AUSTR I A
Racing back
Known for its natural beauty and snow- capped mountains, Austria is one of the most diverse event destinations in Europe. Lizzie Cernik reports
L ike everywhere else, Austria has restrictions that followed. But according to Michaela Schedlbauer-Zippusch, managing director of the Austrian Convention Bureau, recovery is finally on the way. “We have learned a lot in the past two years,” she says. “During the off season, we used the time to invest in different locations and venues across Austria, with a particular focus on technology so we can host hybrid meetings. We have also provided training workshops for hybrid meetings and been badly affected by the pandemic lockdowns and complex travel enhanced security training across industry.” Before the crisis, the country was hosting 25,000 congresses and corporate meetings a year. While there are a number of exciting events on the horizon, such as the PCMA Convening EMEA 2022 in Vienna this September, Schedlbauer-Zippusch believes full recovery will take time. As well as hybrid meetings, she expects to see a temporary rise in smaller functions as people tentatively test the waters of international group travel. Christian Woronka, director of the Vienna Convention Bureau at the Vienna Tourist Board, says the winters have been especially challenging for the past two years.
Vienna has seen arrivals bounce back ‘very quickly’.
“Fortunately we have seen that whenever unrestricted travel to Vienna was possible, arrival numbers bounced back very quickly,” he says. “The interest in physical events is clearly there, which is also shown by the significant increase in inquiries. We have also seen a rise in enquiries from the UK in recent months, especially in the autumn of 2021 and right now. For the coming years, we already have commitments for more than 30 large scale events (with more than 5,000 participants each).” This year roughly 400 meetings are scheduled to take place,
from smaller corporate meetings to big international congresses. The pandemic has done nothing to dampen Austria’s natural beauty, and Schedlbauer-Zippusch says visitors will be spoilt for choice when they return. “We have a great range of offers from rural areas to city areas and activities on offer during all seasons. We’re known for skiing in the winter, but there’s also many outdoor options for the warmer weather. Due to its small size you can get close to nature and be near the city at the same time. Every
Below: Radisson RED Vienna. Right: Seestadt Aspern
44 SPRING/SUMMER 2022 mitmagazine.co.uk
Made with FlippingBook Online newsletter maker