The 292 Lower Austrian travel agencies are expecting a good summer season. “People want to travel again and especially to the sea,” says the spokeswoman for the travel agencies in the Lower Austrian Chamber of Commerce, Sabine Riedl. The Perchtoldsdorf travel agency operator observes that everyone who can somehow afford it doesn’t want to miss out on their vacation despite the inflation. Her employees currently have their hands full with booking requests. After the compatriots were reluctant to book trips in recent years due to the corona pandemic, the uncertainty has finally disappeared since the end of the previous year: “We have had record sales for this year since the end of 2022,” reports Riedl. Long-distance trips are now being booked again. In the previous year, however, the Lower Austrian travel agencies did not even generate half of the pre-crisis sales, she informs.
The travel trends of 2023
The south is particularly popular with Lower Austrians. You book trips to Spain or Turkey. Due to the rising temperatures in Austria, the Nordic countries are also booming. Many compatriots are also drawn to far away places. They like Thailand or the Seychelles. Cruises are also being booked very well again. However, the classic travel destinations of Austrians cannot be beat: holidays in Italy or Croatia.
For everyone who would like to experience something different, Riedl also has a few insider tips ready. She recommends city trips to Marrakech, active holidays in Corsica and Mallorca’s little sister, Menorca, for a family holiday. If you don’t have a problem with long flight times, you could also choose the Gili Islands in Indonesia.
“People want to travel again and especially to the sea,” reports Sabine Riedl, spokeswoman for the travel agencies in the WKNÖ. She speaks of “record sales” that travel agencies are currently posting.
Photo:
Michaela Habinger, michaleahabing
Nevertheless, the trend towards vacationing in Lower Austria continues
However, the desire to travel cannot dampen the trend that emerged in the Corona period towards “holidays on the doorstep”, according to Niederösterreich Werbung. Although it is not yet possible to estimate how the booking situation will be in summer, the number of overnight stays at the beginning of the year was very satisfactory. According to a spokeswoman in January, only about ten percent are missing from the goal of reaching the pre-crisis level again.
Riedl does not see vacations in Lower Austria and those abroad as “either-or”. She observes that this year many people spend their main vacation at the sea, but a short vacation in between at home.
The Lower Austria Tourist Board wants to offer special holiday packages for cyclists this year.
Photo:
Lower Austria , Astrid Bartl
Cycling is to be specifically advertised in Lower Austria this year. A campaign is expected to start in April. “At the same time, we are working on the discovery tours, which are intended to combine several tourism elements. They will also appear as a package at the beginning of April,” informs a spokeswoman for Lower Austria archyde news.
Travel agency spokeswoman advises booking soon
While a trend towards short-term bookings has been observed at Niederösterreich Werbung in recent years, Riedl advises all those who love to travel to be quick. Many hotels are already fully booked. She also emphasizes the added value of booking through a travel agency as opposed to an online platform. One advantage is that the payment is secured and that you are constantly informed about changing entry regulations. Don’t forget to take out insurance either. Riedl recommends everyone to take out travel insurance. If you want to use the insurance of your credit card provider, you should first read the conditions carefully and compare them with other travel insurance companies.