Free University of Bolzano/Brunico - July 2010 

Majors and representatives from the municipalities Franzensfeste, Mühlbach, Natz-Schabs, Rodeneck and Vahrn accepted the invitation of Hugo Götsch, Hans Karl Wytrzens, Barbara De Candido and Emanuel Valentin to the first DEMOCHANGE steering group meeting organized by the Free University of Bolzano.

To be part of a sustainable development which evolves with the needs of our people, as the DEMOCHANGE slogan suggests, is one of the main goals the steering group is aiming at. Furthermore, South Tyrol is a region where demographic change plays also a crucial role in tourism, since tourism is one of the major economic sectors. Hence, the steering group decides that the planned pilot activity has to merge cross-generational and adaptation strategies for tourism.

Starting from this, the steering group will start to work out a concept for the realization of a “healthy-hiking-adventure-path” which will link the different municipalities and their historical sites. This pilot activity will have among other things an impact on infrastructures, the hospitality industry and the medical service. At the same time it addresses not only tourists but aims also to the integration of the knowledge of senior locals, e.g. as hiking guides or contemporary witnesses.

The next steps to be taken will be an in-depth data collection by the FUB and the establishing of contacts with different stakeholders by the majors and municipality representatives.

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