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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