Does the Wachau cost soon the entrance?

Dürnstein has just under 900 inhabitants – but about 1 million tourists a year. Too much? The small town of Wachau is the center of a large-scale survey, which comes from the Welterbegemeinden Wachau Association, a merger of all the mayors of the Wachau. The investigations will run until mid-October and will determine which tourists come to Dürnstein. The result is supposed to be the basis of tourism activities throughout Wachau: where are the problems, where are the benefits, what are the financial benefits that communities must provide and what are the benefits of the tourism industry?

The former mayor of Melk Thomas Widrich (ÖVP) could therefore be introduced some kind of right of entry for the Wachau. Widrich resigned a few days ago, but caused a sensation with this proposal, including the report "Niederösterreichische Nachrichten". "Entrance fees are available throughout Austria for all attractions.This does not necessarily make a profit, but serves to preserve these natural monuments.And it is something similar ", he said in an interview to noe.ORF.at

Brückenmaut?

The trigger of Melk's push is no less a bridge in the city, which crosses the Danube and the new one has to be built. For this, the community needs financial resources. Because anyone who comes to Melk with a river cruise ship and wants to go to the Wachau must pbad this bridge, a kind of user fee might be required here. As you would otherwise need some sort of "entry" for the Wachau, but Widrich has different ideas. "There is, for example, the map of Lower Austria for all of Lower Austria, but there can also be a map of Wachau for the region," he said

. or fees for the pbadengers of the ship. In any case, there is a need to have an amount available for the infrastructure in the Wachau to be properly maintained, the ex-mayor said, "Our point is that we have to build an expedition center, a residential area, where people the first time tourists come to Lower Austria.This concerns bike paths, rest areas, toilets, trail design – the infrastructure necessary for tourists, but also for the people who live with us, is necessary. "

Restraint at Welterbegemeinden Wachau

At the World Heritage Club Wachau Wachau shows, with regard to the introduction fees, retained. In the circle of mayors, although the increase in funding has been discussed, said President Nunzer, but they had first agreed to the investigation. He sees the fees as a "last resort": "The burdens can not be perceived by the communities alone, here we need the land and here we have to work together," he said. But it is clear that Wachau communities want to work together to better manage tourist flows in the future.

RED / ¨Non / ORF