Thomas Schennach has had a deep connection to tourism in the Tyrolean Zugspitz region and its developments for many years. He was elected to the board of the tourism association (TVB) back in 1972. He has been an important part of the TVB ever since. During his almost 20 years in office as mayor of Ehrwald, for example, he was involved in the TVB as a municipal representative. He was also at the forefront of the merger of the local tourism associations to form today's Tiroler Zugspitz Arena (TZA) in 2004. Between 2005 and 2015, he even took on the role of Chairman of the Supervisory Board. He can therefore look back on two decades full of challenges, but also great successes.
The founding years: from individual associations to the Tiroler Zugspitz Arena
The merger of independent local tourism associations to form the Tiroler Zugspitz Arena 20 years ago was a major step forward for regional tourism. Thomas Schennach also confirms this: "The merger has made it possible to coordinate objectives and work and speak with one voice." This new joint reach was extended even further with the founding of the Zugspitz Arena Bayern-Tirol (ZABT). "This has made cross-border cooperation possible," says Schennach.
The TZA: A big step for tourism
The fact that the merger is still a great success 20 years later can be seen in the diverse and far-reaching tourist offers of the Tiroler Zugspitz Arena. From joint sporting events, such as the run around the Zugspitze, to free bus connections between the TZA and Garmisch - none of this would have been possible without the co-operation of the participating municipalities. A joint guest card with Garmisch and Grainau was also created in this way. Thomas Schennach is particularly pleased about this intensive cooperation between the villages: "I can be proud of the fact that all the villages and tourism managers are pulling in the same direction."
There is also no lack of innovation. For example, digital hiking trails and escape trails have been created in the recent past, offering holidaymakers in the region new leisure activities. Of course, the newly created bike trails in Lermoos and Bichlbach and the collaboration between the TVBs Reutte, Lechtal, Tannheimer Tal and TZA to create the new bike destination Gravel.Tirol are also worth mentioning.
20 years of the Tiroler Zugspitz Arena: environmentally aware into the future
Despite everything, the TZA is always faced with challenges. One of these is the balance between tourism progress and environmental protection. "It is important to us to plan and coordinate tourism interests in harmony with the local population and nature," emphasises Thomas Schennach. The TZA is committed to a future close to nature with numerous new plans for environmental protection. For example, since 2023 there has been an official sustainability coordinator who is responsible for implementing these goals. So nothing stands in the way of the next 20 years with all their ups and downs!
