Domestic tourism operators and their guests achieved a record year in 2024. Overnight stays in hotels, guesthouses, and holiday apartments increased by 2.1 percent compared to 2023, reaching 154.29 million, thus exceeding the record of 2019 by 1 percent. The increase was mainly due to international guests, with a particularly high increase from the USA. However, the most important market continued to be Germany. 40 million tourists came from Austria.

2024 will be the new baseline for tourism figures, after the pre-Corona year 2019 was often used as a comparison in recent years, explained Tourism State Secretary Susanne Kraus-Winkler (ÖVP) at the presentation of the figures. However, tourism businesses would continue to be "under pressure". Although they have increased their prices, "most of them could not really cover the very high costs of the last - especially - two years with the price increases".

Holiday Guests Flocked to Austria in 2024

More than half of the overnight stays last year were in Tyrol and Salzburg. However, Vienna had the highest increases, and Styria and Burgenland also made significant gains. City tourism has gained significant importance over the years, with 27.5 million overnight stays and a share of almost 18 percent, explained Peter Laimer, tourism expert at Statistik Austria.

Commercial holiday apartments and houses in particular were able to record a significant increase: 20.21 million overnight stays represented an increase of 8.1 percent compared to the previous year. However, the majority of overnight stays were still in 5- and 4-star accommodation establishments (54.63 million overnight stays).

There are differences in the choice of accommodation between domestic and foreign guests. The latter would be decisive in the demand for holiday apartments, according to Kraus-Winkler. There was a total decline in overnight stays in 1- and 2-star hotels, which can be attributed to a high minus among domestic guests - among tourists from abroad, demand also increased here, albeit only slightly. Austrians would therefore increasingly turn to more expensive accommodations.

Germans Continue to be the Most Important Customers

In 2024, arrivals also reached a new record high: Compared to the previous year, the number of guests in 2024 increased by 3.3 percent to 46.71 million, compared to the pre-Corona period in 2019, the increase was 1.1 percent. The average length of stay has been declining in the long-term trend, explained Laimer. However, since 2015, the value has stabilized at "3.3 to 3.4 days".

Broken down by origin, Germans were the most important customer group for domestic tourism in 2024, accounting for 38 percent, followed by domestic guests (26 percent) and Dutch (7.2 percent). With 2.4 million overnight stays, US tourists reached an all-time high. Kraus-Winkler also pointed out the favourable exchange rate between the US dollar and the euro.

Good Start to the Winter Season

The current winter season 2024/25 has started off well. In November and December 2024, there were a total of 18.17 million overnight stays nationwide, the number of guests increased to 6.12 million, thus exceeding the six million mark for the first time in this period.

For 2025, tourism businesses are expecting an improvement in their operating results, as energy costs have fallen and personnel costs have "stabilised", according to the State Secretary. Across Europe, growth in the high single-digit range is expected for the tourism industry.

Concerns that the current economic downturn in Austria and also in the important country of origin, Germany, will have a negative impact were downplayed at the press conference. As an example, Kraus-Winkler pointed to the retirement wave of the baby boomer generation in the neighbouring country. They have "saved all their lives for this time". Laimer also said that travel is high up in the hierarchy of needs and many people would first save on other things.

Business Representatives Pleased

The Chamber of Commerce was pleased with the figures. "Despite all the adversities of recent years, tourism has proven to be a pillar of the economy," said Robert Seeber, Federal Chairman of the Tourism and Leisure Industry of the WKÖ, in a press release. At the same time, he pointed to a difficult situation for the businesses. "Costs have risen steeply in recent years and play a decisive role in business success."

(APA/Red)

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