GCC Travellers Contribute To A Successful Summer Holiday Season In Austria

The Austrian National Tourist Office held a travel workshop in Dubai today to shed light on the latest travel updates to Austria and the reasons that put the European country on top of the travellers’ lists. The event, organized in collaboration with Emirates Airline and 13 Austrian partners representing tourist boards, companies, and hotels, was attended by many representatives from the local media and travel trade companies.

During the event, the CEO of the Austrian National Tourist Office, Lisa Weddig, highlighted the diverse experiences Austria offers and the factors that make it a popular travel destination around the world. “Austria welcomes visitors with myriad offerings that fulfil all aspirations. Whether travellers come to enjoy its cultural heritage, picturesque nature, family adventures, or to savour its flavours, they will undoubtedly find what they are looking for and more,” Weddig said. “The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly affected the tourism industry worldwide, but thanks to the successful management of this crisis by the Austrian government, we have witnessed a rapid recovery with the return of travel. The health and safety regulations in place have highly contributed in rebuilding the travellers’ trust and made the summer holiday season a remarkable success,” she added.

The summer holiday season in Austria was marked by a clear recovery, and travellers from the GCC region played a major role in this. The Director of the Austrian National Tourist Office in the Middle East, Robert Groeblacher, elaborated: “Since the return of touristic travel between Austria and the GCC at the end of June, we  witnessed an increasing number of visitors from this region to Austria. This observation is supported by figures, as 263,000 overnight stays done by GCC travellers were registered over the course of the following three months. In September 2021, the number of overnight stays from this region have reached 80% of the number recorded in September 2019 before the COVID-19 pandemic. This indicates a clear recovery of the travel industry and we stay positive about it.” Groeblacher also highlighted the importance of the Gulf region for Austria’s tourism industry, saying: “In 2021, The GCC ranks first among the largest source markets for travellers to Austria outside the European Union. This makes the GCC market of a great importance to us and we are working to establish more initiatives within the region aiming at introducing Austria’s rich experiences to the largest possible audience.”

The representatives of the Austrian partners at the workshop showcased information about their destinations and what make them cater for GCC tourists. In this regard, Groeblacher explained: “Arab tourists usually travel with their families and friends to enjoy nature and pleasant climate. Austria’s mild weather and the great offerings available on hand such as the luxury hotels, halal food, guided tours, unique markets and warm hospitality make our guests from this region feel at home when they travel throughout Austria.”

Austria is famous for being a leading travel destination all year round, as tourists can find many activities and experiences for the different age groups in all seasons. It is also worth mentioning that traveling to Austria from the GCC is a convenient experience due to the widely available direct flights between the two destinations.