In Baden, Austria, a seminar entitled "Effective management in tourism success factors. Best practices in Austria" was held. Organizer of the program was the�European Management Centre in collaboration with Team4tourism, Bulgarian Hotel and the Restaurant Association. The event�was organized and kindly supported by�the Business Agency "ecoplus"�of�Nieder�sterreich and�in collaboration�with state, regional, municipal and European institutions.

Leading hoteliers and managers of travel agencies with an interest in the Austrian experience in managing tourism as a strategic sector of the economy participated. Leaders of the program were: Mr. Petroslav Petrov, Director of the Management Centre, Mr. Blagoi Ragin, Chairman of the Bulgarian Hotel and Restaurant Association and Mrs. Astrid Stecharnig, Director of Team4tourism. Among the�members of the association who participated in the seminar were members of the Board of BHRA Hinkova Silvia, the�CEO of RTA Stara Planina and Mr. Zlatko Zlatanov, chairman of the regional section of the association in Velingrad.

The main topics of the training�were "management of tourist destinations and trends in international tourism", "Sales & Marketing for Hotels & Resorts, driven to success in tourism", "Managing relationships with employees", "Effective management by tracking and optimizing performance activities in hotels".

The leading consultant experts of the seminar - Mr. Klaus Lorenz, Mrs. Astrid Stecharnig, Mr. Stefan Weinberger and Mr. Jorg Schober - presented successful models of existing management in tourism destinations and profitable marketing strategies to increase sales of travel services and innovative ideas�as well as�their realization. Special interest got the reports on trends and strategy for tourism development in Austria and Bulgaria in 2009.

During the training Bulgarian managers actively participated in discussions and were able to compare the conditions and methods by which they work; together with�their�Austrian�colleagues they�planned the next steps for trust building among�their customers. Idividual meetings�were organized between Bulgarian and Austrian companies and organizations. The concept "Hotel Room of the Future" was presented, which is already�implemented experimentally.

On 14 January this year a special meeting with Mrs. Erika Adensamer, mayor of Baden, was held, in which some future joint initiatives with the European Management Centre and the idea of town twinning of Velingrad and Baden were discussed.

Within the program participants�of the workshop visited the largest tourism fair in Vienna ("Ferien Messe Wien") with 725 exhibitors from 65 countries and regions; the workshopmembers viewed�the sights of the city and visited the Casino Baden as well as a�typical Austrian wine tavern, where the best Austrian wines could be tasted.