Tourism Association

Castling in the south: Salmhofer leaves, Tunkel takes over

The Burgenland Trails are regarded as a tourist flagship in southern Burgenland.(Bild: Burgenland Tourismus_Motionmanager/Hackl)

After one and a half years, the Managing Director is leaving the South Burgenland Tourist Board at his own request in mid-November. The fact that the position will not be advertised for the time being is causing political debate.

It is the second change in three years: After Martin Ochsenhofer resigned as Managing Director of Südburgenland Tourismus after just one and a half years, his successor Dietmar Salmhofer is now also stepping down. According to his own statements, the native Styrian, who moved from the Schladming tourism region to southern Burgenland in February 2023, is leaving the association for personal reasons.

Separation by mutual agreement
The separation was made by mutual agreement between all parties, according to the association. Salmhofer himself said that he would like to thank all stakeholders, employees, partners and supporters for their commitment and passion - "together we were able to get many future projects off the ground. I am convinced that Südburgenland has huge potential and will continue to develop successfully."

Didi Tunkel (with Governor Doskozil) was appointed as the new Managing Director of Burgenland Tourismus in fall 2020(Bild: LMS)

Didi Tunkel, Managing Director of Burgenland Tourismus, is already in the starting blocks as his successor according to the Tourism Act. However, the fact that the position is not currently being advertised and that Tunkel will be at the helm himself for at least this year has left plenty of room for interpretation.

Potential for improvement in the southern association
The tourism boss does not want to attach any importance to this. Even if he does see potential for improvement in the structure of the Süd-Verband. "With the expansion of the cycling infrastructure and the sustainability certification for all three southern regions, there is a lot to do apart from day-to-day business. I am deeply rooted in the subject matter, which is why my attention is focused on these projects," says Tunkel. The ÖVP (Austrian People's Party) criticized this, saying that they would have liked a quick replacement and once again accusing Governor Doskozil of not attaching any importance to southern Burgenland.