Tourism on the podium

Upper Austria is top in hospitality

The ITB is regarded as THE meeting place for tourism professionals all over the world. A delegation from (Upper) Austria was also on site and presented a special edition of "Der Spiegel" on the beautiful Salzkammergut.(Bild: Anna Jaschek)

Upper Austria presented itself from its best side at the ITB tourism trade fair in Berlin. The ITB Travel Ranking even ranked our federal state as the third most hospitable tourism region in the world. This is also reflected in last year's visitor numbers - which were the highest ever.

The ITB, the world's largest tourism trade fair in Berlin, started a new round from March 5 to 7. Upper Austria is vying for attention under the motto "Nature experiences, culture and culinary delights". The focus is specifically on year-round tourism: "Upper Austria is worth a trip every week. Not just during certain seasons," says Markus Achleitner, Provincial Councillor for Economic Affairs.

Most overnight stays
Last year's tourism figures are particularly pleasing: with 8.65 million overnight stays, an increase of 14.3 percent was achieved compared to the previous year. Berlin in particular is keen to present itself well as a tourist destination. This is because almost a quarter of people traveling to Upper Austria come from Germany. "More than every fifth overnight stay is attributable to guests from Germany," explains Achleitner.

Even in winter
Hard to believe, but despite this year's mild winter, it was also a complete success: with 1.5 million overnight stays from November to January, an increase of 4.3 percent was achieved compared to the previous year. "After the difficult times, people are longing for a vacation. We hope that 2024 will be the best year for tourism again," says Achleitner.

Diversity and quality
But this year's trade fair is not just about winter sports. A look at the annual calendar shows that Upper Austria is a worthwhile destination for pleasure-seekers every day. From the FELIX Wirtshausfestival in the Traunsee-Almtal region to the "Tavolata" gourmet festival in Steyr, everything is included. Robert Seeber, Chairman of the Federal Tourism and Leisure Industry Division of the WKO, is certain: "It's all about quality in gastronomy. Despite digitalization, the human and personal touch will always remain, and that is precisely our advantage."

Podium place for Upper Austria
Upper Austria is a pioneer, especially when it comes to hospitality. This is shown by the "Traveler Review Award" on booking.com. Among the top 10 most hospitable regions in the world, Upper Austria can even be found in third place. Ahead of us are the Spanish region of "La Rioja" and the Greek region of "Epirus".