Significant interest in travel not only within Europe but also to destinations further afield, with an emphasis on sustainability and individual travel experiences. These are the current preferences of Austrians when it comes to summer holidays. Nearly 320,000 of them came to the Czech Republic last year, the highest number in 12 years. On average, they spent almost three days here. The most frequent destinations are Prague, South Bohemia and South Moravia. They go for sightseeing, good food, but also hiking. This was not the only thing that was heard during the last weekend at the biggest tourism fair Ferien Messe in Vienna, whose partner country this year was the Czech Republic. The domestic presentation was arranged by CzechTourism.
Destinations by the sea on the beach, trips to the cities and holidays in the countryside or in the mountains. These are the holidays most often chosen by Austrian residents. At the Ferien Messe tourism fair in Vienna, a record 450 exhibitors from 36 countries offered them just that in 13 halls. Over 36,600 people came to the event and many of them stopped by the Czech stand. In addition to CzechTourism, 12 other entities presented themselves there. Among them were representatives of regions, hotels and spas. Visitors had the opportunity to discover folk music and dance performed by the folklore groups Strážničan and Marjánka, thanks to the comprehensive publication „111 places in South Bohemia that you must see“ they found out what not to miss when visiting this region, tested their knowledge of the Czech Republic through a knowledge quiz or delighted their palates during a culinary cooking course. Simply put – there were a lot of activities and a lot to hear about the Czech Republic.
The theme of sustainable travel resonated a lot among exhibitors and visitors this year. After all, the Austrians are known for their emphasis on environmental protection. Therefore, among the offers of stays, those that meet this requirement were well represented. And in line with this trend, the Czech Republic also presented itself.
„The theme of sustainability is interwoven across all travel activities. And our goal is to make it as visible as possible. For example, by promoting rail transport, which has huge potential for the future. And not only because it is environmentally friendly, but also because it offers a range of travel options thanks to its dense rail network. You can get virtually anywhere by train. Another added value is the fact that we can support tourism in the regions much better in this way. In other words – it gives tourists the opportunity to discover even undiscovered or lesser-known regions. Within our remit, we definitely want to support projects that connect the modern world and strengthen the sustainability of tourism both in the Czech Republic and across Europe. And events like Ferien Messe are a great opportunity to make them more visible," says Director of the Czech Tourism Centre – CzechTourism František Reismüller.
In addition to end customers, the Czech stand also addressed B2B partners. This means representatives of travel agencies or travel providers.
„All our 12 co-exhibitors presented their offers and services. There was also a discussion in a very friendly spirit on the topic of the current requirements and ideas of tourists. This debate is very important. Based on the knowledge from practice, it is possible to subsequently „tailor“ stays to clients and offer them, for example, destinations outside extremely busy areas. In this way, we have succeeded in raising their interest in lesser-known tourist regions within the Czech Republic," adds Roman Hrdina, Director of the CzechTourism Foreign Representation for Austria and Switzerland.
The next edition of Ferien Messe Wien will take place from 16 to 19 January 2025.
The theme of sustainable travel resonated a lot among exhibitors and visitors this year. After all, the Austrians are known for their emphasis on environmental protection. Therefore, among the offers of stays, those that meet this requirement were well represented. And in line with this trend, the Czech Republic also presented itself.
„The theme of sustainability is interwoven across all travel activities. And our goal is to make it as visible as possible. For example, by promoting rail transport, which has huge potential for the future. And not only because it is environmentally friendly, but also because it offers a range of travel options thanks to its dense rail network. You can get virtually anywhere by train. Another added value is the fact that we can support tourism in the regions much better in this way. In other words – it gives tourists the opportunity to discover even undiscovered or lesser-known regions. Within our remit, we definitely want to support projects that connect the modern world and strengthen the sustainability of tourism both in the Czech Republic and across Europe. And events like Ferien Messe are a great opportunity to make them more visible," says Director of the Czech Tourism Centre – CzechTourism František Reismüller.
In addition to end customers, the Czech stand also addressed B2B partners. This means representatives of travel agencies or travel providers.
„All our 12 co-exhibitors presented their offers and services. There was also a discussion in a very friendly spirit on the topic of the current requirements and ideas of tourists. This debate is very important. Based on the knowledge from practice, it is possible to subsequently „tailor“ stays to clients and offer them, for example, destinations outside extremely busy areas. In this way, we have succeeded in raising their interest in lesser-known tourist regions within the Czech Republic," adds Roman Hrdina, Director of the CzechTourism Foreign Representation for Austria and Switzerland.
The next edition of Ferien Messe Wien will take place from 16 to 19 January 2025.
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