Vienna Announces New Phase of Visitor Economy Strategy

1 week ago 3

Under the banner of 'Optimum Tourism,' the Vienna Tourism Board has unveiled the next phase of its Visitor Economic Strategy, setting a clear course for sustainable balanced tourism.

Highlights of the strategy include a stronger focus on resident satisfaction, targeted growth in cultural and MICE segments, a new partnership with UN Tourism’s INSTO Network and steps to include traffic calming measures in Vienna’s city center to better managing public space and preserving quality of life.

Visitor Economy Strategy: Vienna Sets Course for Good Growth in Tourism

This new phase focuses on good growth and balancing the needs of locals and visitors. Keys points include:

Three objectives to shape tourism effectively
Support from residents and visitors as the core foundation
Strong focus on cultural tourism, the meeting industry, and luxury visitors
Destination Stewardship: shared goals and shared responsibility
Global standards and transparency through partnership with UN Tourism
Action Programs: flexible action, and stricter rules for public spaces

Optimum Tourism – Mission for Good Growth

Objectives designed to ensure Vienna’s tourism sector remains successful in the future as a blueprint for sustainable growth include:

Maintain the “sweet spot” between resident satisfaction and visitor satisfaction
Two-thirds of Vienna’s visitors should match the “desired visitor” profile
One-tenth of overnight stays should come from the meeting sector in the long term

Key Indicators: Commitment and Transparency Through Global Standards

Tourism must remain an economic driver, create jobs, serve residents, support mobility and ensure barrier-free accessibility while prioritizing climate protection and careful use of resources.

Vienna Joins UN’s INSTO Network

Vienna is now part of the UN Tourism International Network of Sustainable Tourism Observatories (INSTO), a network of institutions that monitor tourism developments through data and metrics, analyze economic, environmental and social impacts, promote transparent exchange, and pursue a path towards greater sustainability.

Vienna’s Strategy: A Global Role Model

“INSTO ensures transparency and accountability. Through its Visitor Economy Strategy which now has the integration into INSTO at its core, Vienna provides an example of international best practice that demonstrates the importance of developing a relevant strategy, while at the same time conducting regular and transparent analysis to keep tabs on the progress of implementation,” said Director of Sustainable Development at UN Tourism, Dirk Glaesser.

A Compass for the Industry: Vienna’s Destination Observatory

Aligned with guidelines set out by UN Tourism, Destination Observatory measurements include:

Local Satisfaction
Climate Action
Economic Benefits
Employment
Governance
Mobility
Seasonality
Accessibility
Energy Management
Solid Waste Management
(Waste) Water Management

Governance Issue Area: Public Space – a Shared Responsibility

Key achievements include the tightening of street vending in the zoning ordinance, largely prohibiting short-term rentals in residential zones, promoting diversity of local suppliers and preventing souvenir stalls from taking over. At the federal level, the legal basis for traffic calming in cities and municipalities is being introduced.

Strategy as Flagship, Action Program as Rapid Response

The initial round of Action Programs is dedicated to the following topics:

Quantification of day visitors
Placemaking (White Paper)
Sustainable businesses
Sustainable arrivals
Accessibility
Legacy

Placemaking Action Program: Vienna’s Expertise for Global Cities

Developing a White Paper on Placemaking as part of its Placemaking Action Program to explore ways of creating urban spaces that enhance quality of stay for both residents and visitors.

Destination Stewardship – Visitor Economy is a Team Sport

Vienna Tourist Board CEO Norbert Kettner says that Vienna will take a Destination Stewardship approach bringing together the city’s administrators, hotels, restaurants, cultural and leisure providers, the meeting industry, and other Visitor Economy players to tackle challenges at their respective decision-making levels.

He explained that "With a sense of shared responsibility, as well as transparency and commitment, and through regular coordination meetings and information events – the idea of cooperation is a core pillar of our strategy,”

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