EGTC Geopark Karawanken-Karavanke

The Karawanken-Karavanke UNESCO Global Geopark, operating in EGTC form, promotes sustainable tourism and the preservation and promotion of natural and cultural heritage through cooperation between nine Austrian and five Slovenian municipalities. As an association with its own legal personality, it is able to implement cross-border developments, including in the field of tourism.

The EGTC brings together the natural and cultural values on both sides of the border by creating uniform tourism products and joint management. The geopark, which has a general assembly, a committee, a president and an expert council, coordinates the tourist offer of the border region with the help of the following tools:

• Organized tours with tour guides. The tour descriptions include the type of tour, level of difficulty, duration, required number of participants, location, and costs.
• A unified catalog of the main attractions and active leisure opportunities in the border region, including descriptions of the locations, opening hours, admission prices, and contact details.
• A calendar summarizing organized tours and major events.
• Development of a 13-section hiking trail and creation of a tour guide containing the most important parameters of the trail sections and GPX-format maps.
• A separate catalog of surface water resources in the border region.
• Maintenance of an information point network (at 5 locations) where exhibitions, events and training courses (e.g. wall climbing) can also be organized. In addition, the information points also function as catering facilities and rest areas.
• Online map showing hiking trails and main attractions in one place. (https://www.geopark-karawanken.at/map/ )
• List and brief description of accommodation, settlements, partner organizations, and local products available in the geopark area.
• A unified news feed reporting on important events in the geopark area.

In addition, the EGTC has successfully implemented several Interreg projects, mainly focusing on the creation of resilient and sustainable tourism and nature conservation. These activities include monitoring visitor numbers, developing tourism management (creating innovative solutions and products, maintaining infrastructure), supporting tourism organizations, increasing the conservation of protected areas, and developing strategies (e.g., for water protection).

Organizational structure:
The successful operation of the EGTC is ensured by the coordinated activities of seven bodies: the general assembly, the executive committee, the president, the director, the working and project committees, the professional committee, and the board of auditors. The working languages of the EGTC are Slovenian and German.
The central body of the EGTC is the general assembly, whose members are the mayors of the municipalities participating in the association. The mayors may appoint deputies who can represent them when necessary. The general assembly also has associated partners who support the work of the association each year with material, personnel or financial contributions. The associated members have a right to consult. The general assembly meets at least once a year at the initiative of the president to decide on strategic guidelines and financial and work plans. In addition, it approves the annual budget, decides on the annual membership fee and any amendments to the statutes, elects the president and authorizes the admission of new members or associated partners. The quorum for decision-making is that at least half of the representatives of both countries are present at the meeting, and a three-quarters majority of these persons is required for the adoption of a decision.
The Executive Committee is responsible for the operational tasks of theEGTC and consists of the president and vice-president, four members delegated by the member municipalities, and a maximum of two representatives of the associated partners. Half of the members must come from Slovenia and half from Austria. The members of the management are elected by the general assembly for a term of three years and must meet at least three times a year. A quorum of three-quarters of the members is required for decisions to be valid, and decisions may only be taken in accordance with the agenda. The executive committee is responsible for preparing the general assembly meetings, appointing the president, drawing up the financial and work plan, implementing the decisions of the general assembly, and establishing project committees and professional committees.
The president is responsible for representing the EGTC externally. The chair and his or her deputy (the vice-chair) shall be elected from among the members of the general assembly. The chair’s duties include convening the general assembly and the management, chairing the meetings, preparing contracts and agreements in cooperation with the director, and informing the general assembly about the work of the management.
The director’s activities include ensuring day-to-day management and participating in the general assembly in an advisory capacity. Among other things, he or she supports the work of the president, coordinates day-to-day administration, draws up the financial and work plan, prepares the annual reports and balance sheet, assists in the implementation of management decisions, and manages income and expenditure.
The professional committee is the scientific body of the EGTC, which guarantees the professionalism of the geopark’s activities. Its members are professionals whose knowledge and activities are in line with the principles of the geopark. The professional committee is headed by a chairperson and a deputy chairperson, who may not represent the same country. In the course of their work, they evaluate the financial and work plan, and the chairperson and deputy chairperson participate in the meetings of the management and the general assembly in an advisory capacity.
The working and project committees assist the EGTC in the preparation and implementation of its tasks in an advisory capacity. The management may entrust these committees, whose members include an equal number of Slovenian and Austrian representatives, with the implementation of specific tasks (e.g. projects). The committee is headed by its own chairperson and requires a three-quarters majority of those present to pass resolutions. They must report on the progress of their activities and the results achieved to the management.
The supervisory board is responsible for the economic and financial activities of the EGTC. This body, consisting of three members, meets at least once a year and takes decisions by majority vote. The members are appointed by the general meeting from among its own economic experts. The supervisory board, elected for a term of three years, is headed by its own chair. The tasks of the body include reviewing the EGTC’s expenditure, checking for any irregularities and preparing reports for the general meeting.
The EGTC’s economic operations are based on several financial instruments. Members pay an annual membership fee, the amount of which is determined on the basis of predefined statistical indicators. There are four membership fee categories in total, which take into account differences in development. In addition, associated partners make contributions in kind, in personnel or in cash (e.g. provision of office space), and further income is generated from national and European programs, projects and contributions from third parties.