Online ratings play a significant role in people’s travel decisions. At the same time, they provide valuable information about a destination’s competitiveness.
Commissioned by the Vienna Tourist Board, global market researchers TCI Research/Travelsat analyzed 1.8 million visitor ratings submitted between January 2019 and October 2021 on 30 key international travel and other rating sites (Google, booking.com, TripAdvisor etc.). The results were then compared to those of Vienna’s strongest competitors: Paris, Prague, Barcelona, Berlin and Amsterdam. The findings provided a clear picture of how visitors viewed the development of Vienna’s offering during the pandemic and how the Austrian capital performed in comparison with its competitors.
Ultimately, the analysis confirmed Vienna’s outstanding performance. The destination and its providers lived up to its promise in terms of quality. In all three of the areas covered by the analysis – accommodation, hospitality and leisure – Vienna performed significantly better than its competitors, not only maintaining its competitive lead, but in some cases extending it. The largest competitive advantage came from the accommodation sector, which is also a key driver behind overall quality ratings.
Classic draws such as museums, art and culture, as well as architecture and green spaces had a significant bearing on Vienna’s positive reputation online. In this respect, what is referred to “sense of place” in the industry was particularly important – a factor that applies to a certain atmosphere, enjoyable shared moments in a great location and a beautiful setting.
The results of the analysis were presented as part of the Vienna Visitor Economy Series (only available in German). For an afternoon, the authors of the study presented the results for the destination as a whole, as well as the individual categories covered by it. Deep dives and good practice provide a way for the Vienna Tourist Board to help stakeholders in the Visitor Economy to enhance the quality of their offerings.
