St. Anton am Arlberg named "Best Tourism Village" 2023
Thanks to pioneering initiatives, Tyrolean municipality receives award from UN World Tourism Organization UNWTO
St. Anton am Arlberg was honoured during the third edition of the "Best Tourism Villages" initiative of the UN World Tourism Organization extern (UNWTO). This international accolade is testament to the Austrian community's commitment to responsible tourism and the preservation of its unique environment and cultural heritage.
Suspense filled the air when international tourism destinations were awarded the title of "Best Tourism Villages by UNWTO" for the third successive year at the 25th UNWTO General Assembly in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, on 19th October 2023. The 54 designated tourism villages extern from all over the world were therefore delighted to emerge victorious amongst the 260 applications from 60 nations, providing a strong endorsement of their outstanding values and dealings in the promotion of rural tourism. St. Anton am Arlberg in Tyrol joined Kaunertal (2021), Wagrain (2022), Zell am See (2022) and Schladming (2023) as the latest Austrian community to receive this globally recognised award from Peter Mall extern, Managing Director of St. Antoner Fremdenverkehrsförderungs GmbH. At a time when the global tourism sector is undergoing rapid change, St. Anton am Arlberg has demonstrated that it is possible to successfully reconcile tourism and sustainability.
This award acknowledges the long-standing efforts of the municipality and tourism association to promote sustainable practices and protect the environment, whilst preserving the rich cultural diversity of the resort. “Nomination of St. Anton am Arlberg as 'Best Tourism Village 2023' honours us greatly and fills us with pride!
The award is testimony to the fact that the municipality and tourism association are on the right track regarding the preservation of our living environment as well as in the sustainable tourism development of our region!", says a delighted Helmut Mall extern, Mayor of St. Anton am Arlberg.
About Best Tourism Villages by UNWTO
The Madrid-based UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) extern is the leading alliance in global tourism. It promotes sustainable and responsible tourism on an international level and is committed to socio-economic development, environmental protection and the preservation of cultural values. Best Tourism Villages by UNWTO 2021 is an initiative created to address the challenges of the rapidly growing world tourism sector and to bring tourism in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. UNWTO's award recognises destinations that have made a special commitment to sustainable tourism and protection of the environment. These award-winning villages and communities serve as both flagships and role models for responsible tourism.
"I am convinced that this comprehensive focus on sustainability will not only benefit the guests – by providing a high-quality and regional range of services – but above all the local population, businesses and employees,"says Susanne Kraus-Winkler extern, MRICS, State Secretary for Tourism at the Austrian Federal Ministry of Labour and Economic Affairs. "This will make the natural and cultural heritage of the region even more attractive in the long term. I am proud that Austria is home to outstanding tourism destinations of such exemplary character and that this commitment is now gaining international recognition."
Born of tradition and conviction – pioneering initiatives in St. Anton am Arlberg
“Much to our delight, the region's efforts in sustainable initiatives and enhancing the environment, which already culminated in an award at 'Entente Florale' in 2017, have now also been recognised by the UN World Tourism Organisation. St. Anton am Arlberg is proud bearer of the 'Best Tourism Village' award and will rigorously continue pursuing its sustainable practices, says Martin Ebster, Director of St. Anton am Arlberg Tourist Board.
St. Anton am Arlberg's environmental commitment includes various ecological measures and projects – from alternative energy generation and waste disposal, to nature-friendly piste maintenance and green mobility. Eco-friendly electricity was generated as early as 1921 with the first local hydroelectric power plant, and St. Anton am Arlberg has been entirely independent in terms of energy supply since 2006. The newly built local heating network with an annual heat output of 16.5 GWh, to which more than 80 company buildings are already connected, has also already saved over 5.4 million litres of heating oil and thus 14,400 tonnes of CO2 since its completion in November 2020. As an officially designated KLAR! model region (climate change adaptation model region), the environmentally conscious population of St. Anton am Arlberg is working intensively on various sustainability and climate protection projects and is currently in the second phase of the nationwide programme.
As a key technology in the transport revolution, St. Anton am Arlberg is also actively involved in the transition to electromobility as part of the "So fährt TIROL 2050" project and is considered an attractive destination for rail travellers from all over Europe. The mountain village is a Railjet station, offering seven direct connections a day from Vienna and Zurich. Since 2023, St. Anton am Arlberg has also been home to the world's highest ICE (inter-city express) railway station, located directly in the village centre. Guests, in fact, don’t need a car throughout the entire holiday region: free buses shuttle regularly to and from all parts of the village and surrounding regions in the Stanzer Valley. Thanks to the new GreTA (Green Travel Alternatives) tool, guests have been able to coordinate their journey from the first to the last metre with regard to creating the smallest possible CO2 footprint since summer 2022.
