Domestic Tourism Recorded a Good Winter Season

Peter Laimer from Statistics Austria expects around 72 million overnight stays in April, thanks in part to the Easter business, comparable to the record in 2018/19. The summer outlook is also good, according to Astrid Steharnig-Staudinger from the Austrian National Tourist Office. State Secretary Elisabeth Zehetner emphasized that domestic tourism is currently growing positively and is considered an important economic factor.

Bright Prospects for Domestic Tourism in the Coming Summer

For the coming summer, Zehetner also painted a rosy picture based on a survey. It remains very important for people to go on vacation, and in the main countries of origin for tourists in Austria, four out of five people say their financial situation is stable or even better than before. Austria is also considered a destination for the next vacation by the overwhelming majority.

Statistician Laimer points out that the duration of individual vacations has halved from 6-7 days to 3-4 days since the 1950s. However, the number of trips has increased drastically. A positive aspect for the industry is a better distribution throughout the year: In 1974, almost half of all overnight stays (46.2 percent) were in July and August, while in 2024 it was just over a quarter (25.9 percent). Overnight stays in cities have more than tripled in absolute numbers over the same period (from 7.9 million to 27.5 million), and here too, the distribution throughout the year has become more balanced.

Great Interest in Vacations in Austria from Key Source Countries

"Apparently, we have a good reputation with vacationers," Steharnig-Staudinger is pleased, as 22.5 million people wanted to choose Austria as a vacation destination this summer. 82 percent of arrivals are from people from the ten countries Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark, United Kingdom, Italy, Poland, and Czech Republic. The Austrian Tourist Board "is moving away from the seasonal logic" and is now promoting Austria as a year-round destination. To better distribute tourist flows across Austria, "hidden champions," or less well-known beautiful places, are now being explicitly promoted in 15 markets. Classics from "Sound of Music" to "200 Years of Strauss" should not be missing either. Trends such as culinary travel, which already account for 10 percent of vacations, are also in focus.

Daily Expenditures in Domestic Tourism at 157 to 233 Euros

The daily expenditures of tourists in the summer are between 157 to 233 euros - the Swiss spend the most, followed by Scandinavians and Britons. Austrian guests spend 160 euros a day on their vacation. So far, no change in travel behavior can be detected among Americans. The prices in tourism "must keep up," said Zehetner, but the price-performance ratio is perceived internationally as "excellent," especially in the USA. The domestic tourism industry has recorded a slight decline in revenue, but this is "overall not so dramatic." Nevertheless, care must be taken to ensure that it does not continue. "Moderate wage agreements" and falling energy costs would contribute to this. But "the most important step: A lot also depends on bureaucracy, which has no immediate benefit." The State Secretary referred to examples such as operating permits and "paperwork" and that there should be standardizations.

Artificial Intelligence an Important Topic for Domestic Tourism

Artificial intelligence (AI) is a big topic, said Steharnig-Staudinger. The AI chatbot of the Austrian Tourist Board has been running for almost two years and works better the more content is provided with it. The government will also pay great attention to AI in its tourism plan, added Zehetner. This ranges from preparing the industry for the new tool to better directing visitor flows.

(APA/Red)

This article has been automatically translated, read the original article here.