Carinthia launches major tourism reform, consolidating 125 bodies into nine associations

The Carinthian state government approved five ordinances to implement the tourism reform law passed earlier this year. Starting 1 January 2027, the existing 125 tourism organisations will be merged into nine regional tourism associations that will work together with the public agency Kärnten Werbung to promote the state.

The new structure assigns municipalities to the nearest association, with notable changes for Feldkirchen and Zell. Each association will be governed by a board of nine entrepreneurs and the three mayors of the largest municipalities in the area. A new tourism levy of €4.50 per guest night, expected to raise about €70 million annually, will fund infrastructure projects and the associations' work.

The reform also introduces “experience zones” – management units covering up to three natural or cultural areas such as lake districts or valleys – overseen by dedicated experience‑zone managers. Tourism referent Sebastian Schuschnig (ÖVP) described the changes as a complete re‑ordering of the tourism map and emphasized that the zones are a management tool rather than a marketing gimmick.