MURTAL - in the Heart of Styria

the tourism association

A tourism association is an organisation under public law and has a legal identity of its own. Tourist communities that offer the same or very similar tourist services, and which form a single unit as a region, should be combined to form a joint tourism association.

The purpose of the association is to preserve, promote and represent local tourism matters, in particular:

Organisation of tourism in the town or location;
Look after guests, more specifically by providing information and arranging leisure activities, taking into consideration the requirements of those with special needs;
Co-design the range of offers and services in the tourist communities through initiatives and by coordinating individual offers and services from proprietors and recreational facility providers;
Draw up concepts for the development of regional tourism, including integrating the brand content of the umbrella brand "Steiermark" (Styria);
Marketing, advertising, preparing quotes, product development and destination management for tourism, taking into consideration the brand content of the umbrella brand "Steiermark";
Provide support for measures taken by third parties to foster and promote tourism;
Funding for third parties which are not deemed interested parties in tourism as per Section 1 Line 5, but which benefit from Styrian tourism;
Preparing advertising for offers that form part of the tourist infrastructure.

Extract from the Steiermärkisches Tourismusgesetz 1992 (Tourism Act of the Land of Styria) from the Office of the Provincial Government of Styria, version dated November 2021

Fusion to Experience Regions

STRUctural REFORM in tourism 2021

The challenges for tourism associations are becoming greater and more complex due to various different factors (stronger international competition, digitalisation, etc.). In order to tackle these challenges, it is vital to build strong, market-relevant structures. Pooling the range of tourism services and offers to a greater degree will boost the association's advertising impact and expand both its financial basis and the range of tourist facilities on offer.

A fundamental shift and fiercer competition in tourism over the last few years have made it necessary to react to these changes on the international market. It is important to restructure tourism associations, whose structure has previously been characterised by local considerations. These associations must be transferred to powerful tourist units to ensure that they remain internationally competitive over the long term. The concentration of offers and financial resources associated with structural change will significantly improve opportunities to meet the challenges of modern tourism. Powerful association structures open up new opportunities for targeted budgeting and short decision pathways, as well as for branding, a greater concentration of marketing activities, establishing a professional management and optimised administration.

Extract from the 2021 Tourism Structural Reform from the Office of the Provincial Government of Styria

bodies of the tourism association

plenary meeting

The plenary meeting consists of all members as per Section 8. Statutory members (Sect. 8 Para. 1) and voluntary members (Sect. 8 Para. 2) have a seat and a vote in the plenary meeting; associate members (Sect. 8 Para. 3) take an advisory role in the plenary meeting without the right to vote. The plenary meeting must be called at least once a year.

The Tourism commission

The period of office of the Tourism Commission is five years. It starts on the day of the election of the members of the Tourism Commission.

The Tourism Commission is responsible for managing all affairs that are not expressly reserved by another body in the Tourism Association or by a managing director (Sect. 25).

The Tourism Commission must be called at least four times a year, as well as when at least one third of the members of the Tourism Commission request it.

The Tourism Commission must fully inform the plenary meeting of their activities.

Michael Ranzmaier-Hausleitner

the chairman

The chairman – or, in his absence, his deputy – represents the Tourism Association internally and externally. He manages the Tourism Association and presides at the plenary meeting and in the Tourism Commission.

Heinz Mitteregger

financial officer

The financial officer is responsible for managing the Tourism Association's budget and assets.

managing director

Every tourism association must appoint a managing director. The managing director must not also be a member of the Tourism Commission.

The managing director is responsible for managing the branch(es). She is responsible for ensuring that their tasks are implemented properly.

The managing director is senior to all staff of the Tourism Association. In HR matters, she is the representative of the employer as authorised signatory towards other staff members. Her authority, particularly with regard to working hours, the general allocation of tasks at the branches, holiday schedules and arranging business trips must be regulated in the service contract.

The managing director must ensure that the tasks of the Tourism Association are met. For this purpose, she must make suggestions to the responsible bodies, present the required documents and implement the decisions.

With regard to covering the office expenditure of the branch unit, the managing director is the representative and authorised signatory of the chairman. She must regularly report to the chairman regarding management, and must submit information to the Tourism Commission when requested.

The managing director must take part in all plenary meetings and Tourism Commission meetings, in an advisory capacity. Proposals by the managing director must be included on the agenda of the meetings.

the Team

We are one! All employees at a glance!

Overview of the team

The Experience Region MURTAL

our mission statement

The 9 tourism associations and 20 municipalities of the Murtal district have joined forces as the Region Murtal to present the region's services and offers to their guests together..

The Region Murtal encompasses the political district of Murtal, from Unzmarkt-Frauenburg to St. Margarethen and from Hohentauern to Obdach. Even though the river Mur crosses Styria over a considerably longer stretch, the Murtal district is only to be found north-west of the Mur. It is the third-largest district in Styria, with its district capital Judenburg serving as the region's centre. Its main tourist attractions include hiking and cycling, motorsport (thanks to the Red Bull Ring and numerous motorcycling tracks) as well as family-friendly skiing and snowshoe hiking in winter.

For a number of years, we have been developing cross-regional collaboration beyond municipal borders. This has enabled the Region Murtal to develop further, to undertake community-wide projects throughout the region, and to do our utmost to secure the best offers for your visit.

To the Mission Statement