Austria strengthens global leadership in Sustainable Tourism

In 2023, Austria ranked #10 worldwide in international tourist arrivals, welcoming 30.9 million visitors

Vienna has become the epicenter of critical discussions on sustainable tourism, with UN Tourism Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili lauding Austria's exemplary efforts in advancing global tourism sustainability. Austria’s achievements include six villages recognised in the UN Tourism Best Tourism Village Programme and Tyrol's inclusion in the International Network of Sustainable Tourism Observatories (INSTO).

Secretary-General Pololikashvili met Susanne Kraus-Winkler, Austria’s State Secretary for Tourism, to discuss Austria’s pivotal role as Co-Chair of the Committee on Statistics. The talks focused on implementing the Statistical Framework for Measuring the Sustainability of Tourism (MST), endorsed by the United Nations Statistical Commission. Austria’s leadership has been integral in shaping this framework, which establishes vital methods to assess tourism’s economic, social, and environmental impacts.

On the occasion, Secretary-General Pololikashvili said, “A leading tourism destination like Austria can play an important role in advancing global tourism issues, such as the SF-MST, while at the same time to ensure that through such measurement instruments tourism remains a key driver of sustainable and inclusive development. UN Tourism commends Austria’s clear commitment to shaping a sustainable and resilient tourism future, and its leadership at both the regional and global level in this regard that also is highlighted through a comparatively big number of Best Tourism Villages and one of the leading destinations as a member in the INSTO Network.”

Furthering this narrative, discussions with Ambassador Harald Stranzl, Director for Foreign Economic Relations, explored leveraging Austrian expertise to support development cooperation in tourism. The dialogue underscored Austria’s capacity to share its technical and knowledge resources to propel global sustainable tourism initiatives.

In 2023, Austria ranked #10 worldwide in international tourist arrivals, welcoming 30.9 million visitors. Its tourism sector, generating €22.8 billion in revenue, reflects an 11 per cent growth compared to pre-pandemic levels, cementing its role as a leader in sustainable tourism.

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