16 New Resilience Managers in Tourism Certified

With a formal certificate presentation ceremony on Friday, September 18, 2026, 16 participants successfully completed the two-semester university course "Resilience Manager in Tourism" at the HOK | University of Applied Sciences Kufstein Tirol for the first time. The course imparts practical expertise and strategic skills to make companies, organizations, and destinations in the tourism sector more resilient to crises and sustainably future-proof.

FROM INDIVIDUAL ACTION TO RESILIENT DESTINATION

Over eleven months, participants systematically developed their resilience skills in tourism through six courses. In the module "Individual Resilience in a Professional Context," they explored personal resilience strategies and resilient leadership. The two courses "Organizational Resilience" covered risk management, crisis prevention and management, as well as trend analysis and innovation.

The "Regional Resilience" module focused on sustainable destination development, ecological and social resilience, governance, cooperation, and networking. The module "Practical Application" concluded the program with an integrated examination of individual, organizational, and regional resilience. Building on this foundation, participants developed integrated solutions for specific challenges from their professional practice in their seminar papers.

Seminar papers demonstrate the diversity of resilience

The final day focused on the seminar papers. The 16 presentations by the participants revealed diverse perspectives on resilience in tourism: some papers addressed collaboration between tourism and the local population, as well as sustainable habitat management. Others examined resilient mobility, digital applications, or collaborations between tourism and gastronomy. Education for sustainable development, strategic skills management, and communicative and participatory approaches were also explored.

Following the presentations and oral examinations, the formal certificate presentation ceremony took place in the late afternoon on the rooftop terrace of Kufstein higher education institution or university in Tyrol. The subsequent get-together with catering provided an opportunity to celebrate the successful completion of the program together with lecturers, jury members, and guests.

In her award speech, Lea Carnuth, MA, Junior Researcher Leadership & Business Management, succinctly summarized a key benefit of the course: In addition to specialist knowledge and methodological competence, the joint training also strengthens the exchange and networking within the tourism industry, which is a crucial resilience factor.

NEXT COURSE STARTS IN JANUARY 2027 

The next "Resilience Manager in Tourism" course will conclude on December 11, 2026. Interested individuals can join a new course in January 2027 and prepare themselves for the challenges and future opportunities of a changing tourism industry part-time . The blended learning approach combines interactive in-person sessions with online modules and self-study. Case studies, group work, and best-practice examples support the transfer of knowledge into professional practice.

This university course qualifies specialists and managers to develop resilient structures, actively shape change processes, and promote sustainable cooperation in the tourism industry. Upon successful completion, graduates receive the university certificate "Certified Resilience Manager in Tourism" with 16 ECTS credits.

Links:

• Study Finder | Service
• Resilience manager in tourism | Certificate program
• Resilient tourism | Research project