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The snowfall at the beginning of December 2023 - also in the lowlands - has awakened the desire for the mountains in a timely manner among domestic and foreign guests this year. Overall, this led to a very satisfactory demand and booking situation at the start of the winter season: Austrian hotels from east to west were consistently well booked, particularly at Christmas and New Year's Eve.
“I think it is possible that in the 2023/2024 winter season we will be able to return to the year before Corona,” commented Johann Spreitzhofer, chairman of the hotel industry association in the Austrian Chamber of Commerce (WKÖ), over the past two weeks.
Outlook for January and “energy holidays”
When looking ahead to January and the semester break, however, it is important to differentiate: January is always “a question of snow”; The weekends are good, the rest of January is still booked very cautiously. During this time, companies are increasingly relying on cooperation with large travel agencies and supermarket chains or advertising special offers. “We hope that the booking situation will pick up in the short term, and we are particularly relying on our regular guests. The semester break weeks in February, on the other hand, are well booked and therefore offer a solid starting point for a good winter season. “But capacities are still available everywhere and in every price range,” said the industry spokesman.
According to Spreitzhofer, three developments have become clear in recent years: Average consumer behavior on vacation has become more reserved. Spontaneous spending is increasingly being reconsidered, additional offers such as massages are being used less frequently, and there is also a noticeable decline in tips. This is particularly true for guests from abroad, such as our German neighbors, who generate a large proportion of overnight stays. They are also feeling the effects of inflation in their own country and are being more frugal on vacation.
Extremely short-term bookings and shorter stays remain an ongoing issue: guests who stay for one or two weeks are an endangered species. Today you often only stay in a hotel for two days, maybe three to four over Christmas and New Year. The short-term nature is a major challenge for goods and personnel deployment planning and means that companies have to remain permanently flexible.
The Austrian accommodation establishments shape Austria's high-quality tourism image, not least thanks to the more than 6.000 star-qualified establishments. “Highly trained and motivated employees, world cuisine, a good price-performance ratio, sustainable offerings and, as a fundamental basis, cleanliness and hygiene testify to the high quality of our tourism location. Our guests take these impressions with them to their home countries, report on them and then come back!” said the industry spokesman.
“This is a result of excellent interaction between all players in the tourism industry, hard work by our entrepreneurs and, in particular, our valuable employees. I say this not without pride, because just two years ago Corona had us firmly in its grip and no one would have thought it possible that we could be so successful again in 2023. Resilience is a strength of our industry, we will continue to prove this in 2024,” emphasizes Spreitzhofer.
