Three fresh ideas for tourism: Welcome to the incubator

With AI in gastronomy, sustainable lodges in nature and an experience center for orchard fruit, three exciting start-ups are launching the tourism incubator programme. optimizes, Waldwerts and Frucht.Kraft.Werk show how innovation, sustainability and regionality go hand in hand - and provide new impetus for the guest experiences of tomorrow.

Do you have an innovative idea for tourism?
Submit your application to the Tourism Incubator now - convince the advisory board, secure 10,000 euros in funding and benefit from a year of coaching, mentoring, further training and a strong network. Start now at www.tourismusinkubator.at

OPTIMIZES

Intelligence instead of gut feeling in the hotel and catering industry

Waiters under stress, kitchen at the limit, numbers wobbling? This is exactly where optimizes comes in - with an AI-supported tool that takes the pressure off restaurateurs and hotel businesses. optimizes Intelligence is the "digital food & beverage manager", thinks in real time, analyses data across the business - from duty rosters and capacity utilization to menu structure and pricing - and provides concrete recommendations for day-to-day business.

Less gut feeling, more overview

Where do we stand with the use of goods? Which dishes are really profitable? How does demand change over the course of the week? The cloud-based software from optimizes answers all these questions immediately - and thus helps to make operational processes leaner, faster and more profitable. The tool combines the various interfaces of different providers.

The result: lower costs, greater profitability - without the chaos of spreadsheets, gut decisions and technical knowledge. Particularly clever: with the integrated AI-based location analysis, you can display competitor prices and price recommendations in real time with just one click.

More intelligence for kitchen, service & profitability

optimizes was developed by professionals for professionals: The team around Michael Fortner and Alexander Donath brings industry expertise from the hotel industry, gastronomy, software development and revenue management - and with optimizes aims to herald nothing less than a digital revolution in the hospitality industry.

"We enable restaurateurs to make better decisions with just a few clicks - based on real data, not gut instinct," says co-founder Michael Fortner, who comes from the hotel industry himself. "Many businesses are under constant pressure - with optimizes, we provide them with a tool that gives them back an overview."

Image rights: Michael Fortner Tony Gigov, Alexander Donath Alexander Müller

WALDWERTS

Retreats in nature without concrete

Silence instead of constant background noise. Birdsong instead of traffic noise. Waldwerts is creating completely new retreats in Upper Austria for a generation that is looking for peace and quiet - but doesn't want to compromise on comfort. The start-up's minimally invasive lodges are equipped to a high standard, have a modular design and can be booked completely digitally - without foundations and without interfering with the landscape.

Close to nature and self-sufficient

Whether a meadow slope, forest edge or mountain plateau: the stylishly furnished tiny houses, tree house lodges or nature chalets blend gently into their surroundings and are self-sufficient - without a canal, without a water connection, but with 100 percent nature. They create recreation close to nature where previously no tourist use was possible. "Many properties are beautifully situated, but difficult to use for tourism - whether due to the location, lack of infrastructure or nature conservation," explains founder Christof Eglauer. Waldwerts' solution is flexible, protects nature and opens up new sources of income for tourism - without any pressure to build.

Regional added value

Waldwerts works closely with local farmers and hosts - bringing added value to where it is needed. With partners from structurally weak but scenic regions, the Waldwerts team creates new sustainable recreational offers. The model is scalable, sustainable and completely digital - from online check-in to keyless door opening. Guests book and check in digitally, experience maximum deceleration and leave everyday life far behind.

"We believe that real tourism should not destroy nature, but preserve it," adds Eglauer. "Our lodges create places of tranquillity that also enable regional value creation - with a light footprint and a strong concept." With the first model cluster in Upper Austria, Waldwerts is entering a new era of individual tourism: close to nature, sustainable, quiet. And yet ultra-modern.

FRUIT.POWER.PLANT

Orchard becomes an experience

What do old apple varieties, an empty barn and two innovative farmers have in common? They form the basis for the FruchtKraftWerk in Pettenbach - a unique center for regional product innovation, education and tourism around the topic of orchard fruit.

Farming know-how meets local marketing

Farmer Karin Maleninsky from Enns and Franz Berner, farmer at Burgstall in Pettenbach, are transforming a former playpen in Pettenbach into a center for sustainable enjoyment, education and rural tourism - all about orchard fruit. Tastings, workshops and guided tours can take place in the multifunctional space.

The aim is more than just taste: FruchtKraftWerk raises awareness of biodiversity, regional cycles and sustainable food - interactively, emotionally and with a focus on the future. The experience spaces show what fallen fruit has to offer - in culinary, cultural and economic terms. Visitors can experience how apples, pears & co. are turned into products - from sparkling wines, cider, juice and non-alcoholic drinks to vinegar creations and fruit mustards.

Orchard meadows in the spotlight

"For us, orchard fruit is more than just a raw material - it is a cultural asset, habitat and pleasure all in one," says co-founder Karin Maleninsky. "With Frucht.Kraft.Werk, we want to make the ecological value of orchards visible, strengthen regional identity and provide new impetus for rural areas with innovative ideas." Franz Berner, co-founder and site owner, emphasizes: "We are bringing an often overlooked topic into the limelight - and creating a place that combines agriculture, education and experience."