Austrian village asks tourists to set their price

Längenfeld, an idyllic village in Austria’s Alps, is inviting 200 people to visit for three days during the first week of July. Visitors will perform a Live Quality Check, testing the village’s hotels, restaurants and leisure facilities. When it’s time to leave, they’ll fill out a survey and pay what they think their stay was worth. When signing up for the Live Quality Check, people were asked to select their preferred type of accommodation, as well indicate the holiday activities they enjoy—rafting, hiking, climbing, swimming, biking, culture and a spa are on offer. Sixteen accommodation providers, four restaurants and seven leisure facilities are participating in the endeavour, and over 400 people applied for a testing slot. According to Martin Santer, the project’s initiator, “Längenfeld is a place of energy, both for locals and our guests, and it has become a thriving tourist resort; a place we’re very proud of. With Live Quality Check, we’re showing our pride by letting guests determine how much they pay.” More than just a PR gimmick at the start of the summer season, the test should help uncover whether tourists feel they’re getting value for money in Längenfeld. By combining pay-as-you-wish with an extensive survey, the local tourist industry gains valuable information about the quality of their services, and useful feedback on their pricing strategy. Now, if they really want to go the full mile, they’ll add transparency to the mix and put all those reviews online… (Related: Pay-what-you-want hotel in Singapore — Pay-what-you-want ad agency — London diners pay what they want at Little Bay.) Spotted by: M.M.