Winter the Austrian way | Stop 2, Seefeld

ex ski racer Chemmy Alcott chats over a cup of coffee to Austrian Elias from Seefeld in a wood-clad cabin

Scale up your ski sustainability knowledge with Chemmy Alcott as she travels around Austria in search of answers. Leg 2 of the journey – Seefeld

Last week we followed Chemmy Alcott to SkiWelt, a pioneer of sustainability in the world of ski, as she interviewed a SkiWelt snowcat driver on the region’s commitment to reducing its environmental impact and how it achieved its status as a leading green resort.

Next stop… Seefeld

In May 2023, Seefeld – the Tirol region’s most popular high plateau – was the first region to receive the new Austrian Ecolabel for its environmental awareness and nature conservation (closely followed by Wagrain-Kleinarl).

“We are proud to be able to play a pioneering role here and to be the first to bear this prestigious mark,” says Seefeld Tourist Board Managing Director Elias Walser.

The region is by no means resting on its laurels however – it is working hard to encourage all tourism businesses in the region to implement eco-friendly measurements.

Watch below as Chemmy finds out about infrastructure, snowmaking and eco-friendly electricity.

❄ The Seefeld region (the tourist board and municipalities) and its infrastructure, including snowmaking, uses 100% eco-friendly electricity. While this comes from mainly hydropower, they are also expanding their photovoltaics facilities and encourage all local businesses to switch too.

❄ The region encourages visitors to arrive by public transport; 365 days a year, several bus lines and/or the train travel to all regional towns and as far as Innsbruck. Free use of the ski buses is included in the ski pass, and the guest card available at hotels and guest houses doubles as a ticket for regional transport.

❄ Seefeld launched the ‘Genuinely Sustainable’ project in a bid to encourage restaurants to focus their menus on more local and sustainable produce; you’ll find game and fresh fish featured widely, and vegetarian and vegan dishes are also constantly added to menus to reduce CO2 emissions. Guten appetit!

Don’t forget to check back in next week as Chemmy interviews the long-standing, family-run Hotel Klosterbräu about what it’s doing to drive sustainability in the tourism industry.

Catch up with episode one here:

CHOOSE SMART, says Chemmy

“Winter sports and snow go inseparably together, but is that sustainable?” asks Chemmy.

While travel and ski holidays will always come with a carbon footprint, there is a lot you can do to contribute towards sustainability and climate protection.

Here are some tips:

  • Choose sustainable ski resorts
  • Book certified green hotels
  • Spend your winter holiday on an organic farm
  • Arrive and depart by train
  • Travel eco-friendly within the ski resort
  • For the sake of nature: stay on the slopes!
  • Enjoy regional, seasonal and organic food
  • Practice mindfulness activities in winter

For more information visit the Austria website.

Related Content