THE number of Middle Eastern guests to Austria has increased almost fivefold in the last ten years (2001-2011), according to official figures. Austria has shown the biggest increase of arrivals from the Middle East of all European countries in the last five years.
The Middle East is the fastest growing overseas market for Austrian tourism with an average annual growth (2001-2011) of 18.55 per cent in arrivals and 16.68 per cent in overnights. 2011 was another record year with over 33 per cent arrivals and over 29 per cent overnights of Arab guests in Austria. In 2011, Austria had 160,100 arrivals from the Middle East (38,500 of which are from Saudi Arabia) and 527,300 overnights from the Middle East (129,000 from Saudi Arabia). The number of direct flights to Vienna from GCC countries has increased ninefold since 2003.
Middle Eastern guests are the biggest spenders in Austria, spending over 75 per cent more than the average guest on accommodation in Vienna, while more than 75 per cent stay in a four- or five-star hotel.
Austrians were recently voted as the friendliest and most hospitable residents of Europe, with almost 13 per cent. This is the result of a European Zoover study among over 17,000 respondents in 23 countries.
In 2011, Austria had 34.6 million arrivals (best result in history) and 126 million overnights (fifth best result).
The Austrian National Tourist Office also announced plans for a cross-media campaign across the GCC region in May covering radio, online and print campaigns across Saudi Arabia, UAE and Kuwait.
The campaign will highlight various “Cool Down” packages, offering some of the coolest experiences in Ausria. These include 0∞C in the World of the Ice Giants, the largest icecaves on earth in Salzburg; 10∞C at the Kitzsteinhorn Glacier for fun in the snow all summer long in Zell am See; 12∞C at the Glaciers in the ÷tz Valley in Tyrol or 15∞C in Kitzb¸hel in a ballon high above the ground among others.