Women are extremely adept and competent in creating, marketing, promoting and managing the development of tourism. The increase of female potential offers an advantage to the social and economic (local and global) development for men and women, in all sectors, including tourism.
EWMD International Conference 2025 AUSTRIA
Women and Tourism. Shaping the Future of Travel.
Empowering female entrepreneurs and women in leadership positions in the tourism sector goes far beyond economic success: it fosters social equality, gender justice, and cultural diversity within the industry. Women pave the way for a more inclusive, sustainable, and ethically responsible future.
Even today, female travellers are shaping the tourism industry and driving change. They prefer safe destinations, seek unique experiences, engage with art and culture, travel sustainably, and value comfort as well as regional organic cuisine. The growing trend of solo travel strengthens women's independence while contributing to a more diverse tourism landscape.
Globally, one in eleven jobs is linked to tourism, with women making up as much as 70% of the workforce in this sector. However, they face significant challenges: limited career advancement opportunities, low wages, work conditions that make balancing family life difficult, seasonal job insecurity, and sexual harassment. Women remain underrepresented in leadership roles, yet they are the ones bringing creativity, sustainable concepts, and social initiatives to the tourism industry. They develop innovative business models, advocate for fair working conditions, and actively drive change.
As women push for a more equitable and sustainable tourism industry, they must also navigate broader challenges such as climate change and overtourism, which make the need for fundamental transformation more urgent than ever.
This year’s International EWMD Conference will take place in Zell am See - a destination that directly reflects both the challenges and opportunities of modern tourism. With 2.8 million overnight stays per year, tourism plays a crucial economic role in the region, making sustainable solutions essential. Since 2018, Zell am See has been a Climate and Energy Model Region and is one of the first COâ-neutral tourism regions in the Alps.
A truly inspiring setting for a conference dedicated to transformation - led by women shaping the future of travel.
Conference Focus Areas
- Women as Travelers – Travel patterns, priorities, and the industry’s response to this demographic.
- Women in Tourism: Facts and Figures – Workforce distribution, employment trends, and gender disparities.
- Women Shaping the Industry – Key areas of female leadership, industry trends, and long-term developments.
- Future Prospects – The state of tourism in Salzburg, Austria, Europe, and worldwide, with a focus on climate change and overtourism.
Conference Program
Preliminary Program (all program details will be permanently updated in our conference app which will be available to all registered participants after payment and by end of May).Friday, September 19th, 18:30
Get Together & Conference Registration
Saturday, September 20th 8:30
Conference Registration & Coffee
9:00
Meet your moderator Marietta Stuhlfellner
Marietta is an experienced trainer in time management, organization and business etiquette. As a speaker, she inspires the participants in her seminars and knows how to weave in her many years of experience abroad in a positive way. As a presenter, she impresses with her charm and eloquence. Marietta is a member of EWMD Salzburg.
Morning Suprise
9:40
Welcome Addresses
Dagmar Köttl (EWMD President Austria) together with Nadine Nembach und Tanju Cepheli (EWMD Presidents International)
10:00
Keynote: Iaia Pedemonte: Gender Responsible Tourism
Iaia Pedemonte is a free lance journalist, founder of genderresponsibletourism.org. She wrote for magazines and newspapers such as: Qui Touring, Style, Viaggi di Repubblica, Tuttoturismo, Vanity Fair, Il Secolo XIX, Abitare, Gioia, Donna e Mamma, Insieme, Dove, Epoca, www.repubblica.it, AffariItaliani.it.
Iaia has undertaken assignments for International Organizations, among which the UNDP for a sustainable ecotourism project in Yemen. She reported worldwide about women’s empowerment and about development in tourism destinations.
10:30
Dagmar Lund-Durlacher: Tourism & Sustainability
Professor Dr. Dagmar Lund-Durlacher, Modul University Vienna, Department of Tourism and Service Management, Vienna, Austria.
Founder of the Institute for Tourism Sustainability, Vienna.
Founding Member, Centre for Sustainable Tourism (ZENAT e.V.), Berlin, Germany (former Centre for Sustainable Tourism at Eberswalde University for Sustainable Development.
11:15
Coffee Break and Group Photo Session
11:45
Astrid Steharnig-Staudinger:
CEO, Austrian National Tourist Office
12:30
Lunch Buffet
Active lunch buffet at bar tables. Prepared questions about your individual travel behavior. Exchange travel anecdotes.
13:30
Group Discussion
Moderated by Marietta. We continue the lunch conversation about individual travel behavior. Results of the survey at the registration will be presented.
13:45
Podium Discussion
Moderated by former EWMD International President Uschi Böhle.
Participants: Astrid Steharnig-Staudinger, Dagmar Lund-Derlacher, Mateja Bauer (eurotravel; President EWMD Salzburg), Renate Ecker (Tourism Office Zell am See), N.N.
14:40
EWMD International Presidents
Nadine Nembach und Tanju Cepheli about EWMD
15:30
Final Plenary Session
Sum-up of the day and presentation of Sunday program
18:00
Boat Tour at the Zellersee (lake)
Relaxing tour at the lokal lake after a day full of new inspirations, encounters, and impressions. Enjoy the view with a glas in your hand and get ready for dinner and party.
19:30
Dinner & Dancing Party
Dinner at Crazy Daisy and Dance Floor with DJ Goody Black.
End 24:00
Sunday, September 21st 9:00
Sunday Morning Activities in Zell am See
The Organizers will present a variety of touristic, regional, and other activities. You can chose from classical guided tours through Zell am See to visits at local (tourist)enterprises, managed by women.
The information will be updated and supplemented in the course of time.
12:00
Farewell Lunch
You are invited to local food at an authentic Austrian restaurant. Spend the last hours of the 2025 EWMD conference together with the organizers for networking and to say farewell.
Fees and Registration
The registration will be open from April 1st - July 31st
- Members: Early Bird from April 1st - May 31st: € 280
- Members: regular. After April 1st - July 31st: € 360
- Non Members: April 1st - July 31st: € 410
The registration fee covers Get Together, Conference, Boat Tour, Dinner, Sunday morning program, Farewell Lunch. At most occasions you'll be served one drink and you'll have to pay for drinks afterwards.
Green Event
This conference is organized as a Green Event, following the standards of Greeneventsaustria.at
The EWMD conference will be held in accordance with the criteria of the Austrian Ecolabel for Green Meetings/Events. All decisions regarding the planning, implementation and evaluation of the event are based on these criteria. Key aspects include local value creation, energy efficiency, waste avoidance and environmentally friendly travel to and from the event. Information at www.umweltzeichen.at
Venue: Zell Am See
The EWMD International Conference will take place in Zell am See, a picturesque town in the Salzburg region of Pinzgau. Zell am See is a popular year-round destination to visitors from around the world, offering something for everyone. In winter, guests can enjoy a variety of snow sports, while summer brings opportunities for hiking, golfing, and swimming. With around 2.8 million overnight stays per year, tourism is by far the most important economic factor. The town therefore offers a wide range of accommodations – from hotels and holiday apartments to cozy guesthouses – as well as a diverse culinary scene with restaurants and cafés.
However, this thriving tourism industry also faces significant challenges due to climate change. Rising temperatures and changing weather patterns have led to glacier melt, uncertain snow conditions for winter tourism, and increasing floods in the summer, as well as dry spells.
The Ferry Porsche Congress Center provides the ideal setting for the conference. Equipped with the latest seminar technology and centrally located just a few steps from Lake Zell, it offers a stunning view of the surrounding mountains – especially Kitzsteinhorn, a 3,203-meter high glacier in the Hohe Tauern mountain range.
Travel Information
By train
Zell am See train station is connected to the national and international long-distance train network.
If a connection does not lead directly to Zell am See station, a regional train can be taken from the
Salzburg, Wörgl or Schwarzach-St. Veit stations, you can take a regional train.
The FPCC (Conference location) is about a 2-minute walk from Zell am See train station.
· ÖBB https://www.oebb.at/
· Westbahn https://westbahn.at/
By bus
Flixbus connects various cities with the City of Salzburg, from where you can continue your journey by
regional train.
Flixbus https://www.flixbus.at/
Green Event: Top reasons for traveling by public transport:
- Up to 10 direct train connections from Austria and abroad to Zell am See daily
- Zell am See train station is located directly in the town center and 450 steps from the FPCC
- Zell am See-Kaprun mobility card - free public transport for guests and visitors
- Excellent public transport connections from Zell am See (bus, Pinzgaubahn)
- Walking distance to the old town, restaurants, the lake and the cable car on the mountain
- From Summer 2025: All public transportation within the province of Salzburg is free to Salzburg tourists
By car
Carpooling improves the ecological footprint ð
Car sharing and carpooling in Austria: https://www.umweltberatung.at/carsharing-
carpooling platforms
Parking (max. €38/day) and e-charging stations with green electricity available on site.
- From the direction of Vienna: Vienna - A1 - St. Pölten - Salzburg A 1/ E 55 - Reichenhall A 8 - Steinpass B 312 - Unken - Zell am See B 311
- From the direction of Munich: Munich A8 - Inntal highway junction A8 - Traunstein B 306 - Exit Siegsdorf - Steinpaß B 312 - Unken - Zell am See B 311
- From the direction of Zürich A1 - Winterthur A1 - St. Gallen A1 - Feldkirch A 14 - Bludenz A14 - Landeck Inntalautobahn - Imst - Innsbruck B 312/E 60 - Exit Wörgl - Kitzbühel B 161 - Paß Thurn - Mittersill B 168 - Zell am See B 311
- From the direction of Milano / Mailand P14 - Brescia A 4 - Trient A 22 - Bolzano/Bozen A 22 - Sterzing Brenner - Innsbruck - Exit Wörgl - Kitzbühel B 161 - Paß Thurn - Mittersill B 311 - Zell am See B 311
By airplane
Arrival by plane
Passengers can reach Zell am See within 80 kilometers from Salzburg airport and 180 kilometers from Munich airport.
From Salzburg Airport you can use public transportation by train or by bus or take the airport shuttle to Zell am See:
Public bus from Salzburg to Zell am See: https://www.salzburg-airport.com/fluege-anreise/anreise/oeffentliche-verkehrsmittel
Hotel / Accomodation Information
coming soon
