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F.acT: What’s the story behind the Ötztal Blick?
Sarah Weiss: Tourism in the Ötztal is both a source of livelihood and a topic of debate. It creates jobs, supports infrastructure, and shapes the region both economically and socially. At the same time, it raises questions and brings different perspectives to the table. This is exactly where Ötztal Blick comes in: It’s an online platform for background information, insights, and voices from the valley, and it provides a clear context for developments related to tourism.
Our core philosophy is important to us: Ötztal Blick is not a PR platform, but an open forum for everyone who lives here. We speak like a neighbor, not like a government agency—honestly, approachably, and without marketing jargon. The strategy and concept behind Ötztal Blick were developed internally at Ötztal Tourismus. This allows us to stay closely connected to the issues and people in the valley. Editorial content and discussions are developed in collaboration with the municipalities, businesses, and institutions in the valley, such as Lebensraum Ötztal.
F.acT: What is the specific objective, and how are the topics for the platform determined?
Sarah Weiss: Our goal is to strengthen the sense of community in the valley, promote understanding of tourism and regional development, and highlight the fact that tourism and the community are inextricably linked. We want to show how tourism, the economy, nature, and the community interact, and why the Ötztal Valley can only thrive when we work together. This initiative is aimed at everyone who lives in the Ötztal—whether they’re tourism professionals, artisans, farmers, entrepreneurs, or apprentices. They want to understand the reasoning behind tourism decisions, how tourism, the economy, and infrastructure interact, and how they can get involved.
We organize the topics into seven key areas: Region & Society, Local Delicacies, Climate, Energy & Mobility, Culture & Nature, Local Projects & Infrastructure, Work & Leisure, and the Ötztal Economic Region. The topic of mobility, in particular, highlights just how closely everything is interconnected: Sustainable concepts and good transportation links within the valley affect locals and visitors alike. In addition, we work with four “perspectives” that shape our approach: Insight, Outlook, Retrospective, and Overview. In addition to tourism-related topics, we also address other developments that affect community life in the valley.
Content is distributed across multiple channels: The website oetztal-blick.at serves as the central platform and knowledge base. New posts appear weekly on Instagram and the website, the WhatsApp channel provides updates once a week, and the newsletter is published once a month.
F.acT: How do you measure the platform's success, and what kind of feedback have you received from locals so far?
Sarah Weiss: It’s still too early tomeasure success reliably after just a few months. The Ötztal Blick launched in March 2026, so we’re just getting started. However, an initial trend is already emerging: After about four months, we’re directly reaching over ten percent of the valley’s population. The newsletter’s open rates are well above the industry average, and the unsubscribe rate is only 0.14 percent. Above all, though, we’re reaching people who have primarily experienced tourism as observers until now.
That is precisely our approach. Much of everyday life depends on tourism, even if it isn’t immediately apparent. The playground where children play is largely funded by tourism revenue. The frequent service on some bus routes is only possible because tourism funds help finance it. And even good medical care—from doctors and pharmacies to emergency services—is not a given in a remote mountain valley and is closely linked to tourism. We highlight these connections without being preachy. After all, tourism has a greater impact than many realize—from roads to kindergartens to community organizations.
In addition to this substantive feedback, we see an impact that is important to us: people feel seen. When a business, an initiative, or a person from the valley is profiled, it fosters appreciation—both for one’s own work and for that of others. This strengthens precisely the sense of community that is our goal. This is also evident in the numbers: profiles and concrete topics from everyday life are read significantly more often than abstract articles.
At the same time, it becomes clear just how much regional thinking is at play in the valley. Many businesses source their products directly from local farmers and use them as fully as possible. This illustrates how tourism, agriculture, and local businesses work together and how value added is created and retained within the valley. For us, this is the real feedback: not just that the content is being read, but that it fosters mutual understanding among the people in the valley. Our stance remains the same: criticism is allowed, but dialogue is better.