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OÖ Tourismus GmbH, Robert MaybachSustainability & climate awareness at OÖ Touristik
Our path to ecological sustainability
In September 2024, we tested e-transporters for the first time as an environmentally friendly alternative to our diesel buses. The test run took place along the Danube from Passau to Vienna. The test was a great success; all the drivers were delighted with the driving experience of the electric vans. As soon as a new van is purchased, we will consider the e-version.
Our latest projects
New in Season 2025: No more printed bike book & handlebar bag
Together for a Good Cause: We want to contribute to sustainability – and our guests can support us in this effort starting from the 2025 season. By opting out of the printed bike book and handlebar bag when booking a cycling, mountain biking, or hiking trip, guests can save valuable resources and receive a €10 discount per person in return. Our guests can decide whether the discount is deducted from the trip price or donated to a good sustainable cause.
We have chosen to donate to the organization World Bicycle Relief. World Bicycle Relief empowers people with bicycles, helping them overcome distances, gain independence, and improve their lives through their own efforts. You can find more information here.
Sustainable on the path: our Tour of the Year with wooden bikes from My Esel
On our Tour of the Year BioRegion discovery tour through the Mühlviertel region, we are offering wooden rental bikes from My Esel for the first time. Only regional, certified wood is used in production. In this way, we promote sustainability and support local resources. Our customers experience breathtaking & environmentally friendly riding fun on the unique bikes with a frame made of regional core ash.
Find out why exactly wood is used for these distinctive bikes here.
Our milestones on the road to sustainability
2024
- Testing electric vans for luggage transportation
In September 2024, we tested electric vans for the first time as an environmentally friendly alternative to our diesel buses. The test run took place along the Danube from Passau to Vienna. The test was a great success; all drivers were delighted with the driving experience of the electric vans. As soon as a new van is purchased, we will consider the e-version. - Climate Alliance company
We decided to enter into a partnership with Climate Alliance Austria in 2024 because it is important to us to take responsibility where we can have an impact ourselves. By joining the Climate Alliance, these measures are now being bundled and driven forward more strongly. The certification is valid until the end of 2027. - Bicycle inner tube recycling
We have been using Schwalbe inner tubes for years. When they are worn out, we send them back to Schwalbe, where they can be 100% recycled. In this way, we avoid disposing of broken inner tubes unnecessarily and producing more waste. The energy balance of this programme, including all transport routes, is extremely positive: only a fifth of the energy is consumed compared to the production of the same quantity of new bicycle inner tubes.
2023
- Reconditioning and repair of e-bike batteries
Used e-bike batteries are reconditioned and repaired by us. This conserves raw materials, energy resources and the climate by reducing the production of new batteries. - Climate-friendly printing of catalogues
Our catalogues were printed climate-neutrally for the first time in 2023, which means that all CO2 emissions from the print job are offset. This means that the overall impact on the global climate remains neutral. We have replaced the previous glossy cover with a more environmentally friendly cardboard version. The colours may not shine in all their glory, but they are still beautiful to look at and are much better for our environment overall. - We have also launched the "Paperless travelling" project. We are working intensively on being able to provide travel documents in digital form. We are currently optimising a replacement solution for the classic hotel vouchers.
2019
- Optimisation of catalogue dispatch
We have optimised the dispatch of our catalogues and have dispensed with environmentally harmful film packaging. Instead, we use paper envelopes.
2010
- Ecolabel
Since 2010, many of our cycling holidays have been regularly awarded the Austrian Ecolabel. This award stands for environmentally and socially compatible travel products and motivates us to continuously integrate environmental and climate protection into our everyday work.
Travelling with the Ecolabel guarantees- the protection of the environment: the low CO2 emissions are a significant contribution to climate protection
- Overnight stays in regional establishments with minimum environmental standards or hotels with eco-label certification
- regional added value
- Contact with the local population
- typical natural and cultural highlights
The certification is valid until the end of 2025.
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OÖ Tourismus, Wolfgangsee, Moritz AblingerSustainable travelling
Sustainability on our journeys
We are convinced that travelling and environmental protection can go hand in hand and are therefore actively committed to sustainable practices in all areas of our company.
- Selection of our partners
We select our partners and accommodation carefully and motivate them to commit to sustainability. One way we do this is by asking our partner hotels about the steps they have already taken towards sustainability; in our hotel contracts, we ask whether they have already been certified or whether they have any sustainability campaigns in place. We also motivate our partners to apply for the Austrian Sustainability Award.
As mentioned in our milestones:
- Sustainable catalogues
We have been using paper envelopes instead of film packaging since 2019 The cycling holiday catalogue has been printed climate-neutrally since 2023 and uses an environmentally friendly cardboard cover - Paperless travel
We are working on providing travel documents digitally and optimising paperless hotel vouchers. - Sustainability is also a key issue for our hired bikes. Here are some of our measures:
- Recycling Schwalbe inner tubes saves waste and energy.
- Reconditioning and repairing e-bike batteries reduces new production and e-waste.
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OÖ Tourismus, Martin FickertSustainable in the office
Sustainability in everyday office life
Sustainability is a top priority for us. We are actively committed to environmentally friendly office practices and would like to give you an insight into our measures.
- Paperless office
We have been working on making our office as paperless as possible for around 10 years. If we have to print, we do so in an environmentally friendly way: black and white and double-sided. - Regional products
We buy coffee from a regional roasting plant and make sure that other office supplies are also environmentally friendly. Seasonal fruit with the shortest possible transport routes is available to our employees every day. - Business trips and home office
We use bicycles for short business trips and offer our employees
two season tickets for public transport in Linz. We also enable employees to work from home to reduce commuting and the CO2 footprint. - Waste separation
We take care to separate waste correctly and dispose of it in a recyclable manner. In this way, we help to conserve resources and protect the environment. - E-charging station in our garage
We have electric charging stations in our garage for environmentally friendly transport. In this way, we promote the use of electric vehicles and support sustainable mobility.
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OÖ Tourismus GmbH, ErberOur environmental mission statement
Our Environmental Mission
We are committed to continuously improving our environmental performance and actively involving our partners, suppliers, customers and employees in our sustainability measures. Our environmental mission statement sets out these commitments and sets clear goals to ensure environmental protection in all our activities.
As organizers of sustainably-oriented travel packages, we take our responsibility for the environment very seriously and strive to preserve a livable and healthy environment for future generations. It is important to us to actively involve our partners, suppliers, customers, and employees in the measures we have set and to familiarize them with the importance of sustainability. Our actions aim to continuously advance and improve environmental protection for our travel offerings and within our company.
By adhering to the criteria of the Austrian Ecolabel and the Climate Alliance Upper Austria, we seek to minimize the most significant environmental impacts that arise throughout the three phases of the service lifecycle (procurement, provision, disposal). To communicate our environmental performance more effectively, we endeavor to meet the requirements of the Austrian Ecolabel for travel offers and the Climate Alliance Upper Austria.
- We provide training to our employees on resource-efficient and environmentally friendly behavior, as well as the development of eco-friendly trips.
- We inform our partners about the opportunities to support our environmental goals.
- We inform our customers about the possibility of booking trips according to the criteria of the Austrian Ecolabel and motivate them to do so.
- We encourage our customers to consider climate-friendly transportation options, such as using public transportation.
- We offer our customers paperless travel documents.
- We prefer environmentally friendly partners whenever possible.
- We pay attention to limiting our energy consumption.
- We pay attention to limiting our water consumption.
- We pay attention to limiting the amount of waste generated and ensure proper waste separation.
- We prefer goods and food that are less environmentally harmful, resource-efficient, sustainably produced, or have environmental labels.
- We offer our employees flexible working hours and opportunities for remote work, thereby reducing commuting and our CO2-footprint.