India Emerges Among High Growth Tourist Markets for Vienna

THE AUSTRIAN capital recorded almost 7 million visitor bednights--an all-time new high for Vienna--between January-June 2017 – 4.2% more than for the same period the previous year.  The 64000 visitor bednights recorded by Indian travellers grew 15 per cent in the same period placing it among the high growth tourist markets along with China, Russia and Australia.

The Austrian capital, Vienna, continued to attract Indian families, honeymooners and young travellers looking to explore its imperial history, soak in its rich tradition of music, and experience its romantic offerings.

It’s no coincidence that the former capital of the Habsburg empire, Vienna, an exceptionally livable – and smart – city, was crowned the world’s most livable city for the eighth year in a row in 2017.

But it’s not just the high quality of life on offer in Vienna that makes it such a popular place to visit. Excellent infrastructure, English speaking population and safety of travellers also add to city’s attractiveness.

“City breaks to Vienna continue to boom: the city established a new record in the first half of 2017, with visitor bednights increasing 4.2% to around 6,924,000,” according to Norbert Kettner, Director of the Vienna Tourist Board.

Vienna’s aim is to become the Smart Tourism city by 2020. The vision is of a city that uses innovative services and attractions to create a relaxed urban experience and support positive interaction between residents and visitors, ushering in a responsible mindset that will help to pursue its sustainability goals without detracting from its glamourous image.

The Viennese Coffeehouse is an attraction for visitors, for locals a second home, and for artists and literati an institution. Viennese coffeehouse culture was officially added to the UNESCO intangible cultural heritage list in 2011.

Vienna is the world capital of music: every night around 10,000 music lovers are treated to live classical music – something no other city in the world can rival. Each year the Vienna concert schedule includes more than 15,000 events of various sizes and genres. 450 balls provide around 2,000 hours of dance floor magic every year. No other city has been home to so many composers — Mozart, Mahler, Haydn, Beethoven and Johann Strauss, the king of the Viennese waltz, all honed their craft in the city.

international transit hub used by around 150,000 people and 1,000 trains each day. It is also served by eight S-Bahn rapid transit train lines, two bus routes, three tram routes and a subway line.

Vienna currently has 64,000 hotel beds in all categories.

The meetings industry also has an important role to play, accounting for 11% of the total volume of bednights in 2016. Some 4,000 congresses, corporate events and incentives were held in Vienna last year – another new record.