You know what they say about first impressions, that you won’t get a second chance to make them. With that in mind, my feelings for Austria will always be intertwined with my first visit when I was a young student living in Paris. It was winter, and we arrived in Vienna via a scenic train journey from Paris to find the city covered in snow and radiating a fairytale magic.
I’ve been back in Vienna a few times since then and had the opportunity to explore some of the trendy sections of the city along with its imperial grandeur, but the aura effect from that first visit remains.
Now that Austria has emerged from the restrictions of the pandemic in the past two years, I asked Michael Geigl, the regional director of the Austrian National Tourist Office for the United States and Australia, for an update on today’s visitor experience – including whether there are any remaining protocols from Covid precautions and the impact of the invasion. Russia to Ukraine.
Regarding the war, he said, “We’re seeing very few cancellations so far, but a noticeable slowdown in new bookings. And I think many travelers are on hold.” Jiegel notes that he sees a wait-and-see attitude among his friends, who are planning to travel in Europe for the summer season but are holding back a bit from the actual booking.
“It is clear that consultants need to take into account the concerns of their clients [about the war] seriously. At the same time, the conflict is hundreds of miles away. Since the urge to return to Europe is so strong, I think the best a consultant can do is get his clients ready to travel. Be fully present and prepared when your customers are ready to make that reservation.”
On a more positive note, Geigl stressed that Austria is completely open to everyone, without the complex rules and restrictions that have plagued all of us here and abroad during the pandemic.
“Of course, governments and health officials are constantly trying to strike a balance between keeping things safe for everyone and getting back to normal,” he said.
For now, masks are still required in most indoor settings, Jijel said, adding that since we’ve all learned that pandemic rules can always change, it’s best to check www.austria.info for the latest information and updates.
The cathedral district of Salzburg is surrounded by the Austrian Alps. Image source: Tourismus Salzburg GmbH
Rethink the visitor experience
Like many destinations, Austria has used the pause in tourism due to the pandemic to rethink and improve its tourism experience.
Alfresco dining, street cafés and the like have long been part of the Austrian experience, Geigl said, but what has changed is the rapid focus on a sustainable form of tourism that benefits travelers and the local community alike.
“We are a family business country – over 90% of hotels in Austria are family run. Making sure this entrepreneurial tourism sector survives the pandemic without compromising it has been a huge focus of our government.”
Most specialists in Europe expected a boom in nature-focused travel as people slowly resume leisure travel, but it’s hard to imagine visiting Austria without including some of its famous cities.
“It’s really easy to combine a city stay with a countryside experience, and Salzburg is a great example, right on the doorstep of the Salzkammergut lake district and the scenic beauty of the Alps,” said Gigel.
“Or take Innsbruck, the capital of the Alps, where it will only take 20 minutes by public transport to get from the city center to the top of the mountain.”
As for getting around, Gigel said that while driving in Austria is easy for North Americans, more and more travelers are choosing to try a private driver/guide.
Mountain biking in the Salzkammergut resort area, which attracts outdoor enthusiasts in the summer. Image credit: Peter Burgstaller/Austrian ad
railway renaissance
Driven by ecological descent, he said, rail travel in Austria is also experiencing a renaissance, with Vienna establishing itself as a European hub for intercity night trains, connecting Vienna not only to other cities in Austria but also to cities like Paris, Berlin, Amsterdam, Rome and Venice.
“Austrian Railways recently introduced these new Nightjets, bringing back the fun and romance of sleeper cars,” said Geigl.
Even for the outdoor enthusiast, Vienna will likely be on your itinerary, especially since the city is usually the destination point.
In fact, Vienna’s popularity among American travelers is so great that even during the pandemic, the United States was the third most important market for the city’s tourism industry.
According to statistics from the Tourist Office, 75% of visitors to Vienna come because of the richness of its cultural life. In the area between the University of Vienna and Karlsplatz alone, at less than half a square mile, visitors have nearly 30 museums to choose from.
This year, new cultural attractions will include the reopening of Lower Belvedere and the return of the Heidi Horten Collection at the Leopold Museum, which will showcase the works of Klimt, Shelley, Warhol, and Picasso, among others.
Hotels in sight
On the front of the hotel, highly anticipated hotel openings in Vienna include the five-star Rosewood Vienna due to open this summer. The 99-room hotel will be the fifth Rosewood hotel in Europe and the first in a German-speaking country. Housed in a former bank building dating back to 1830, the hotel features a rooftop bar with city views, a garden restaurant serving European cuisine, and the Sense Rosewood Spa.
The 76-room Leo Grand is due to open this month, just a few steps from St Stephen’s Cathedral in a listed building. The property honors Holy Roman Emperor Leopold I, who ruled from 1658 until his death in 1705.
In terms of access, Austrian Airlines will launch a direct flight from Los Angeles to Vienna starting in mid-May, strengthening the connection between the west coast and Austria’s capital.
