„Das muss Österreich sein“ (or „It’s got to be Austria“). Austrians aim to attract more people from neighbouring countries by road and rail.
In the past Austria had the reputation amongst Europeans of being a somewhat more affordable Switzerland. In recent years however skiers have been turning more to Austria not only because of its more favourable prices.
Austria does indeed have a lot to offer: the language is the same for the Swiss and Germans, Vienna is a superb modern city with fantastic architecture, and the ski resorts are simply divine. The football championship EURO 2008 also did wonders for advertising this central European country.
Indeed, football was the main reason for the breaking of so many records last year. Revenue from tourism was higher than ever, despite the ever-looming threat of the global economic crisis. The capital, Vienna, even reached a landmark of 10 million overnight stays in December. On a total domestic scale, Tyrol is the centre of Austrian tourism, being responsible for 35 per cent of overnight stays. Vienna accounts for a higher percentage of revenue, mainly due to higher prices and the presence of an important international airport.
Germany is still the top market for Austria, perhaps thanks to the language, as well as the U.S. with 1.2 million overnight stays per annum.
The Austrians, in order to improve the situation even more this year, are aiming to attract more visitors from neighbouring countries by rail or by road. Countries such as the Czech Republic and Slovakia have been enjoying better economic conditions in recent years, so their inhabitants have been travelling more and more. This is a market segment, which the Austrians hope to exploit, especially taking the geographical location of Vienna into account.
Photo: tourism-review.com
