In a bid to encourage holidaymakers use public transport even more in the future, the South Tyrol government has now approved a new concept and financing plan for Guest Pass tickets.
Traffic jams and congested roads are a staple of the holiday season in South Tyrol – one which the local government and the tourism organisations are determined to resolve. To that end, from 2023 the Südtirol Guest Pass is to be put on a new, broader basis and made available as widely as possible by accommodation providers throughout South Tyrol. The plan envisages a three-tier model for the ticket: To start with, the most basic package will include the use of public transport with the option to add access to around 80 museums, exhibitions and collections throughout South Tyrol. On level two, the tourism organisations will be free to include regional services in addition to the basic bundle. A third level containing purchasable products is yet to be defined.
The costs for the combined offers will be balanced through the mandatory visitor’s tax, which is collected by accommodation providers for each overnight stay.
Sustainable mobility: increased services and visitor management
There is still quite a bit of road ahead for new Südtirol Guest Pass, however, as South Tyrol Minister for Mobility Daniel Alfreider stressed – from the development by the tourism sector all the way to digitisation and the technical equipment of public transport. But the advantages are clear already: “This way, more guests will use the available means of sustainable mobility. The money is collected per overnight stay through the billing system agreed with the accommodation businesses, after which we can use it to expand our public transport services in rural areas and for higher frequencies on selected lines. And as soon as the services are digitised, they can even be used to manage visitor flows,” Alfreider added.
New solution in development
The new and comprehensive Guest Pass system is currently being developed by the economic service provider IDM Alto Adige/Südtirol in cooperation with stakeholders representing the tourism organisations. On 11 October, the provincial government defined what South Tyrol would contribute in terms of mobility and museums and at what price. For the time being, existing Guest Pass tickets can still be used under the conditions that previously applied, with possible adjustments for inflation.
A specially designated coordination office organised by the tourism sector will be responsible for the new Südtirol Alto Adige Guest Pass and the associated system. (LPA)