Prepared for what lies ahead in tourism
Stay up-to-date with current, independent statistics and information on tourism in the Alpine region.
F.acT: What was the idea behind datahub.tirol? What is its objective?
Fritz Fahringer: datahub.tirol arose from the need to not only collect data in Tyrol, but to use it strategically - for business, science and society. Especially at a time when issues such as the climate crisis, digitalization and the shortage of skilled workers are coming together, we need a place that structures data, makes it secure and makes it usable.
It was originally a project as part of the digital.tirol initiative. Today, datahub.tirol is a growing data ecosystem with the aim of enabling data-driven business models - with a clear focus on regional cooperation and European values such as sovereignty, security and fairness. Together with Sophisticated Simplicity, datahub.tirol 2025 also received the Constantinus Award from the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber (UBIT) as a flagship project.
F.acT: How does the datahub.tirol work?
Fritz Fahringer: datahub.tirol is not a classic "data marketplace", but a community with a toolbox:
- Companies and organizations can share their data securely via so-called "data spaces" - always while maintaining data sovereignty.
- Instead of centralized storage, the focus is on networked exchange - technically enabled by European standards and connectors.
- This is complemented by educational offers (e.g. the Data Academy), workshops, consultations and use cases that show how data can be used in practice - from energy management to sustainable tourism.
F.acT: And where do you see the biggest challenges at the moment?
Fritz Fahringer: Data is there - but often not usable. Many companies do not know what value their data has or how they can use it strategically.
Challenges include
- Lack of standards for data preparation and evaluation
- Fear of data loss or legal uncertainty
- High costs for new digital processes or AI applications
This is exactly where we support organizations: from the initial introduction to the development of new digital products. It is important to us that everyone can participate - from start-ups to municipalities
What added value do you see in datahub.tirol, especially for Tyrolean tourism?
Fritz Fahringer: Tirol lives to a considerable extent from tourism - and tourism lives from information. If you know when, where and how many guests are traveling, you can manage, protect and communicate better.
The datahub.tirol is an investment in the future and helps, for example:
- Analyze visitor flows using combined data from weather, traffic and mobility
- Provide event data centrally - enter once, visible everywhere
- Networktourism associations via the Tirol geodata pool and prepare information, e.g. on hiking trails, in a machine-readable format
- Provide statistics on tourism development automatically and usably
The result is a networked, digital tourism - in which Tirol not only follows, but also determines where the path leads. Data from Tyrol and for Tyrol.