A new member from Austria
29 March 2011 – Section: News
BISA welcomes its first Austrian member: Dr. Franz Linser is the founder and Managing Partner of Linser & Partner Consulting, a renowned health tourism consultancy based in Innsbruck, Austria. Linser & Partner consults and assists hotels & resorts in the development of professionally planned, sustainable and lucrative health-, wellbeing- and lifestyle concepts.
With its professional team of exercise physiologists, physicians, economists and architects, Linser & Partner develops individually designed concepts with a strong emphasis on market research, business planning, operations, functional procedures and space planning. However, what Linser & Partner is most known for is the development of hotels and resorts as a whole, devising effective and innovative offerings by creating unique lifestyle programmes in motivating yet functional surroundings. With its professional background the team is well versed in applying state-of-the-art scientific knowledge to practical lifestyle strategies within an inspiring spa atmosphere.
With 20 years of experience in the luxury hotel and spa industry, Franz is a much sought after expert in the industry when it comes to lifestyle-related spa and hotel projects. Prior to his consulting activities, Franz taught sports science at Innsbruck University and successfully trained the Austrian National Ski Team from 1989-92. He also brought his vast experience in health and tourism to bear in politics, for example as a Member of the European Parliament in the 1990s.
Dr. Franz Linser tells us why he decided to join BISA:
I first came into contact with BISA about a year ago when Marion Schneider invited me to speak at the BISA 2010 conference in Budapest. Both the programme and participants seemed very inspiring and I gladly accepted the invitation. My first impression was that although BISA is a relatively small association, it is driven by a group of personally committed and renowned experts from different countries, spa cultures and fields of expertise.
What I particularly liked was that BISA members seemed to be less ego-maniacs (as unfortunately seen in other parts of the industry) but rather intrinsically motivated specialists with a deep concern for real issues facing the spa and wellness industries: a strong focus on healing and holistic health, the prevention of undesirable lifestyle developments rather than their cure, and a sense of common responsibility for our natural resources.
What impressed me, apart from that, is the idea of establishing a working cooperation with relevant universities in order to lend the myriad of creative and innovative ideas within the group a more scientific and thus reliable basis. Last but not least, I was pleased to see many esteemed colleagues from the industry on BISA’s list of members (many of whom I have known for years), such as Jean-Guy de Gabriac from France, Ute Rührig from Germany and, of course, Marion Schneider herself. I am proud to be BISA’s first member from Austria!
Dr. Franz Linser
Linser & Partner Consulting GmbH
Medicent Innsbruck, Innrain 143
A-6020 Innsbruck, Austria
Tel: +43 512 90105095