Launch in May 2025

Tourist tax will pay for ski buses

In the winter months, tourism associations receive half of the tax in order to finance ski buses, for example.(Bild: Scharinger Daniel)

From May 2025, tourists will pay a compulsory extra levy for using buses and trains. In the winter months, tourist resorts can use the money for their own offers.

Free bus and train throughout the province for all tourists. In return, guests will soon have to pay 1.10 euros per overnight stay in addition to the overnight tax, which was once called the local tax. This plan by Governor Stefan Schnöll (ÖVP) has been a done deal since yesterday. All five parties in the provincial parliament voted in favor of the change in the law.

As reported, however, tourism professionals from the Innergebirg region were less than pleased with the plan. There was criticism from large ski resorts such as Saalbach-Hinterglemm and Obertauern. Schnöll has therefore revised the mobility tax once again. Half of the levy will go to the tourism associations in the winter season from November to April. From May 2025 to May 2027, guests pay 50 cents, thereafter 1.10 euros. The tourism associations can use this to finance their own mobility services.

Several tourist resorts such as Saalbach are not happy with the new tax.(Bild: EXPA/ JFK)

The overnight stay tax will also be increased
This usually relates to ski buses. Regions without ski operations can also finance bike rental systems or other transport services for tourists. "We want to offer our guests unlimited mobility and at the same time provide more services for locals," says Schnöll. Not all tourism professionals are enthusiastic about the revision.

"We take note of this. We would have preferred it if the tax had not been introduced at all," explains Wolfgang Breitfuß from the Saalbach-Hinterglemm tourism association. With the new law, the general overnight stay tax was also increased, as demanded by the tourism associations.