Under the motto ReDesign Tourism | now over 1,200 national and international participants gathered in Vienna to take part in the three-day event which not only sent a strong “Welcome Back” message from Austria as a tourism destination but also discussed the future of the industry. Held from 16 to 19 May, the Austria Centre Vienna was the venue for one of the first post-pandemic international tourism conferences of this scale worldwide.
Hosted by the Austria National Tourist Office, this year’s ATB (Austrian Travel Business) trade fair saw 390 international buyers and trade journalists from 45 countries, including five from Australia, met 260 local exhibitors to discuss new product ideas.
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In 27 keynotes at the e-Campus, 44 national and international speakers put a spotlight future-oriented, sustainable strategies for tourism discussing Austria’s perspectives as a green tourism destination, the recovery of city tourism, solutions for data pooling and future mobility concepts. The Convention Campus, which together with the Austrian Convention Bureau (ACB) was dedicated to the recovery and future of the conference industry in Austria.
“The vibe of the past three days at the Austria Centre Vienna couldn’t have been more inspiring,” remarked Astrid Gruchmann-Licht, Director of the Austrian National Tourist Office in Australia. The positivity of 1,200 delegates coming together from all over the world to engage with Austria’s touristic offering, meet suppliers and enjoy face-to-face interactions to discuss the new product, new ideas and refresh relationships was uplifting and moving,” she said.
“With the Austrian Tourism Days, we sent an important message about how we need to rethink our industry to be successful in the future. I am excited about what lies ahead of us, and Austria is ready to welcome Aussies back to the heart of Europe,” Gruchmann-Licht added.
Various pre- and post-convention tours for international buyers showcased the variety and diversity of Austria’s travel products – from immersing themselves in Vienna’s art scene to cycling in Carinthia and exploring the Capital of the Alps, Innsbruck.
Lead image – pictured at ATB 2022 from left are: Lynda Schmitt, APT; Priscilla Aster, Bunnik Tours, Peter Needham, journalist; Astrid Gruchmann-Licht, Director ANTO Australia; with Ankica Banic and Frank Cheshire from Intrepid.