After two years of the pandemic, hope is burgeoning again in domestic tourism.

The winter was mixed, but the companies surveyed are now looking to the future with more optimism, as the current tourism barometer from the consulting firm Deloitte and the Austrian Hotel Association (ÖHV) shows. However, three quarters of the 300 companies surveyed feel the shortage of employees more acutely than ever. Half want to increase prices because of increased costs.

Difficult access to credit

Every second establishment wants to "pass on the higher costs, which are particularly evident in the energy sector, to the guests in part or in full". 43 percent of companies are finding it more difficult to obtain credit financing because of the ongoing crisis. Investments falter. Before the pandemic, just a third said access to credit had become more difficult. In order to find employees more easily, many companies are taking measures such as increased digitization, payment via collective agreements, nicer accommodation and further training.

In addition to all the challenges, the companies are also drawing positive conclusions from the crisis years: the pandemic has made tourism noticeably more digital. More than half of those surveyed have used digital tools during this time and intend to continue doing so in the future. In addition, around 40 percent chose new sales channels during the pandemic. The topic of climate change is also currently the focus of tourism professionals: “More than half of those surveyed want to produce their own electricity in the future and just as many want to get away from fossil fuels. The industry has recognized the issues of the future and is tackling them aggressively,” emphasizes Deloitte expert Andreas Kapferer.