Since the company was founded, the Trail Angels have been closely associated with the Alpe-Adria-Trail. We are therefore all the more delighted to have been contracted, following an open tender process, to continue operating the ‘Official Alpe-Adria-Trail Service & Booking Centre’ for the licence period 2026–2028! This is a great poof of confidence, but also presents considerable challenges.

The Alpe-Adria-Trail (link: www.alpe-adria-trail.com) was opened in 2012 and, thanks to its promise of ‘from the glacier to the sea’, has become one of the most popular long-distance hiking trails in Europe within just a few years. Its protagonists – Kärnten Werbung, Slovenia Tourism and Promo Turismo Friuli Venezia Giulia – demonstrate what can be achieved through consistent, sustainable and cross-border cooperation. From the outset, the triumvirate was keen to develop the Alpe-Adria-Trail as a bookable long-distance hiking product, thus providing guests in each of the three countries with easy and convenient access to the product through a competent ‘official’ service and booking centre.

The magic word is ‘licence partnership’

The primary task of the Alpe-Adria-Trail booking centre is to offer hikers an unforgettable and carefree hiking experience. © K. Dapra/National Park Region

While the booking centres for Italy and Slovenia are located in Tarvisio and Bovec, Kärnten Werbung has opted for an open procedure to find a qualified licence partner to operate the ‘official’ Alpe-Adria-Trail Service & Booking Centre. The licence period is limited to three years and will be awarded to the best bidder following a jury decision. The primary basis for the decision is the business concept to be submitted for the contract period. The aim is to provide ongoing impetus for continuous development, high service quality and the provision of sufficient resources for the operation of the booking centre. This model has been used with great success for decades in outdoor tourism in North American national parks, for example, but is still relatively new in Europe.

License usage period 2026–2028

Mobility services are an essential pillar of the services offered by the Alpe-Adria-Trail Booking Centre. In cooperation with Kärnten Werbung and HPV, the Trail Angels have also taken steps towards a climate-friendly future with e-mobility. © Carinthia Tourism

Carinthia Tourism’s requirements for applicants are quite demanding, in keeping with the importance of the task. To meet this challenge, we were naturally able to benefit from the extensive and varied experience we have gained as the official booking centre for the Alpe-Adria-Trail over the past three licence usage periods (2017–2025). On this basis, we have designed our business model on four pillars:

• Individualisation: Further refinement of our services in order to meet the ever-increasing demand for individualisation and the resulting customer requirements.
• Sustainability: Further development of our sustainability model in order to strengthen social and economic sustainability along the trail with responsible hiking trips, as well as to make them climate-friendly and measurable with a certified carbon footprint.
• Climate change adaptation: Increased focus on the effects of climate change and the necessary adaptation measures, also to ensure the safety of hikers.
• Internationalisation: Continuing and intensifying our internationalisation activities, especially in the B2B sector, also to attract new guests. To date, hikers from more than 30 (!) different countries have hiked the Alpe-Adria-Trail!

This concept impressed the jury at Kärnten Werbung, which is why they have now contracted us for the fourth time to operate the ‘Official Alpe-Adria-Trail Service and Booking Centre’ for the years 2026–2028. A challenge for which we are grateful, which will demand a lot from us, but which we are looking forward to with great anticipation. 

The tasks of the Alpe-Adria-Trail Service & Booking Centre 

This is the hub of services on the Alpe-Adria-Trail in Carinthia – also for the next three years! The Trail Angels Service & Booking Centre in Obervellach, located directly on the Alpe-Adria-Trail. © Trail Angels

If you are wondering what the tasks of the Alpe-Adria-Trail Service & Booking Centre are, here is a brief list:

• Enquiry & booking management in all phases of travel: from the initial enquiry, through travel planning and booking, support during the trip to feedback.
• Service provider management: identification, coordination, contracting and invoicing, as well as quality assurance for all service providers involved; from accommodations (ranging from alpine huts to 5-star hotels) to mobility service providers (shuttle services, luggage transport, train arrival and departure, etc.) to optional hiking guides.
• B2B reselling: approaching, acquiring and cooperating with carefully selected specialist tour operators for a cautious expansion of the distribution network.
• Trail maintenance & management plan: communication hub between hikers, trail managers and licensor. Entering trail closures and diversions into the online cartography system & communication with trail maintenance staff.
• Trail hotline 12/7 for guests and service partners to increase guest safety and enable a quick and flexible response in emergencies.
• Quality management: management of the online feedback system ‘Trustpilot’ for guests as an essential tool for quality management and a basis for recommendations for quality improvement.
• Reporting: periodic reporting to the licence holder, which includes quantitative KPIs as well as qualitative assessments.

Important links:
Link to the booking landing page for the Alpe-Adria Trail
Link to the official trail website for the Alpe-Adria-Trail 

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