Tourism boss

“This is hard-earned money”

Nature is still Vorarlberg's greatest tourism asset.(Bild: martin hofmann)

The latest Vorarlberg tourism report has been available since Friday: The length of stay of guests is shortening again, Belgians are discovering the Ländle for themselves. 

The figures in the latest tourism report actually sound impressive: From May to October, 1.4 million vacationers found their way to Vorarlberg and booked 4.5 overnight stays. Christian Schützinger, Head of Tourism Vorarlberg, is correspondingly satisfied: "With the pleasing October result, we are concluding a good summer season," he summarizes.

Marco Tittler (ÖVP), the new state councillor responsible for tourism, also has words of praise: "The figures underline the fact that Vorarlberg has increasingly established itself as a popular travel destination in summer too." The transformation of Vorarlberg from a purely winter destination to a year-round holiday region has been the aim of the industry for years. The plan seems to be working, with arrivals up slightly compared to the same period last year.

However, there is also a negative trend: the duration of stays is shortening. After guests booked longer vacations in Vorarlberg during the Covid years, the trend is now moving in the opposite direction again: guests spent an average of 3.18 days on vacation. However, the length of stay over the past ten years is 3.31 days. This means higher costs for the businesses, explains Schützinger: "It's hard-earned money."

Bureaucracy reduction in demand
Most guests are still welcomed from Germany. The number of holidaymakers from Liechtenstein, Switzerland and Belgium also increased. In contrast, the number of Austrian tourists has decreased. The country wants to continue to support tourism by reducing bureaucracy and ensuring a sufficient number of skilled workers.