The 21st TourMIS Users’ Workshop & International Seminar on “Positive Social Impact of Tourism” will be hosted in Vienna on 11-12 September 2026. The event is organised by the European Travel Commission (ETC), City Destinations Alliance (CityDNA), Modul University Vienna, and theNetwork of European Regions for Competitive and Sustainable Tourism (NECSTouR). The event targets national, regional and city Destination Management Organisations (DMOs) as well as academia and tourism businesses from the private sector.
Day 1: The evaluation and monitoring of marketing activity is fundamental to the development of sound, evidence-based strategies for tourism managers. Technology increasingly supports this work, and TourMIS (www.tourmis.info) — Europe’s leading tourism marketing information system — has long been at the forefront of that effort. On day one, a workshop led by Professor Karl Wöber, the founder of TourMIS, will guide participants through the process of entering tourism statistics into the system and making full use of its benchmarking tools to generate meaningful market research outputs.
Day 2: The international seminar on day two will be led by ETC, with a focus on the adoption of impact models among NTOs and DMOs. As destination managers face growing pressure to balance economic, social, and environmental performance, different approaches are emerging in how organisations generate value and deliver meaningful impact through tourism. The seminar will explore what impacts are being prioritised, and how these are being measured and understood through a range of analytical frameworks and targets. The programme follows a deliberate funnel approach, opening with an examination of impacts targeted at a European level before narrowing progressively through national and regional perspectives down to the city level. This will be complemented by learnings from the private sector and academia, followed by a more interactive session in the afternoon in which participants will connect with peers to discuss the best ways to generate and measure meaningful impacts in tourism. Participants will gain practical insight into how these tools can be embedded into strategic decision-making, helping destination managers to guide more balanced, sustainable outcomes for the places they represent.
For inquiries regarding registration, hotel, and payment, please contact Sara Valentin Izquierdo (sara.valentinizquierdo@modul.ac.at).
We hope to see you there!
Hani El Sharkawi is the founder and CEO of Inspiring Leaders. He is a facilitator, moderator, coach, and organizational development consultant with more than 25 years of international experience in tourism, hospitality, and leadership development. Having lived and worked in seven countries, he has held leadership positions with renowned hospitality brands, including InterContinental, Four Seasons and Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts.
Today, Hani supports organizations and leadership teams through workshops, conferences, strategic retreats, and change initiatives. He is known for creating engaging, interactive learning environments that foster dialogue, collaboration, and meaningful outcomes. As a moderator, he combines professionalism, energy, and a strong ability to connect diverse stakeholders and audiences.
Hani also worked at MODUL University Vienna, where he contributed to the development of future tourism and hospitality professionals. Hani holds degrees in Tourism & Hospitality Management, Intercultural Competencies as well as Coaching & Organizational Development. His academic background, combined with extensive industry experience, allows him to bridge theory and practice while bringing valuable insights to international conferences and events.
Bruno Castro is a Tourism Policy Officer in the European Commission’s Directorate General for Transport and Mobility (DG.MOVE), based in Brussels.
Born in Spain, Bruno obtained degrees in Philosophy, Anthropology and Political Sciences, plus a Master in European Studies. He has worked in EU institutions for 15 years, including diplomatic positions, international relations with the Americas, research programmes and Erasmus+.
He joined the Tourism Unit in October 2024.
Milena Bärtschi is Manager Tourism Development & Sustainability at Switzerland Tourism, where her projects focus on Travel Better, ST’s guiding philosophy for future-proof tourism development. Before joining the tourism sector, she worked in sustainability, supporting organizations in translating strategy into practical initiatives across industry and public administration. She holds a Master’s degree in Changing Societies: Migration, Resources and Conflicts from the University of Basel, with a focus on circular economy and societal change.
Industrial Engineer degree (Electronic and automation specialty) from the University of Oviedo. He has more than 15 years of experience in innovation projects related to data analysis and Big Data technologies. He has worked in different sectors, such as IT, automotive, retail, e-health, and tourism. In addition, Daniel spent seven years as Director of Operations in the Center for Tourist Innovation of Andalusia, where he provided advice to tourism companies about using new technologies and analyzing information for decision-making and founded the Big Data and tourism information analysis unit. Currently, he works at Tourism of Tomorrow Lab, working with destinations to analyze their data to help them to be more sustainable and participating in several European initiatives related to smart destinations and data-driven destination management.
Daniel Caro Ruiz is an innovation and data strategy leader helping tourism organizations leverage data, AI, and digital technologies to drive competitiveness and growth. He currently heads Andalucía Nexus, a strategic initiative for tourism transformation in Andalusia. In 2026, he was recognized among Spain’s 150 Most Influential Tourism Professionals.
Since 2021, Jakob Kjeldgaard Fuglsang has served as Senior Manager at Copenhagen Legacy Lab, an innovative initiative under Wonderful Copenhagen. In this role, he works to maximise the social, societal and economic impact of international congresses and major events hosted in the Danish capital.
Over the past years, Jakob has played a strategic role in delivering legacy programmes for more than 25 international congresses and events.
Prior to joining Wonderful Copenhagen, Jakob worked at the Danish Football Association (DBU), where he was part of the Local Organising Committee (LOC) responsible for hosting UEFA EURO 2020 in Copenhagen.
Jakob holds an MSc in IT (Experience Design) from Aalborg University and a BSc in Sport Management. As part of his undergraduate studies, he spent a semester abroad at California State University, Fullerton (CSUF).
Matthew Dass is Director of Consulting at Tourism Economics, where he leads a team delivering projects across the EMEA and APAC regions and heads the firm’s global cruise consulting division. He advises destinations, travel businesses, and industry organisations on the economic value of visitor activity and the role it plays in economic development.
Matthew specialises in economic impact analysis, tourism satellite accounts, demand forecasting, and investment and feasibility assessments. His work spans the wider travel and tourism economy, with particular expertise in the cruise, aviation, accommodation, attractions, travel technology, and events sectors. He supports clients in evaluating the economic contribution of tourism, major developments, visitor assets, and events to inform policy, investment, and long-term strategic planning
Doctoral Researcher at the UEF Business School and Hotel Manager at Haawe AHOY. Working and Entrepreneuring in Finland’s tourism sector since 2015, his background bridges hands-on experience with cutting-edge academic research in destination marketing and management.
Incoming President of the Board of the European Union of Private Higher Education (EUPHE)
Chair of the Executive Board of the International Academy for the Study of Tourism (The Academy)
Karl Wöber is Full Professor and Founding President of Modul University Vienna (www.modul.ac.at). He is also the incoming President of the European Union of Private Higher Education as of fall 2026. From 2019-2024 he was the elected President of the International Academy for the study of Tourism, the worldwide leading network of Tourism Professors and he is also the chairman of the Expert committee of the World Tourism Cities Federation. For more than 30 years he is a Technical Advisor of European Cities Marketing and the European Travel Commission, the two leading professional tourism networks in Europe.
Ulrich Gunter is a Full Professor of Tourism Economics at the School of Tourism and Service Management of Modul University Vienna and Dean of the Graduate Degree Programs, He holds a PhD in Economics from the University of Vienna (2010), as well as an MA in Latin American Studies from the same institution (2015). Following a habilitation process, Ulrich obtained his Venia Docendi (university teaching credential) from Modul University Vienna in 2017. Ulrich is a Member of the Board of Directors and Past Chair of the Tourism and Hospitality Section (THS) of the International Institute of Forecasters (IIF). He is also a regular member of CFE and of ICHRIE. From 2022 to 2026, he was a Member of the Executive Council of the International Association for Tourism Economics (IATE). Ulrich’s research interests are in tourism economics, sustainability in tourism and beyond, and in applied econometrics (time-series analysis, forecasting, panel-data analysis).
Dr. Bozana Zekan is an Associate Professor at the School of Tourism and Service Management, Modul University Vienna. She holds a Doctor of Social and Economic Sciences (with honors) degree from the Vienna University of Economics and Business, Vienna, Austria, and a Master of Science in Service Management degree from the Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, New York. Her research interests are in the fields of tourism economics and destination management. Her research has been published in leading international scholarly journals and has received external funding from various bodies. Bozana is a member of the International Association for Tourism Economics (IATE), the International Institute of Forecasters (IIF), the City Destinations Alliance (CityDNA) Knowledge Group Research & Insights, and the City Travel Report Steering Group. She serves on the editorial boards of Annals of Tourism Research, Annals of Tourism Research Empirical Insights, Journal of Travel Research, and Tourism Economics.
Jason is the Dean of Undergraduate Degree Programs and an Associate Professor of Tourism and Service Management at Modul University Vienna. His research interests include measuring, modeling, and managing tourism destination systems; marketing evaluation; visitor experience and value creation; “smarter” tourism management; and big data. His recent research projects are related to the design and implementation of the Common European Tourism Data Space. Prior to joining academia, Jason worked for the U.S. Travel Association, and he is proud to have served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Costa Rica, where he was involved in a number of community-based projects related to eco-tourism, technology education, and micro-finance. Jason also serves on the editorial boards of the Journal of Travel Research, Annals of Tourism Research, and the Journal of Information Technology and Tourism.
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