Summer tourism in Austria is not yet in full swing this year. “There is no really uniform mood – June was generally weaker for everyone than the previous year, with a few exceptions,” says State Secretary for Tourism Susanne Kraus-Winkler (ÖVP). The traditionally busiest month of the season, August, is approaching. Savings are being made and many people are using their existing travel budget for a seaside holiday.
Since mid-July, there has been no general dissatisfaction among local accommodation providers, but the sector has noticed that savings are being made and that less is being consumed, says Kraus-Winkler. “And don’t forget: cheap flights are driving people to fly to the Mediterranean,” says the industry expert. Turkey and Greece are also very popular destinations this year. In general, Austrians go to the seaside more often in June and July, and they prefer to holiday in their own country in August. According to the tourism expert, local hotels, guesthouses and holiday apartments are also expecting “a good booking situation” for September and October. “The classic two-week summer holiday is dying out.” time. “The 18- to 25-year-olds have the shortest travel times, the baby boomers the longest,” says Kraus-Winkler. “The classic two-week summer holiday is dying out.” Asian tourists are missing The absence of Asians is still noticeable in city tourism. “The Chinese and the Japanese are not back yet,” said Kraus-Winkler. “It has become more expensive for the Japanese to come to Europe,” she said, referring to the exchange rate developments between the yen and the euro. Flights had also become more expensive and took longer – due to the different route as a result of the Russian war against Ukraine Camping is booming “The topic of camping is also interesting – we have the highest growth rates there,” said Kraus-Winkler. And here too, there are changes in demand. “Small and medium-sized companies are coming more often,” said the state secretary. This year in May, the number of overnight stays in the four- and five-star class increased by almost 15 percent year-on-year. in the one- and two-star segment by over 12 percent, in the three-star segment only around 6 percent. However, there was an increase in bookings of almost 34 percent for holiday apartments.
Source: Krone
I’m Ben Stock, a journalist and author at Today Times Live. I specialize in economic news and have been working in the news industry for over five years. My experience spans from local journalism to international business reporting. In my career I’ve had the opportunity to interview some of the world’s leading economists and financial experts, giving me an insight into global trends that is unique among journalists.
