Didi Tunkel

Südburgenland: Interim solution remains in place

With the Burgenland Trails and the Railway Cycle Path cycling projects, southern Burgenland is increasingly being strengthened as an active and nature destination.

(Bild: Burgenland Tourismus / Maxones)

Dietmar Tunkel retains his dual role as Managing Director. With over 1 million overnight stays in 2024, the tourism success story in the south of the province is also confirmed. 

He had actually come not to stay: Burgenland Tourism boss Dietmar Tunkel continues as head of the southernmost tourism region. After one and a half years in office, Dietmar Salmhofer left the Southern Burgenland Tourism Association as Managing Director at the end of November 2024. He resigned for personal reasons and Tunkel was appointed as his interim successor until at least the end of the year. Despite the double burden, he intends to continue in this role. At least for the time being, as he says.

Position to be re-advertised
"The position will be re-advertised in the course of this year. However, there is no timetable at the moment," says Tunkel. With the further expansion of the cycling infrastructure and sustainability certification, there is a lot to do in southern Burgenland apart from day-to-day business. "I am deeply rooted in the subject matter, which is why my attention is focused on these projects," said Tunkel in the fall. Nothing has changed in this respect.

I am particularly pleased that Southern Burgenland has benefited enormously from the increase in overnight stays. We will continue to promote this development.

Dietmar Tunkel, GF Burgenland Tourismus

Criticism from the ÖVP
Criticism of the dual function was already voiced by the ÖVP in the autumn, where they would have liked a quick solution for Salmhofer's successor and told the provincial governor that too little importance was being attached to southern Burgenland.

The critical voices have now fallen silent with regard to the tourism balance sheet. It is not just Burgenland that is riding a wave of tourism success, as the record year 2024 with 3,286,000 million overnight stays proves. Southern Burgenland also recorded above-average growth with more than 1 million overnight stays (+7.4 percent). Health and wellness facilities, cycling and active tourism as well as thermal spa hotels are among the main winners.

The thermal spa resorts of Bad Tatzmannsdorf and Stegersbach also scored well.

(Bild: AVITA Resort)

Positive balance
The thermal spa resorts of Bad Tatzmannsdorf (+13.7 percent more arrivals) and Stegersbach (+8.5 percent more arrivals) were particularly popular due to the growing trend towards relaxation and health care. And: with the Burgenland Trails cycling projects and the railroad cycle path, southern Burgenland is increasingly being strengthened as an active and nature destination. When investing in infrastructure, the focus will therefore also be on sustainability and energy self-sufficiency.