WelDest at the IHM Conference in Prague

The Institute of Hospitality Management in Prague held its annual Conference on Hospitality, Tourism and Education this week and celebrated its 15th anniversary with an outstanding day of presentations, debates and discussions followed by a banquet for all the attendees, which went well into the evening. This is the 6th year in a row that the conference has been held, with interest increasing so much this year that registration had to be cut off when the conference reached its capacity weeks ahead of the event.



The WelDest Project was presented during the plenary session by Donna Dvorak, who explained the aims of the research and explained how it had been conducted. She then discussed the framework model and explained its significance for health and well-being destination development. The audience also got a sneak peek at the other main outputs of the project - the upcoming publication, "Developing a Competitive Health and Well-being Destination," containing the self-assessment and development tool for health and well-being destinations in addition to individual sections containing theory, research results, case studies and practical suggestions for those in the industry or academia.


The conference included representatives from both the private and public sectors, including CzechTourism, the Ministry of Regional Development, hospitality and tourism businesses, associations and organizations, and of course students and teachers both from IHM and various other schools around the Czech Republic. After the plenary session, the afternoon was filled with talks in workshops focusing on tourism, hospitality management and gastronomy, along with marketing and management.

With an excellent turnout, a full programme of interesting and thought-provoking presentations and talks, this year's conference was a huge success. Register early next year; demand is growing!

Photos: Kristýna Brožová 

Example of destination marketing

The Styrian castle route

"A number of impressive fortifications and castles can be found along this themed route. Many of these architecural masterpieces are open to the public, some of them are still inhabited. Their facades and gardens are a feast for the eyes and alwys wordth a visit." (Source: www.thermenland.at).

The Styrian castle route describes a route connected via different roads and it is more a "tourism destination" then a theme road in common sense. The Styrian castle route is well known amongst tourists visiting the Eastern part of Styria, Austria. On its website www.schloesserstrasse.com you'll find all castles belonging to the brand. Many of these castles offer accommodation or nice restaurants or are home of exhibitions and festivals.

"A good example of how to market cultural heritage. In most cases castles offer wide area of gardens or forrests, have nice parks and lakes. Perfect for relaxation and health tourists", knows Daniel Binder (FH JOANNEUM).

View from the Genusshotel Riegersburg to Castle Riegersburg (Source: http://www.hotel-riegersburg.at).