Austria is again allowing Chinese tour groups to enter the country

Austria has been allowing Chinese travel groups to enter again since the middle of last week. This had previously been prohibited since the beginning of the corona pandemic. However, individual travelers were allowed to enter much earlier. 

Chinese tourists were responsible for 2019 million overnight stays in 1,5, making them the strongest long-distance Asian market. In 2020, there was a drop of 92 percent in overnight stays due to the corona-related restrictions, and in 2021 even 98 percent. In 2019 alone, Austrian tourism earned 280 million euros from Chinese guests, and the absence of Chinese groups in recent years has led to large losses for often very wealthy guests. City and cultural tourism was particularly affected by this, especially since sights, cultural offerings and natural landscapes are the main motives for Chinese guests to vacation in Austria. 

While individual travelers have been able to enter Austria without restrictions for a long time, group travel has not been possible until now. "Austrian tourism benefits in particular from Chinese group travel, which is why we have always endeavored to ensure unrestricted travel between China and Austria on a bilateral level. With this in mind, I would also like to thank Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg for his efforts in this matter,” said Kraus-Winkler. 

“As the largest Asian source market, China is of enormous importance for Austrian tourism. With the abolition of the last restrictions, the competitive disadvantages compared to those countries that were already open to Chinese group travel before Austria were eliminated and the industry can breathe again," says Tourism State Secretary Susanne Kraus-Winkler.