Prepared for what lies ahead in tourism
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F.acT: How did Urlaub am Bauernhof (UaB) come about in Tyrol?
Klaus Loukota: Farm tourism was already described as an important additional source of income at the end of the 1950s in a concept of the Tyrolean Chamber of Agriculture (LK) - incidentally, this concept, provided with contemporary wording, could still be used today without any problems, as the values of farm vacations - farming in all its facets - have always been formulated as the core of the product. The first provincial organizations were founded in 1972 by LK Steiermark and in 1981 by LK Oberösterreich - the Tyrolean organization was founded in 1984 with the intensive assistance of the then director of LK Tirol, Dr. Franz Fischler (subsequently Minister of Agriculture and EU Commissioner for Agriculture); the first managing director was the head of the education department at LK Tirol, Dr. Maria Hauser. The structure was designed very federally - 8 district organizations were founded in Tyrol, which were (and still are) members of the provincial organization. This ensures an intensive 'proximity to the company', which is very advantageous in many areas.
The three provincial organizations worked intensively to establish a federal organization and the remaining provincial organizations - since the beginning of the 1990s, provincial organizations and the federal organization based in Salzburg have existed in all provinces.
F.acT: To what extent has the objective changed over the years?
Klaus Loukota: The statutes of UaB Tirol stipulate that supporting farmers in the rental sector is the primary objective - this objective has not changed over the years; additional objectives have been added in the direction of market development and guest support. We have developed from a pure membership organization to a holistic service organization. Originally, the focus of support was on the presentation of the offer to the 'outside world' and a 'standardized offer design' - for example, the uniform design of a farm breakfast for the UaB providers - but today individual strengths on the farms are being promoted. This naturally requires expert advice. Our activities are currently based on four strong pillars:
- Marketing,
- quality assurance,
- member services and
- lobbying.
Marketing in all its familiar forms is standardized nationwide for the most important markets; the Tyrolean organization also works on the Italian (in cooperation with Tirol Werbung) and Spanish (in close cooperation with Österreich Werbung) markets.
Quality assurance is also based on uniform criteria throughout Austria - the UaB businesses are audited every five years according to these uniform criteria.
The area of service has changed the most over the years; the many changes, especially in the online area, require a constant willingness to change and learn - the farmers receive essential support in these segments from the employees of UaB Tirol.
The presence in politics, in agricultural and tourism committees proves to be very important in many ways; for example, legal changes are influenced, funding criteria are co-designed and developments are co-directed and influenced by appropriate multipliers in both the agricultural and tourism sectors.
F.acT: What successes can UaB demonstrate?
Klaus Loukota: Many - that sounds arrogant, but it's true! Urlaub am Bauernhof really is a success story - with an annual occupancy rate of around 145 full occupancy days (in the 2019 tourism year - before the pandemic) and an average overnight price of €38, it makes a very significant contribution to maintaining many farms. The list of successes over the years is long and goes beyond the scope of this interview - one example is the development in the online booking sector; a vacation apartment was booked online on a UaB farm exactly 20 years ago.
F.acT: Where will the journey take you in the next few years?
Klaus Loukota: The biggest current challenges are overcoming the corona crisis and launching sustainability on the farms. Incorporating more culinary delights into the product range - in contrast to the 'wine provinces', we have not yet succeeded in marketing the typically rural culinary areas such as schnapps, bacon and the 'white and yellow product range' (cheese, milk, yoghurt, ...) accordingly. This is another goal to be pursued. Further increasing profitability on the farms is also an important concern for the near future. The legal framework also needs to be changed - the current 'rental reality' has developed in a way that ignores the law; this needs to be adapted to modern requirements.