New CEO for Salzkammergut tourism: Brandlehner sets fresh accents!

New CEO for Salzkammergut tourism: Brandlehner sets fresh accents!

A new era for tourism in the Salzkammergut is approaching: From January 1, 2026, Stefan Brandlehner will be responsible as managing director of the newly founded Salzkammergut Tourism Association. This realignment is taking place as part of the merger of six existing Upper Austrian tourism associations, including the regions Attersee-Attergau, Bad Ischl, Inneres Salzkammergut, MondSeeLand, St. Wolfgang and Traunsee-Almtal. The creation of this new destination management organization, which is being created in collaboration with Wolfgangsee and Fuschlsee Tourismus GmbH, will be one of the largest of its kind in Austria, as tips.at reports.

The merger means that the new organization will manage around 4.5 million overnight stays and working capital of 16 million euros annually. The association's headquarters will remain in Bad Ischl, while Michael Spechtenhauser will act as the head responsible for the commercial areas of finance and management services. Brandlehner has over 20 years of experience in the tourism industry, has already held various management positions, including in Carinthia's second largest tourism region, and is considered a competent partner for the challenges ahead. In this way, he emphasizes the immense potential of the Salzkammergut as an internationally sought-after travel location with unique culture and cuisine.

Important perspectives for the region

Economic and Tourism Regional Councilor Markus Achleitner sees this change as a decisive step towards strengthening the tourism structure in Upper Austria. His assessment is supported by Andreas Winkelhofer, Managing Director of Upper Austria Tourism, who describes the new Salzkammergut destination as a major future project with enormous potential. Together with Brandlehner, those responsible can now work specifically on a joint appearance in order to increase the attractiveness of the Salzkammergut and further establish the region as a place of longing for tourists.

The new structure is characterized by the idea of ​​taking into account the various interests of the tourism destinations and preserving the regional character. In addition, the positive developments on the Austrian tourism market, which are documented in statistics, should be specifically promoted. According to the WKO, Austrian tourism is characterized by a stable basis that can be further strengthened through targeted marketing measures.

A look into the future

Brandlehner will not only concentrate on marketing and sales for Salzkammergut Tourismus-Marketing GmbH, but will also play a key role in shaping the strategic direction of the new organization. The realignment creates framework conditions to make the tourism destination even more attractive and thus strengthens the economic prospects of the entire region.

With the efforts of the new team under Brandlehner and the support of regional partners, the course has been set for a promising future in the Salzkammergut. The coming months and years will show how well the concept works and to what extent the potential can actually be exploited. The anticipation of the new era is already noticeable!