The Travel Agencies section of the Vienna Chamber of Commerce complains that there are still hardly any incoming bookings. Tourism in Vienna would be severely affected by the Russia-Ukraine conflict, explains Chairman Gregor Kadanka.

"If group travel, individual travelers and business travelers no longer come to Vienna, this not only affects us travel agencies, but also has a negative multiplier effect on the economic situation of hotels, restaurants, tourist guides and many other companies," says the WKW official.

In the first few weeks of the current year, the number of new bookings from international markets is said to have risen sharply again. Before that, things hadn’t gone particularly well for around two years due to the corona pandemic. The military attack by the Russian Federation on Ukraine has completely changed the situation, explains Kadanka: “Travel is being canceled or rebooked over the long term. New bookings are currently not being made at all.”

Vienna's incoming offices are particularly dependent on guests from distant markets, while other federal states are increasingly serving demand from domestic and local markets. And especially for guests from the USA, South America, Canada, Asia and Australia there is “war in Europe”. They perceive the distances from Vienna to the Ukraine as very small, are insecure and frightened. Group trips in their own country are increasingly being used, or travelers are choosing “safe” destinations – away from Europe.

The upturn that was so urgently needed after the pandemic – which has already begun to emerge – is therefore still missing. Even if the war were to end, potential guests would still be unsettled for some time, with other factors such as high inflation and rising kerosene prices also having an impact. "So the incoming industry is one of the first to be hit - again - with full economic force and it will be one of the last to experience a possible upswing in the long term," says Kadanka.

He is now calling for the support measures for the industry to be continued: "What we need is: the extension of short-time work until autumn/winter, the extension of financial aid measures such as loss compensation or cancellation bonuses and an improvement in the framework conditions and planning security for the tourism industry in Vienna."