Klaus Ehrlich studied Economics - Business Administration at the University of Siegen (Germany) and Sevilla (Spain) from 1976-1983. Co-founder and manager of several entrepreneur associations related with rural tourism in Spain (RAAR, AHRA) from 1991 until 2006. Since 2002 he has been responsible for the management of Ruraltour - European Federation of Rural Tourism, currently as general secretary. Involved in working groups and consultative bodies at the European Commission related with tourism, rural development, and digital economy. Coordinator of the Pact for Skills Tourism LSP, member of the expert group of the Transition Pathway for Tourism – T4T of the European Commission. Independent work in consultancy and training at vocational and academic institutions. Professional experience and background relate to managing private tourism trade organisations, representing micro- and nano tourism services and providing advisory services to them. Special expertise in fostering sustainable local development through tourism, engagement and cooperation with the local communities, digital economy, vocational training concepts, research and follow-up of visitor’s quality perception, and development of nature or culture-based tourism products. Overall responsible for the organisation and content of the 9 editions of the European Congress on Rural Tourism www.europeanrtcongress.org since 2003, and of the conferences Sustainable Tourism for Rural Development https://strd2017.org and http://strd2019.org . Participation in working groups and consultative bodies of the European Union such as the Civil Dialogue Group on CAP Strategic Plans and Horizontal Matters, Rural Pact, Expert Group on Travel Package Directive and T4T, Pact for Skills Tourism LSP (coordinator), Community Group Rural Tourism of the Rural Pact, and other ad-hoc groups. Professional work and contacts in 33 countries, including transitional and developing economies, which allows drawing on a wide scope of both theoretical and practical experiences at all stages of sustainable rural tourism development.

Hans Embacher, 65, was director of the Austrian Farm Holidays Association from 1991 until April 2026 and thus one of the key players in rural tourism in Austria and as Vice-president of the European Association for rural and farm tourism („Eurogites“) also in Europe. At present he works as a free lance consultant in agritourism and rural development. After the studies of business administration and translator/interpreter at the university of Innsbruck/Austria he graduated in tourism marketing at the renowned University of Surrey/UK (thesis: „Austria’s image as a summer holiday destination“ for the Austrian National Tourism Office). After the study he gathered pracitical experience with all levels of tourism as a tourism consultant with Edinger Tourism Consultants and Engineers Ltd. in Innsbruck. Over 10 years his position in the marketing board of the Austrian National Tourist Board offered valuable overview over the major issues and developments in tourism, in the Austrian Chamber of Agriculture Embacher represents the interests of rural tourism in the “rural regions”-committee. International consultancy projects in the CEE-countries Poland and Estonia, in 2012 invitation to the German Bundestag as a leading expert in rural tourism. Lectora¬tes at the University of Linz, at the University College for Agrarian and Environ¬men¬tal Pedagogy in Vienna, the Universities of Applied Sciences in Salzburg and Krems. Co-author of the tourism-encyclopaedia in 2008. With it’s consequent quality-policy, with establishing the brand „Farm Holidays in Austria“, with the development of various special interest-products and finally with the successful presentation of 2.300 small farm-enterprises on a common web-plattform the Austrian Farm Holidays Organisation has achieved a sustainable, successful development and a strong position in Austria’s tourism and agricultural sector. This organisation with some 2.300 member-farms (with 27.000 guest-beds) has been “role model” for many developments and projects in numerous European countries over the years.