SERVICES
Consultancy, Process Facilitation and Conference Moderation
Some of our experiences in the areas of consulting, organization and moderation:
2026-28
VITA Futura
ViTA_futura is a transdisciplinary, youth-centered research and education partnership that aims to work with schools, local stakeholders, and the academic community to shape a livable future in the Stubai and Wipptal valleys. The initiative focuses on quality of life, real-world laboratories/future workshops, and the role of young people as change agents for sustainable regional transformation.
Private Sector Engagement for Vocational Education and Training in Hospitality Management in Georgia (PSE-VET):
As part of the University of Applied Sciences of Graubünden, Christian is assisting the Swiss organization Swisscontact with the planning and implementation of the project.
2025-28
2025-27
From Cooperation to Collaboration
The “Weltweitwandern Wirkt!” project supports women’s cooperatives in Morocco’s High Atlas Mountains through a cooperative center, training, coaching, and a shared regional brand. The goal is to help the cooperatives become more economically professional, better integrate them into the tourism sector, and thereby sustainably promote income generation, gender equality, and local value creation.
Sustainable tourism in local hands
High Atlas / Morocco: From the “living school” to holistic life education. Sustainable tourism in local hands.
Financed by EZA Vorarlberg, Christian works with Weltweitwandern Wirkt! on basic tourism training for disadvantaged young people and women in Ait Bougmez in the High Atlas. The campus vivande aims to offer theoretical and practical entry opportunities into tourism.
https://www.weltweitwandernwirkt.org/bildungsprojekte/marokko/
2021-2023
2021-2022
Future Tourism Austria – Beyond Recovery
Inspired by DMAA (Destination Monitor Austria) and the Austrian National Tourist Office, Austrian destinations sought goals and paths for tourism transformation: sustainability transformation as well as digital, cultural, and systemic transformation. Christian moderated and coordinated the sustainability transformation component.
Sustainable Tourism in Kyrgyzstan
Financed by the GIZ (German Agency for International Cooperation) and in cooperation with KATO (Kyrgyz Association of Tour Operators), travel offers in Kyrgyzstan are being made more sustainable. Trainings and internal certification bring more value creation and participation for local communities as well as a reduction in the carbon footprint.
2021-2022
2020
Ecotourism Strategy Georgia
On behalf of the GIZ and in close cooperation with Georgian authorities and business associations, an ecotourism strategy was developed, which will be incorporated into the official tourism strategy. Due to the pandemic, some of the workshops were held virtually.
CEETO Conference Moderation
The main objective of the CEETO project is the protection and enhancement of the natural heritage of Protected Areas (PAs) and the Natura 2000 network by promoting an innovative, sustainable tourism planning model that reduces usage conflicts, maintains social and territorial cohesion, improves the quality of life for local communities, and encourages the tourism industry to make a concrete contribution to nature conservation.
Christian Baumgartner gave a keynote speech and moderated the final conference of the INTERREG project CEETO (Central European Ecotourism).
https://www.europarc.org/about-us/europarc-projects/ceeto-project/
2020
2018-2020
Healing Landscape Lesachtal
Two health congresses and a series of workshops have led to a ‘Healing Landscape’ strategy for the Lesachtal region in Carinthia (AT).
Many aspects of the valley are ‘healing’: the positive health effects of high-altitude hiking and the healing effects of waterfall aerosols have long been researched. In recent years, the analysis of the healing effects of spending time in the forest has been added. Overall, it can be said that spending time and exercising in nature are clearly beneficial to health. This is complemented by healthy food directly from (organic) producers, old breeds of domestic animals, Slow Food, and the traditional cultural landscape, all of which contribute to deceleration, balance, and psychological health.
The religious history and the tangible spirituality in the daily life of the Lesachtal cover another area of mental and emotional health.
‘Healing Landscape Lesachtal’ attempts to summarize all these dimensions and stands for a further development of the valley, in close cooperation with the neighboring East Tyrolean municipalities, which should benefit the population while also providing new impulses in tourism towards Alpine health tourism. The conditions for this are excellently suited.
NatureTourNet
NatureTourNet is a cross-border project in the Interreg SK-AT funding program, which supports the sustainable development of protected areas in the border region between Slovakia (Zitný ostrov region) and Austria (Neusiedler See-Seewinkel National Park, Rosalia-Kogelberg Nature Park, and Neusiedler See – Leithagebirge Nature Park) and is intended to boost ecotourism.
Response & ability is developing a strategy for the joint development and marketing of cross-border ecotourism products.
2019
2019
Austrian World Summit
Moderation of the breakout session “Sustainable Tourism and Climate Change” as part of the Austrian World Summit R20AWS.
Nationalparks Austria Position Paper Tourism
In several workshops with the directors of the Austrian National Parks, response & ability developed the position paper ‘Tourism in Austria’s National Parks. Sustainability as an Opportunity for Successful Nature Conservation and Regional Development’.
Position Paper Tourism of the Austrian National Parks (pdf, 1.4 MB)2018-2019
2018-2019
Healing Landscape
Within the framework of a LEADER+ project, the Lesachtal (Carinthia / Austria) aims to achieve a new positioning with comprehensive health tourism. This is intended to strengthen the living and economic space of the locals and contribute to the long-term protection of the traditional cultural landscape. Christian Baumgartner moderates the two international health tourism conferences and a strategy workshop designed to translate the project results into long-term development strategies.
European Cultural Route of Reformation (ECRR)
On the occasion of the Reformation anniversary in 2017, 11 partners from 7 countries are working within the framework of an Interreg Central Europe project on the development of a Cultural Route of the Reformation certified by the Council of Europe. In addition to historical processing, the development of tourism products, the creation of a web portal, and the training of local stakeholders are central project tasks. Response & ability takes on various tasks for one of the two Austrian partners, the Evangelical Church of the Augsburg Confession.
www.interreg-central.eu/Content.Node/ECRR.html (en)
Status of preservation of Reformation linked cultural heritage (pdf, 0.2 MB, en)2016-2019
2016-2019
European Cultural Route of Reformation (ECRR)
On the occasion of the Reformation anniversary in 2017, 11 partners from 7 countries worked within the framework of an Interreg Central Europe project on the development of a Cultural Route of the Reformation certified by the Council of Europe. In addition to historical processing, the development of tourism products, the creation of a web portal, and the training of local stakeholders were central project tasks. Response & ability took on various tasks for one of the two Austrian partners, the Evangelical Church of the Augsburg Confession.
Certification by the Council of Europe took place in May 2019 – significantly earlier than expected.
Status of preservation of Reformation linked cultural heritage (pdf, English, 0.2 MB)Georgian Mountain Rural and Eco-Tourism and Organic Agriculture (GRETA)
For the Austrian Development Agency (ADA), a project proposal was developed for the EU for a project to develop sustainable mountain tourism and strengthen organic agriculture in Georgia. Several visits to the country, interviews, and stakeholder workshops formed the basis for project documents that ultimately led to a successful EU application.
2018
2018
Alpine Convention Peatland Conference
During the Austrian Presidency of the Alpine Convention, response & ability took over the moderation of the international peatland conservation conference at the Styrian Ödensee (Austria).
WWWWW - Weltweitwandern Workshop in the Desert
For the Austrian tour operator Weltweitwandern, a workshop in Morocco was provided with moderation and expert input – together with Harald Friedl and Margit Leuthold. Partner agencies from 15 countries participated in the desert trek with daily discussions, exchange of experience, and strategy development.
2017
2016-2017
Industrial Culture on the Fischa Cycle Path, Fischamend, Lower Austria/AT
Together with Ulrike Balek / pronatour, a concept for staging industrial culture on the Fischa Cycle Path in the LEADER region Römerland-Carnuntum (Lower Austria) was developed and presented to the region. The concept also includes a target group analysis and exemplary tourism offers along the route. Implementation is scheduled for 2018-19.
3rd Tourism Mobility Day (2016)
Cooperation is essential for the implementation of sustainable mobility solutions in tourism. Especially at the destination level, common goal-setting and increased cooperation among the partners involved are of great importance. On October 11, 2016, the Federal Ministry of Science, Research and Economy, the Federal Ministry of Transport, Innovation and Technology, and the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, Environment and Water Management invited participants to the 3rd Tourism Mobility Day in Velden am Wörthersee / Austria. Response & ability assisted with the content preparation, and Christian Baumgartner had the honor of moderating the event.
www.bmwfw.gv.at/Tourismus/TourismuspolitischeThemen/Seiten/3.-Tourismus-Mobilitätstag.aspx
2016
2015-2019
Church in Tourism - Model Regions
Building on the short study ‘Tourism Chaplaincy in the Context of the Austrian Tourism Industry’, the follow-up project seeks to position the Evangelical Church in the context of tourism regions and develops spiritual-tourism offers in four Austrian model regions. The model regions are: Neusiedlersee – Rosalia (Burgenland) / Upper Gailtal-Lesachtal-Weissensee (Carinthia) / Inner Salzkammergut (Upper Austria) / Ossiachersee – Gerlitzen Alpe (Carinthia).
In addition, proposals for the future structure of holiday chaplaincy are being developed.
Climate Neutral Tourism in Montenegro
On behalf of UNDP Montenegro, response & ability produced an analysis as part of the large-scale Climate Neutral Tourism in Montenegro project to prepare for the introduction of a climate or environmental label for accommodation providers in Montenegro. Existing European labels, their potential application in Montenegro, and the readiness of the Montenegrin tourism sector for certification were examined.
2015
2012-2014
Transdanube – Sustainable Transport and Tourism along the Danube
On its way to the Black Sea, the Danube flows through ten countries, making it one of the most “transnational” rivers in the world. It is a river steeped in history and an important link between South-East European regions. Nevertheless, the river’s role as a transport link between the regions was limited for a long time.
TransDanube aims to raise the low level of accessibility and the poor quality of transport services in South-East Europe, which are a major obstacle to future economic and growth development in the region. By developing sustainable mobility offers, the project contributes to improving accessibility and advancing the concept of sustainable tourism throughout the Danube region. The region will benefit from the increasing added value resulting from tourists’ access to the river’s hinterland. Christian Baumgartner worked for the Danube Competence Centre as part of this project.
Christian Baumgartner worked on this project for the Danube Competence Centre.
CultTour – Garden Cultural Heritage as a Focus for Sustainable Tourism
CultTour is an INTERREG IVB project funded by the EU under the ETC (European Territorial Cooperation) and South East Europe Program (SEE) and co-funded by the ERDF (European Regional Development Fund). CultTour strives to develop strategies for the preservation and enhancement of the heritage of cultural gardens and open spaces in order to bring them to contemporary use in tourism while preserving the “genius loci”. Furthermore, CultTour endeavors to develop scenarios and strategies for integrated tourism development based on guidelines for sustainable tourism and regional economy.
Christian Baumgartner was involved in this project as part of his work at the IMC University of Applied Sciences Krems.
2011-2014
2011-2013
DanubeHike – Hiking along the Danube
As an implementation project of the European Strategy for the Danube Region (EUSDR), DanubeHike analyzed the possibilities of hiking tourism along the Danube, as well as the needs and opportunities for developing new hiking tourism offers.
The project was funded by the European Commission, DG Enterprise, Tourism Unit, as well as the Tourism Section of the Austrian Ministry of Economy and the Slovak Ministry of Tourism. The project was carried out for Naturefriends International.
This project was implemented on behalf of Naturefriends International.
Sustainability Strategy for the German School in Shanghai (China)
Christian Baumgartner developed a sustainability strategy for the German School in Shanghai (China).
2012
2001-2010
Montenegro
In his capacity as a tourism development expert, Christian Baumgartner was invited by OSCE Montenegro, together with Margit Leuthold from respect, to visit the Bjelasica/Komovi region in May 2001 and assess the potential for the development of sustainable tourism. He moderated a participatory workshop with participants from all municipalities and representatives of the national park. The assessment resulted in a ten-year program for the Bjelasica region: in the following years, he continued to be involved in the development of a strategy for sustainable regional and tourism development.
CIPRA Alpine Tourism
Together with CIPRA International (International Commission for the Protection of the Alps, www.cipra.org), the framework conditions for sustainable tourism in the Alps are being analyzed on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety (BMUB). Various departmental responsibilities, policy levels, and challenges in federal states are equally considered.
2009
2007-2009
Landscape of the Year 2007-09 Danube Delta
The “Landscape of the Year” model is a regional development approach by Naturefriends International, which won the Ulysses Sustainability Award from the World Tourism Organization in 2013.
Christian Baumgartner was, among other things, primarily responsible for the Landscape of the Year Danube Delta (Romania, Ukraine), where numerous impulses for the sustainable development of the delta and the entire Danube region were set.
Iron Curtain Trail
As a project assignment for the European Commission, DG Enterprise, Tourism Unit, Christian Baumgartner organized a series of regional multi-stakeholder workshops to prepare and discuss a long-distance cycle route (Eurovelo XIII) along the former Iron Curtain.
https://ec.europa.eu/growth/sectors/tourism/offer/sustainable/cycling-routes_de
2007
2006
European Conference "Environmentally Friendly Travel in Europe."
Challenges and Innovations for Environment, Transport and Tourism”
Within the framework of the Austrian EU Presidency and the Austrian Presidency of the Alpine Convention, the Austrian Ministry for a Life Worth Living, the Federal Ministry of Transport, Innovation and Technology, and the Federal Ministry of Economy and Labour organized the European conference “Environmentally Friendly Travel in Europe. Challenges and Innovations for Environment, Transport and Tourism”.
Christian Baumgartner was significantly involved in the program design, organization, and drafting of the final document and the conference brochure.
China
Within the framework of the China-EU cooperation program in the field of environmental management, Christian Baumgartner contributed to two modules: firstly, the development of an ecotourism strategy for the city of Hailin (Heilongjiang province), focusing on the Amur tiger as well as forest and lake reserves. Secondly, the assessment of opportunities for the development of sustainable tourism in the city of Zhaotong / Yunnan region, with special attention to environmentally compatible tourism development of the Yu Dong Reservoir and the Da Shan Bao Nature Reserve.
2004-2005
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