Global Partnerships Drive Mobility

The Vienna Tourist Board is constantly working to strengthen the city’s air and rail connections through international mobility partnerships. High-profile collaborations with Austrian Airlines, Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB), and Vienna International Airport play a key role in its efforts in this area. These partnerships are essential in keeping Vienna globally competitive – both as a travel destination and in economic terms – despite its relatively modest size.

Air and Rail: Boosting Vienna’s Global Connections

Since 2016, the Vienna Tourist Board and Vienna International Airport have partnered under the Air Service Development agreement with a view to attracting new direct flights from major cities around the world. The focus is on securing long-haul routes from full-service carriers. In 2024, Vienna offered connections to 195 destinations across 65 countries, served by 72 airlines.

Eight Out of Ten Congress Visitors Arrive by Air

International accessibility is especially important for Vienna’s meetings and conference sector: eight out of ten congress attendees fly to the city – with nearly half of them using Austrian Airlines. Two-thirds say that good international transport connections are a key factor.

Overall, more than 80% of visitors to Vienna come from abroad. According to a recent visitor survey, 39% arrived by plane, 30% by train, and 23% by car.

Vienna – Europe’s Rail Hotspot

Vienna has the best rail connections of any European city: nearly 30% of all visitors now travel to the capital by train – an increase of one-third over the past five years. This success is the direct result of a long-standing partnership between the Vienna Tourist Board and ÖBB, which is aimed at positioning Vienna as both a top rail destination and a capital of culture.

Vienna Tourist Board and Partners: Global Airline Networks in Focus

In 2024, the Vienna Tourist Board and Vienna Airport hosted a delegation of international airline network planners in the city. It also partnered with Austrian Airlines on joint marketing efforts in the United States. These activities were flanked by B2B campaigns in Canada, France, and Spain to raise awareness of new direct routes to Vienna. The new ANA-operated Tokyo route was also promoted through a strategic partnership.

Rail in the Spotlight: Vienna Tourist Board Launches Europe-Wide Campaign

In spring 2024, the Vienna Tourist Board, ÖBB, and Deutsche Bahn launched a major campaign in Berlin, Hamburg, Munich, Frankfurt, Cologne, Düsseldorf, and Stuttgart. And in autumn, a second campaign with ÖBB promoted next-generation Nightjet routes from Hamburg and Rome to Vienna.

Climate-Conscious Travel: Vienna Makes the “Last Mile” Sustainable

One of the major mobility challenges in tourism is managing the last mile, which, in many regions, still has to be covered by car, even by visitors who travel to the city by rail. A challenge that Vienna's city tourism actually solved decades ago: for 30 years now, the Vienna Tourist Board has been offering its guests unlimited travel throughout Vienna’s central zone with the Vienna City Card, the capital's official guest card, helping to keep visitors’ carbon footprints as small as possible once they arrive in the city. In 2024, the seven millionth card was sold.