility guarantee Our Pearls: Develop Premium.Qualities in soft activities (hiking, biking, e-mobility, etc.) Strengthen Network of Alpine Pearls Hosts Intensify Image campaigns and cross-marketing activities Intensify transnational Projects, eg. The E-Car-Holidays through the Alps Foundation of EGCT / European Grouping for Territorial Cooperation Develop similar concepts for other regions. like Mediterranean Pearls, Trans-Danube-Pearls and for other regions/countries?!
Alpine Pearls is... happy to welcome you to one of our events one day
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