Last year, the Vienna Tourist Board hosted a series of talks in which it brought around 2,700 B2B contacts up to speed on various aspects of Vienna as a destination. It also invited around 280 contacts to the city for training. In addition, the organization was involved in 29 collaboration projects with tour operators in specific markets. Targeted campaigns on the Amadeus and hotelbeds B2B booking portals generated over 18 million impressions in the USA, UK, Germany, Italy and France, and resulted in around 150,000 bookings in Vienna. In 2006, the Vienna Tourist Board launched its official Vienna Experts Club International customer loyalty program for international travel agencies and tour operators, airlines, transportation companies and online travel portals. Today, the club has around 17,000 members, around 1,000 of whom visited Vienna in 2023.

Vienna Tourist Board Intensifies B2B Marketing in Luxury Segment

All of the Vienna Tourist Board’s marketing activities in China since 2023 have focused on the high-value-added luxury segment and are designed to specifically target the potential of this demographic in terms of developing quality tourism. The Vienna Tourist Board was the only European tourist board at the DONG Luxury Travel Collection in April, where it actively reached out to representatives of the Chinese luxury travel sector to promote travel to the Austrian capital. As part of its B2B marketing in this area, the Vienna Tourist Board partnered with various luxury travel networks and multiplier associations including Virtuoso, Serandipians by Traveller Made, and concierge association Quintessentially. It also participated in a number of related B2B platforms such as the ILTM luxury trade fair in Cannes, Asia Pacific in Singapore and North America, and the Private Luxury Forum in Rome. In addition, the Vienna Tourist Board entered into new partnerships in 2023 with high-end platforms TEN Lifestyle Group in the UK, Asia and Switzerland, and The 1000 Club in Canada. As a result of its efforts in this area, the Vienna Tourist Board addressed around 600 luxury B2B contacts at events and workshops.

Vienna Visitor Economy Series: Dialog and Information for the Industry

The Vienna Tourist Board has hosted the Vienna Visitor Economy Series dialog platform since 2020. Regular events in a range of formats supply stakeholders with tailored information on current topics, specific focuses and the Vienna Tourist Board’s marketing activities, as well as providing a platform for exchange within the industry. In 2023, the Vienna Tourist Board hosted six virtual meetings for the series as well as two in-person events, which together attracted an average of around 100 participants.

2023 Tourism Conference Puts Focus on Art, Culture and Sustainability

The motto for the 2023 Tourism Conference in the event location Aula der Wissenschaften was "Pulsating Vienna". Around 500 participants listened to a talk by UK guest speaker Carmel Allen, Managing Director of the Tate Galleries, which explored how art and culture can significantly influence the attractiveness of a city. In her keynote speech, she addressed, among other things, efforts to promote local community involvement, open up access to art and maintain a balance between residents and visitors. "Heartbeat Streets. Fall in Love with Vienna's Neighbourhoods” – the theme for 2024 – was presented to stakeholders in Vienna's Visitor Economy. Organized as a climate-neutral event, the Tourism Conference was also certified as a green meeting by the Austrian ecolabel.

Vienna Experts Club: Employer Branding, Networking and Training for Vienna’s Visitor Economy

For more than 20 years, the Vienna Experts Club has served as the Vienna Tourist Board’s B2B network for representatives of the capital’s tourism industry. Today, it has over 500 members. Founded in 2002 as part of an industry event, the club has evolved to become a free training program for stakeholders in Vienna's visitor economy. Active club members are regularly invited to experience the latest offerings in the city for themselves so that they are even better placed to support and advise visitors to the capital. In 2023, the club hosted over 1,000 participants at around 20 events.