Vienna Visitor Economy Strategy
Our vision
In its Visitor Economy Strategy, Vienna is developing a vision for the future that has beneficial and sustainable growth of the destination at its heart. The needs of visitors and residents are carefully balanced. The idea is that visitors do not just “consume” the city and what it has to offer, with the visitor economy instead making an active contribution to the city’s qualities: to the quality of life that sets Vienna apart, and which locals and visitors alike benefit from (quality of life), to the quality of the time spent in the city, and the quality and variety of the offering (quality of place) and finally to the quality of the guest experience (quality of experience).
Our approach
The basis for achieving this vision is the concept of a sustainable visitor economy that extends far beyond the standard definition of tourism: the term ”visitors” applies to all guests who come to Vienna for a short break or longer stay, who live, work or study here, go shopping or stroll the streets, make use of its cultural and leisure facilities – always leaving some form of trace in the process, whether it takes the shape of economic effects, their outside view of the city, or through the wealth of influences, idea and skills that they bring to Vienna. This will also require collaboration between a considerably broader ecosystem of participants, as well as carefully aligned strategies and new forms of cooperation.
Our objective
The visitor economy needs to add value. For the companies in the ecosystem, this is a question of business added value; for the city and its residents, it means city added value.
We measure this using a series of key performance indicators which monitor aspects including revenue from visitor overnights and induced economic impact. In addition, residents’ satisfaction is put on an equal footing with the quality of the experience for guests. The goal of greater sustainability and safeguarding resources should manifest itself at institutions in the city and among guests, whose ecological footprint will be reduced.
The visitor economy needs to add value. For the companies in the ecosystem, this is a question of business added value; for the city and its residents, it means city added value.
We measure this using a series of key performance indicators which monitor aspects including revenue from visitor overnights and induced economic impact. In addition, residents’ satisfaction is put on an equal footing with the quality of the experience for guests. The goal of greater sustainability and safeguarding resources should manifest itself at institutions in the city and among guests, whose ecological footprint will be reduced.
Our agenda
The Visitor Economy Strategy outlines three central action areas that the city will prioritize with the support of its partners in the ecosystem over the next few years:
- Place Making & Place Marketing: new and interesting locations within the destination will create additional attractions for visitors and help to ensure that the positive effects of the visitor economy are better distributed in the city.
- Meeting Destination Vienna: the congress and business events industry, today one of the flagship segments of Vienna’s visitor economy, will be increasingly used in future to increase the international visibility and competitiveness of the city as a business location.
- Smart Solutions: the Vienna visitor economy is committed to promoting careful and sustainable use of natural resources and developing smart solutions so that the destination will continue to offer the quality of life to future generations that sets it apart today.
Our values
In all points, the Visitor Economy Strategy is based on fundamental values that are perhaps more important today than ever before:
- Premium: Vienna is committed to delivering premium quality. Not just as a hallmark, but also as a reflection of our mission to continue investing in and fighting for it.
- Cosmopolitan: Vienna is all about open-mindedness, diversity and tolerance. Cosmopolitan Vienna embodies the ideal of the European city. It is the major city in the heart of Europe and sees its international make-up and the diversity of its inhabitants as a strength.
- Digital: Vienna focuses on innovation and the latest technology. Not just to be part of the latest trend, but for the benefit of visitors and residents under its digital humanism approach.
Partnerships for implementing the strategy
The Visitor Economy Strategy was developed in a broad-based dialog involving numerous stakeholders. Representatives from the City of Vienna and its districts, the tourist industry and numerous other sectors of the visitor economy have played an active role.
The Vienna Tourist Board initiated the strategic process, and will play a central role in the strategy’s implementation. However, the entire ecosystem that constitutes Vienna’s visitor economy has a part to play in turning the jointly-formulated vision into reality. To facilitate this, the Vienna Tourist Board will continue to actively support the process of information sharing, reflection and development at various different levels over the years to come.
Visitor Economy Strategy online
The full Visitor Economy Strategy – Shaping Vienna document, additional information, explanatory graphics and videos can be found online at https://shaping.vienna.info . Over the coming years this microsite will provide a platform for reporting on the wider process and the advance made in implementing the strategy.