Austrian Tourism Day 2025 – The World as Our Guest
- office95980
- May 21
- 3 min read
“Understanding Markets, Unlocking Potential” – Global Perspectives for the Future of Tourism
On May 14, 2025, tourism professionals gathered at the Vienna Airport Conference & Innovation Center for the Austrian Tourism Day 2025, held under the motto “The World as Our Guest – Understanding Markets, Unlocking Potential”. The event provided a platform for exchanging new impulses and strategies for the future of international tourism.
Tourism Year 2024: Record Numbers and Global Momentum
The year 2024 marked a strong performance for Austrian tourism, with 154.3 million overnight stays. International markets played a crucial role:
USA: With 2.38 million overnight stays, the United States remains Austria’s most important long-haul market.
China: Approx. 654,000 overnight stays, highlighting Asia’s increasing significance.
Latin America: Especially Mexico and Brazil, which together accounted for around 571,000 stays.
Canada: A remarkable +19% increase, reaching approximately 383,000 stays.
These figures underline the enormous potential of international markets and the importance of tailoring offers to specific target groups.
High-Caliber Program with a Global Focus
The conference offered a wide range of content – from in-depth market analyses and business cases to hands-on best practices from North and South America, Asia, Central, and Southeastern Europe.
The event was kicked off by Dr. Insa Thiele-Eich, scientist and astronaut, whose keynote offered a truly limitless perspective on global developments and opportunities. Her message was clear:
To shape the future, we must think big.
Rethinking Winter – Redefining the Experience ❄️
A major focus of the program was placed on strategies for entering new long-haul markets and developing guest segments, especially for winter tourism.
Martin Dolezal presented current scenarios and perspectives from Asian and Arab markets in his talk titled “Change of Mindset”. He introduced innovative approaches to year-round winter experiences – from #RollSkiSlopes and #DrySlopes to immersive #SnowExperienceWorlds.
The goal: to tap into new guest potential and make Austrian winter experiences accessible to international audiences in fresh, engaging ways.Demand is there – now it’s time to boldly innovate and create winter magic where it’s never existed before.
Global Dialogue on the Future of Winter Tourism
In a subsequent panel, Martin Dolezal (CEO, Snowsports Academy) joined:
Mohammad El Etri (Managing Director, #SkiDubai, Majid Al Futtaim Entertainment)
Wim Hubrechtsen (CEO, SnowWorld)
and Emanuel Lehner-Telič (Head of Markets Asia-Pacific, Austrian National Tourist Office)
The discussion focused on the future of winter tourism – from artificial indoor ski resorts in major cities to culturally sensitive marketing and guest communication strategies.
A Platform for Vision and Global Exchange
The Austrian Tourism Day 2025 was more than just a conference – it was a launchpad for courageous ideas, targeted market strategies, and international collaboration.It marked a significant milestone in making Austrian tourism future-proof and globally competitive.
🔗 For more information and insights, visit: www.tourismustage.at
🔗 Austrian Tourims: https://www.austriatourism.com
Photos: Österreich Werbung / Ben Leitner
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