Austria welcomed over 5 million overnight stays this November, marking a successful start of the 2023-2024 winter season.
Data from Statistik Austria shows a 5.4% year-on-year increase, with 5.15 million overnight stays recorded in November 2023.
The figure represents the third highest for November since 2018, after the 5.23 million and 5.30 million overnight stays logged in November 2018 and November 2019 respectively.
Boost in International and Domestic Travelers
Both international and domestic travelers fueled the surge.
Overnight stays by non-residents rose by 5.7% to nearly 3 million.
Stays by Austrian residents also increased by 4.9% to 2.15 million.
Additionally, total arrivals spiked significantly by 9.3% to over 2 million in November 2023.
As per the data, most nights were spent by tourists from Germany, followed by Switzerland and Liechtenstein, Italy, USA, Poland, UK, and the Czech Republic.
General Director Hails Successful Winter Start
Commenting on the data, Tobias Thomas, General Director of Statistics Austria, called the increase a “successful start of the winter season in Austria.”
He highlighted that the 5.15 million overnight stays recorded is “5.4 per cent more than in November 2022.”
Robust Numbers Since Beginning of 2023
From January to November 2023, Austria has logged 139.73 million overnight stays.
This represents a 10.8% jump from the same period in 2022.
It is also 2.1% higher than the full previous year.
Of the 2023 figure, 102.30 million overnight stays were by international guests.
Austrian residents accounted for 37.43 million overnight stays.
In the full year of 2022, Austria recorded 136.91 million overnight stays and 39.79 million arrivals.
Germans made up the majority with 53.4 million overnight stays.
Pre-Pandemic High in 2019
The year 2019 remains Austria’s bumper year for tourism in the pre-pandemic period.
The country logged 152.71 million overnight stays for the full year.
ETIAS to Facilitate EU Visitors
The surge in visitors comes ahead of the launch of the European Travel Information and Authorization System (ETIAS) in May 2025.
ETIAS will require travelers from over 60 countries to obtain pre-travel authorization when visiting the Schengen Area.
The system is expected to facilitate travel for legitimate tourists and business visitors. With Austrian tourism booming, ETIAS will likely see high application volumes from countries like the USA.
Potential To Attract More Long-Term Immigrants
Besides tourists, Austria’s post-pandemic rebound could also attract long-term immigrants like families, investors, digital nomads, and students.
The country is perceived as stable, safe, and boasting high living standards.
Its recovering economy and job market are added draws.
Leveraging its strong tourism brand, Austria has the potential to attract more immigrants to sustain economic growth.
However, it will need to balance growth against anti-immigrant sentiments.
Positive Signs for Austrian Tourism
The recent robust tourism numbers will be a boon for Austria’s post-pandemic economic recovery.
If growth persists, 2023 could potentially rival or surpass the pre-pandemic high.