Michaela Tauber MSc

Thermal spa and health destinations in the Bavarian-Austrian program area as well as the entire health tourism industry are suffering massively from an enormous shortage of skilled workers. At least since the Covid-19 pandemic many specialists have left their companies, regions or even their industries ꟷ individual destinations can no longer solve these challenges on their own.

It is therefore important to join forces to counteract this exodus with sustainable strategies and measures in order to (re)gain urgently needed professionals and retain them within the companies in the long run, to improve current trainings and to continue education programs in line with demands, and to make the basic working and living conditions in the destinations more attractive.

HLS-EU study shows comparatively less health literacy for Austria and points to the extraordinary challenge for the Austrian population to find their way around the healthcare. In order to avoid wrong ways in the health care of patients and to protect from waiting times, the project “Der gelungene Patientenkontakt” started in October 2018.