08. 12. 11. - 15:02

Tourism school to open to satisfy rising demand

By Rebecca Musgrave

A recently revamped tourism school is soon to open in Bramberg in Austria. Previously a business school the site was converted in 2010 into a technical college for the tourism industry and is the fourth of its kind to be established by the Salzburg chamber of commerce.

The four million Euro project, which involved the building of new classrooms and a teaching kitchen as well as a fully functioning restaurant and gym, means that students from Pinzgau who want to get into the industry need no longer commute to Salzburg to carry out their studies. Officer for Tourism, Wilfried Haslauer (ÖVP) believes that this will make a huge difference in the region which has some of the highest volumes of tourist traffic in western Austria.

According to Manfred Pammer, the temporary head of the chamber of commerce in Salzburg, two forms of education will initially be available to students at the school. Pupils will be able to attend either a three year course in hotel management or a three year advanced course in tourism, culminating in their graduation. Pammer believes that the school "must first gain some experience" before they decide whether to make it a five year school as in Bad Hofgastein and Kleßheim in Salzburg.