the business
After two years of lockdowns and travel restrictions, 2022 has been much better for Vienna’s hotels and guesthouses. Three-quarters of the pre-pandemic level has been reached, despite a massive wave of CoV in the spring.
01.25.2023 11.58
Online since today, 11:58 am
13.2 million guest nights were counted in Vienna last year. This is three-quarters of the level of the year before the 2019 crisis. Hotel sales in October and November were even higher than in 2019, although inflation also plays a role here.
The number of US travelers has increased massively
Foreign guests are also increasing again: their share was 79% last year, before the crisis it was 83%. The US in particular is making a comeback – after Austria and Germany it is now again the third largest source market. There was a strong 416 percent increase in overnight stays from the US. Also strong – despite Brexit – is Great Britain and Northern Ireland with a 457 percent increase.
China is completely different: here you do not count even a tenth of the previous overnight stays. China’s strict pandemic policy has effectively banned foreign travel and has only recently allowed flights again.
The train must overtake cars and buses
Train travel, especially from nearby markets, should be promoted. By 2025, the proportion of people coming by car or train is expected to reverse. Currently, 26% come by car and 21% by train. This should also be possible due to the increasing number of night trains operated by ÖBB. Above all, guests from Germany, Italy and Switzerland must be persuaded to switch to the train.