Austrian Tourist Board - Strong Winter Season Ahead: Austria Remains Top Destination In The Most Important Winter Markets

According to the 2024/25 winter potential study by the Austrian Tourist Board (ÖW), the signs are once again good for a successful winter season. Austria remains among the top two winter sports destinations in nine of the ten markets examined (Austria, Germany, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Great Britain, Denmark, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Italy, Romania). Sustainability is becoming increasingly important, especially for people planning a trip to Austria.

17 million people plan winter holidays in Austria
Winter sports holidays are more in demand than ever in the 2024/25 winter season
Tourism State Secretary Kraus-Winkler: “The economic situation of guests has improved”

ÖW CEO Steharnig-Staudinger: “We also appeal to potential travelers who are interested in activities off the slopes.”

Cable car association chairman Franz Hörl: “Cable cars are important leisure providers and score points with quality and variety.”
ÖW Winter Potential Study 2024/25 – with 11,000 respondents from 10 countries, the following picture emerges:
The holiday mood and economic assessment of potential guests have brightened compared to the 2023/2024 survey.
The propensity to save has noticeably declined in recent years.
17 million people are almost certain to spend their winter holidays in Austria; more undecided people than last year are considering Austria as a travel destination.
Winter sports holidays remain a perennial favorite and are more in demand than ever.

Kraus-Winkler: Increase in holiday mood evident on the markets

"The mood of our potential guests has become much more optimistic in the last 12 months. Time, desire and money for winter holidays have improved significantly and the burden of inflation has also decreased. As far as demand for the upcoming winter season is concerned, we are currently assuming a good basis for a successful winter 2024/25," says State Secretary for Tourism Susanne Kraus-Winkler, referring to the new winter potential study by the Austrian Tourist Board.

Steharnig-Staudinger: New marketing activities aim to inspire enthusiasm for the Austrian winter

"When it comes to winter sports, Austria is clearly number one, and that's what we're known and valued for. We're also increasingly targeting travelers who are interested in all activities off the slopes. For this reason, in 2024, for the first time, we'll be showing what else Austria has to offer in winter alongside the classic winter sports advertising. With our flagship marketing campaign "NoSki Instructor," we're convincing undecided travelers in a humorous way," says ÖW Managing Director Astrid Steharnig-Staudinger.

Hörl: Austria's cable car landscape is a unique quality location

The Austrian cable cars are among Austria's most successful and important leisure providers - and the trend is unchanged. "We combine a high-quality and, in many areas, globally unique offering with the pure joy of exercise and relaxation and shared experiences in unspoilt nature," says Franz Hörl, chairman of the Cable Car Association (Austrian Chamber of Commerce). Quality is the decisive unique selling point of the domestic cable car landscape - "from the cheaper segment of small ski areas to the internationally known top spots."

With over 50 million skier days, Austria ranks second internationally behind the USA. Hörl cites the consistently attractive price-performance ratio - for example, compared with the prices for skiing in Switzerland, France or the USA - the price and content range of the offer as well as Austria's growing and consistently renowned tourism and gastronomy expertise as reasons for the industry's continued success. The focus of further development remains on the innovative interpretation of the offer, attractive ticket packages for families and children and the sustainable design of the ski areas from mobility to energy generation with the aim of almost completely emission-free operation. "In this way, we create maximum skiing fun at the highest level in harmony with nature," says Hörl.

Marketing activities of the ÖW: Winter activities on and off the slopes and focus on the Ski World Championships in Saalbach

This coming winter, the Austrian Tourist Board will be working with 84 partners from across the industry to promote winter tourism in all its facets in 13 markets - Germany, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark, Sweden, France, Poland, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovakia and Romania. The campaign is intended to inspire guests with the Austrian attitude to life in winter. The Austrian Tourist Board is placing greater emphasis on emotions rather than interchangeable landscape images and is moving away from classic stereotypes that are usually associated with winter holidays in Austria.

The flagship marketing campaigns "NoSki Instructor" will advertise holidays away from the slopes from November, and "Lift is Life" will advertise winter sports holidays from the perspective of a lift attendant from January - always with a good dose of humor. The FIS Alpine Ski World Championships in Saalbach in SalzburgerLand will have a special place in the 2024/25 winter communication. The Austrian Tourist Board will be drumming up support for Austria as a winter sports destination with further extraordinary measures in advance and on site.

About the study

The Austrian National Tourist Board, as the client, provides basic information on the study to the domestic tourism industry free of charge.

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