Anyone wandering in the Austrian Alps should in future observe a code of conduct in their own interest. As Austria's Tourism Minister Elisabeth Köstinger (ÖVP) explained, appropriate guidelines for hikers should be available in time for the beginning of this year's season.
Among other things, the "Action Plan for Safe Alpine Pastures" aims to clarify how hikers behave in the vicinity of grazing livestock, how many meters away they are to keep them, or how dogs are properly carried on pastures and pastures.
The new guidelines are meant to be more than just recommendations: those who do not adhere to the Code of Conduct have the legal consequences in the event of damage, said Chancellor Sebastian Kurz. "It's all about the good coexistence of agriculture and tourism on Austria's Alpine pastures."
The reason for the draft of such a code of conduct was the death of a German wanderer. The 45-year-old dog owner from Rhineland-Pfalzwar was trampled to death in summer 2014 in the Tyrolean Stubai Valley by a herd of cattle that apparently wanted to protect calves from the dog. As a result, a farmer had been sentenced to pay a high sum of compensation to the surviving dependents.
The judges believed that the farmer had not adequately warned about the dangers of a herd of cows growing up calves. The posted warning signs were not enough. For the 25,000 companies that work in the alpine pasture in Austria, the verdict meant great uncertainty.
"Take responsibility yourself"
The farmed alpine pastures in Austria are equally important for agriculture as for tourism. They wanted to avoid that pastures or pastures must be completely fenced or locked, it said.
The Code of Conduct, like the ten FIS rules on the ski slopes, should focus on personal responsibility. "Everyone who is on the alpine pastures, must be aware that he bears responsibility himself," said Köstinger.
Dangerous or even deadly incidents were the most common when hikers had dogs with them and the mother cows wanted to protect their calves. A dog ban on alpine pastimes gave Köstinger nevertheless a rejection. However, the insurance cover for farmers should be improved.