Salzburg is gearing up for the future of quality tourism
In June it was time to say goodbye to the students and the teaching staff of the renowned Klessheim Tourism School: The building, built in 1972, was cleared out (and then demolished). Everything that is necessary for the lesson was brought into the neighboring “school village” made of modern container elements. Classes will be held there until the end of the summer semester 2023, before one of the most modern school buildings in the country will open in autumn 2023 – the new Klessheim Tourism School. With the € 33 million project, Salzburg is preparing for the future of international quality tourism.
On Thursday, September 30th, Nun recorded the starting shot for the new building, with which Salzburg will receive a new educational showcase project. “After the opening of the IT-HTL in Pongau, the talent and career check and the further free master craftsman’s examination, the new building of the Klessheim tourism school is definitely an educational lighthouse with international appeal,” said Governor Dr. Wilfried Haslauer at the symbolic start of construction.
“Modern and contemporary learning, closely linked to the advantages and achievements of digitization: The new building of the Klessheim Tourism School is a real showcase project for the entire educational sector in the State of Salzburg and equips the next generations of skilled workers for tourism in the 21st century. I’m already looking forward to the opening of this promising building at the start of school in autumn 2023, “emphasized State Councilor Daniela Gutschi at the groundbreaking ceremony.
A heart of the educational location
With the planned “Tourismus Campus Klessheim”, school education will be raised to a new, modern level of quality. What is currently moving everything will flow into buildings, forms of teaching and teaching content: sustainability, digitization, new learning – and the knowledge for tourism in the 21st century.
“The Klessheim Tourism School is one of the best tourism schools in the world and is one of the central training centers for tourism in the state of Salzburg. It is also of great economic and regional political importance and a heart of the educational location Salzburg “, emphasized WKS President KommR Peter Buchmüller at the start of the project, the WKS (€ 14.1 million), Land (€ 7.4 million) and the federal government (€ 11.5 million) are jointly financing. An architectural and educational showcase project will emerge – and this in the 75th year of the existence of the WKS tourism schools: “The corona pandemic has changed a lot, also in education. We are therefore relying more than ever on contemporary quality tourism in training. “
Renewal from scratch
In 1972 the school building was opened at its current location in Klessheim. Due to the high age of the building, the school has to be completely renewed. The C built in 2001 with the boarding school for boys and the gyms that were renovated in 2010 remain in place and have been integrated into a coherent overall concept.
The new building includes a total of 19 classes, teaching kitchens and teaching restaurants, its own patisserie, new rooms for sommelier and cheese connoisseur training and a demo kitchen. The girls’ boarding school WILL also be newly built. The building itself and the operation of the school meet the latest standards in sustainability and climate protection in terms of energy supply, heating, cooling and in the vicinity of the building.
A building for smart learning
Contemporary learning spaces are created that allow cooperative learning with new digital means. Students will be able to work both in school and outside of a cloud-based document, from different locations and at the same time. The school thus becomes a user of new learning technologies and an innovation partner for new digitally supported forms of learning. In this area, the tourism schools will also cooperate with the new EdTech Austria platform.
In the practice areas, state-of-the-art smart catering systems will be used. Pupils must be able to use the programming functions of professional kitchen appliances, master digital forms of ordering and warehousing, and be able to use the various forms of cashless payment processing.
International (future) skills
With the new building, the Klessheim Tourism School is strengthening one of its most important qualities in general – internationality. Many successful graduates have established the good reputation of the Klessheim Tourism Schools around the world. “Klessheim” has become a synonym for international job market training, which is also in high demand. In addition to the ITH (Institute for Tourism and Hotel Management), a two-year tourism college and five-year training with a focus on English are offered. This international offer is to be expanded to include an international school from 2023.
“A renewed Klessheim tourism school is an indispensable part of a quality orientation in local tourism,” says Buchmüller and adds: “
Facts about the Klessheim Tourism School
- Current number of students in 2021: 427 + 29 ITH (from October)
- Total graduates: 8,421
Training:
- Higher education institute for tourism (5 years / Matura)
(Specializations: “Hotel Management and Digital Marketing” and “Culinary Art – Food and Beverage Skills”) - Hotel Management School for Nutrition and Sport (3 years)
- University of Hotel Management (2 years)