Just a few months after the city unveiled its Vienna Tourist Board-led Visitor Economy Strategy in October 2019, the Covid-19 pandemic triggered the biggest crisis the international tourism industry had ever faced. Many of the approaches that had been pinpointed during times of growth have proved to be more suitable than ever on the way out of the crisis. As a result, the basic principles remain unchanged, even though some of the quantitative targets that were set before the outbreak of the pandemic have been aligned to reflect the current situation. The adapted KPIs are designed to guide the city’s tourism sector back to pre-crisis level, while upholding the high satisfaction rates recorded among both visitors and residents alike.

1.        Direct and indirect economic impact induced by tourism in Vienna and Austria to return to 2018 levels: EUR 5.6 billion for Austria, of which EUR 4.7 billion contributed by Vienna.

2.       Net revenue from overnight stays generated by the Vienna accommodation industry – a core sector of the Visitor Economy – to return to its pre-crisis 2018 total of close to EUR 900 million by 2025.

3.      Responsible use of natural resources will be firmly anchored in the consciousness of all the stakeholders in the Visitor Economy by 2025. The number of businesses in the capital’s leisure and tourism sector certified according to the Österreichisches Umweltzeichen ecolabel (or an internationally recognized equivalent) will increase by 25% compared with 2018.

1.        Quality of experience for guests remains high: nine out of ten visitors would recommend Vienna as a destination. The aim is to retain this outstanding quality level.

2.       At the same time, nine out of ten local residents believe that tourism is positive for Vienna. This impressive backing from the population is a key benchmark for us, and one which we wish to uphold.

3.      Visitors, particularly those from nearby markets, are increasingly choosing environment-friendly transportation, which reduces their carbon footprint: by 2025 the goal is to reverse the proportions of visitors who arrive by car (2018: 26%) and by rail (2018: 21%).

Vienna’s Visitor Economy found itself – like city tourism worldwide – confronted with a completely new situation overnight, in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak. This called for rapid crisis management and a complete rethink of day-to-day operations. The Vienna Tourist Board deployed its teams in five task forces. This allowed it to react quickly and efficiently to the constantly changing regulations and initiate measures proactively. A multi-phase reactivation roadmap provided clear guidance which was aligned to the requirements of an on/off economy. Depending on what was possible at the time, the focus was on inspiring, activating or servicing, largely online. More than ever, Vienna’s outstanding qualities – art, culture and security – were at the forefront.

On its way back to normality, the Vienna Tourist Board carefully positioned the city as a living art, culture and meeting center – also in the luxury segment which generates an outsize proportion of value added. The Vienna Strips on OnlyFans campaign put art in the focus of a critical debate that was widely reported all over the world. It also used international mobility partnerships to help air and rail capacity recover to customary levels.

The Vienna Tourist Board is accompanying the city’s Visitor Economy through – and out of – the crisis. So that Vienna is lovable for visitors, livable for residents and profitable for business.