{"id":289,"date":"2023-10-19T10:58:42","date_gmt":"2023-10-19T08:58:42","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/weltmeister.cc\/?p=289"},"modified":"2023-11-15T16:02:22","modified_gmt":"2023-11-15T15:02:22","slug":"was-gibt-es-schoeneres-als-dieeigene-heimat-zu-vermarkten","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/weltmeister.cc\/en\/was-gibt-es-schoeneres-als-dieeigene-heimat-zu-vermarkten\/","title":{"rendered":"What could be better than\nmarketing your home country?\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"

Astrid Steharnig-Staudinger has headed \u00d6sterreich Werbung,\nthe Austrian National Tourist Office, since May 2023 and is in charge\nof promoting Austria\u2019s tourism.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Multilingualism \u2013 five languages in all \u2013 is just one of the\nqualifications Astrid Steharnig-Staudinger brought with\nher for one of the most important jobs in the country.\nAfter all, the 45-year-old Carinthian who lives in Vienna is responsible\nfor the image and advertising presence that wants to convince\ntourists to spend their holidays in Austria. Before that, the mother\nof two worked successfully for WienTourismus, the Falkensteiner\nGroup and at her own company Linking Brands. Steharnig-Staudinger\nallows insights into her philosophy, how she assesses and wants\nto shape the future of tourism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Astrid Steharnig-Staudinger is Managing Director of the \u00d6sterreich Werbung

\u00a9 Pamela Russmann<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Skills shortages, climate change, inflation \u2013 would you have\nwished for calmer waters when you took office, or do you enjoy\nthe challenge?<\/em>
Astrid Steharnig-Staudinger:<\/strong> The situation you describe did not\njust suddenly occur this year. Tourism thrives on change and challenges.\nThe industry is characterised by its ability to adapt and\nreinvent itself. This also gives rise to innovations. We saw that\nduring the Covid pandemic. And yes, I am an enthusiastic advertiser\nof Austria and look forward to this wonderful task and the\nchallenge. Otherwise, I would not have ventured into self- employment\n15 years ago. I believed in myself, and I was successful. And\nit is with this view that I also approach the management of \u00d6sterreich\nWerbung.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why did the job as head of \u00d6sterreich Werbung appeal to you?<\/em>
Steharnig-Staudinger:<\/strong> What could be better than marketing your\nhome country? In this job you can make so much happen. Together\nwith the entire industry, you can shape the image of Austria as a\ntourist destination abroad and inspire people for this great country.\nI think it is necessary to bring the entire diversity of Austria into the\nspotlight. Because there are so many different target groups with\ndifferent demands in the various markets we serve. To support\ntourism in Austria on its path to success with contemporary communication\nis a great task that excites me very much.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Minister for Tourism Susanne Kraus-Winkler described you as\na strategic mastermind. Do you agree and if so, what are your\nstrengths?<\/em>
Steharnig-Staudinger:<\/strong> I am a visionary with wise foresight and\nthink outside the box. I am convinced that in today\u2019s working world\nand especially in tourism, three aspects are essential: Adaptability,\nan open mindset and empathy. These are three qualities that I see in myself, in all modesty. And I am a good bridge builder. Our everyday\nlife is becoming more and more technological, changes are now\nhappening every week. That\u2019s why it\u2019s important to retain the ability\nnot to perceive change as a threat, but to integrate it into everyday\nlife and to deal with it. In addition, it is essential, especially for\nour industry, to put the human element in the foreground. Technological\ninnovations may make us more efficient, but the personal\nexperience, the conversation with the host or the charm of the\nfriendly service staff cannot be replaced by machines. We as an industry\nwill only be able to navigate these challenges\nand the partial contradictions together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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In times of sweltering heat in typical summer destinations, Austria can offer holidays in cool mountain environments.

\u00a9 Marco Rossi<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

With your company Linking Brands you\nhave embraced the idea of networking and\ncooperation. Can you now also use this at \u00d6sterreich\nWerbung?<\/em>
Steharnig-Staudinger:<\/strong> With my company I have\nbrought together very different players who at\nfirst glance had little to do with each other, for\nexample a well-known car manufacturer with a\nTyrolean tourist region. This has resulted in a very successful cooperation.\nI would like to carry this idea forward. Because only\nthrough the joint use of our strengths is it possible to bring out the\nbest for our tourism. I would like to establish a culture of cooperation,\nwhich is the only way to be competitive. We at \u00d6sterreich\nWerbung can act as a platform and catalyst; provincial tourism associations,\ntourism boards and businesses can use their individual\nstrengths where it is most effective. In addition, there are numerous\nprojects in the field of digitisation and sustainability where we must\nwork together rather than side by side. Here,\ntoo, cooperation must be the order of the day to\nbring Austria as a tourist destination to the top\nof the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of the current trends is cycle tourism. Is\nthere a nationwide strategy or is this the task\nof the regional tourism offices?<\/em>
Steharnig-Staudinger:<\/strong> This year, for the fifth\ntime, \u00d6sterreich Werbung has launched the \u2018Cooperation\non Cycling\u2019. We work together with provincial tourism associations, this year for the first time with\neight of them, on the design and implementation of the campaigns.\nThe cycling experts of the federal provinces are contributing their\nknowledge from everyday practice, which is an essential factor for\nsuccess. This year, for the first time, we have taken up the trend\nsport of gravel biking, which already has a large and growing community\nbehind it. Together with the provincial tourism associations,\nwe designed an Austria-wide gravel tour under the name \u2018Gravel\nAustria\u2019, which has its own landing page online. This is an example\nof how we deal with current trends and integrate them into campaigns,\nbut above all how we develop them further.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Steharnig-Staudinger: \u201c\u00d6sterreich Werbung can act as a platform and catalyst.\u201d

\u00a9 Pamela Russmann<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u00d6sterreich Werbung has also been using artificial intelligence\nfor a few months. How do you use AI and what can the AI-based\nchatbot do?<\/em>
Steharnig-Staudinger:<\/strong> The \u2018Austria Concierge\u2019 on our b2c website\nis intended to serve potential guests as a source of inspiration for\ntheir holiday in Austria. It answers the most common questions\nabout holidays in Austria and draws on the content of our b2c\nwebsite, enhanced by generative AI services. That is one thing.\nOn the other hand, it also helps us to learn \u2013 namely from the\nquestions of our guests. In this way, we recognise what is important\nto the guests and what potential trends there could be. The\nchatbot is currently still in development, but it is really impressive\nhow well it works already.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Many target markets are overseas. Do you see any problems\nhere due to flight shaming and rising energy costs?<\/em>
Steharnig-Staudinger:<\/strong> About ten percent of our guests travel by\nair. The recent rise in air fares has not yet had any visible effect.\nThe affluent target group that travels by air from the United States\nor Asia, for example, continues to be able to afford holidays. This is\nthe same effect that we see in our local markets: Travelling is a\nvaluable commodity that people do not want to be deprived of, even\nin a difficult economic environment. As far as sustainability is concerned,\na lot is happening in the aviation industry. Aircrafts consume\nless fuel, and the incipient use of so-called Sustainable Aviation\nFuels, which are supposed to enable CO2-neutral flying, lead\nto less energy consumption in air traffic overall.\nApart from that, our mission at \u00d6sterreich Werbung is to market\nAustria as a tourism destination worldwide. This is very important\nfor the creation of value in Austria. And, of course, we also have to\nmake sure that there is a sustainable offer in Austria.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How do you see the future of congress tourism since many events\nare now held online or as hybrid events?<\/em>
Steharnig-Staudinger:<\/strong> From our Meeting Industry Report Austria\n(MIRA), published in June in cooperation with the Austrian Convention\nBureau, we know that last year we almost reached pre-Covid\nfigures again in terms of events and congresses.\nCongress tourism has proven to be resilient\nand innovative. During the Covid pandemic,\nonline events and hybrid events have of course\nshown us what is possible, how efficient we can\nbe, and many aspects of this will certainly remain.\nHowever, I assume that at events where\nthe intensive exchange within the industry,\nnetworking and also the entertainment factor\nare in the foreground \u2013 the human aspect, so to\nspeak \u2013 a physical meeting cannot be replaced.\nThat is why I believe that congress tourism has a great future ahead\nof it, even if it is different than before the pandemic. We are currently\nworking together with the countries and the Austrian Convention\nBureau on a convention strategy for the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Does winter tourism have to reposition itself, reinvent itself?\nWhere do you see the potential here?<\/em>
Steharnig-Staudinger:<\/strong> The effects of climate change are noticeable\nand visible. But as far as winter sports tourism in general is concerned,\npublic perceptions do not necessarily correspond with the\nfacts. In the worst-case scenarios, winters in the mountains are expected\nto be warmer by 1.4 degrees Celsius by 2050. This corresponds\nto an increase in the snow line of about 200 metres \u2013 winter\nsports are thus secured for the next decades in most classic ski resorts.\nIn addition, about 70 percent of Austria\u2019s ski slopes can be\ncovered with artificial snow. Some low-lying ski resorts will have to consider alternatives in\nthe coming decades. Here, a joint effort of the entire industry and\nincentive systems are needed so that the potential loss of added\nvalue that they face without classic winter sports tourism can be\ncompensated by alternative offers. These include, for example,\nhiking or mountain biking. There are already\nsome regions that offer great alternatives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u00d6sterreich Werbung is developing campaigns with provincial tourism associations \u2013 in 2023, for example, the focus is on gravel biking.

\u00a9 Marco Rossi<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

How can Austria remain an affordable holiday\ndestination?<\/em>
Steharnig-Staudinger:<\/strong> The inflation of the past\nmonths has not only affected Austria, but also\nother countries. In an international comparison,\nAustria is still a holiday destination with an excellent\nprice-performance ratio \u2013 there is something\nfor every budget, there is accommodation\nfor every need. Our country is not only multifaceted in terms of its\ncountryside. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The best three reasons for a holiday in Austria are\u2026<\/em>
Steharnig-Staudinger:<\/strong> the countryside, the people and the attitude\nto life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Where and in which season do you like to go on holiday in Austria,\nand where will your next winter holidays take you?<\/em>
Steharnig-Staudinger:<\/strong> Basically, I enjoy travelling in Austria at any\ntime of year. That also has something to do with the fact that I am\nregularly on holiday in Carinthia and visit my husband\u2019s family in\nTyrol. This covers a large part of Austria, as we also make stops in\nthe other provinces. Our winter holidays take us to Tyrol and Salzburg.\nI\u2019m an avid skier and I\u2019m sure I\u2019ll stop off in all provinces where\nskiing is possible.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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