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According to preliminary results from Statistics Austria, accommodation providers in this country reported 151.14 million overnight stays and 45.20 million arrivals. This means that overnight stays were only 1.0 percent below the record year of 2019, the authority announced on Friday. Compared to the previous year 2022, there was an increase of 10.4 percent, with more guests from abroad being primarily responsible for the increase.
74 percent foreign guests
“Despite high prices, overnight stays in Austrian hotels, guesthouses and holiday apartments last year were more than 150 million, only 1.0 percent or 1.56 million below the peak of the pre-pandemic year of 2019. Austria is strong “Depending on international markets. Almost 74.0 percent of overnight stays are due to guests from abroad,” explained Statistics Austria boss Tobias Thomas on Friday, according to the broadcast.
The year 2023 was therefore only just behind the record year 2019, when the highest value at the beginning of records was reached with 152.71 million overnight stays. This is followed by 2018 with 149.82 million and 2017 with 144.50 million overnight stays. Arrivals increased significantly by 13.6 percent to 45.20 million in 2023.
Netherlands second most important market
Compared to 2022, the number of overnight stays increased by 14.24 million or 10.4 percent. The main reason for this was an increase in guests from abroad (plus 13.5 percent to 111.25 million). German guests stayed 7.5 percent more often in Austria, a total of 57.43 million times. From the Netherlands, the second most important market of origin, 11.11 million overnight stays were included in the statistics, which was 11.2 percent more than in 2022. These two markets were together responsible for 71 percent of all overnight stays in this country, with a total of 74 percent of all overnight stays Guests from abroad.
Domestic hotels, guesthouses and holiday apartments also welcomed more international guests again in 2023, with overnight stays from Asian countries increasing particularly strongly (China +233.9%, Taiwan +700.8%, Japan +140.1%, South Korea +184 ,8th %). Domestic accommodation providers also recorded an increase of 2.6 percent in overnight stays by domestic guests compared to 2022.
Winter holidays are more popular than ever
The current winter season got off to a good start; in the first third, the number of overnight stays was 16.56 million, 5.6 percent higher than in the same period last year. In December 2023, overnight stays rose by 5.5 percent to 11.38 million compared to the same month last year.
Tourism State Secretary Susanne Kraus-Winkler (ÖVP) was pleased with the results in a press release: “Despite challenges such as inflation, short-termism and price sensitivity, the desire to travel remains unbroken.” Winter tourism is also more popular than ever, “despite the ongoing debate about pricing or lack of snow,” said the politician.
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