Face-to-Face: Elisabeth Sissi Woschnagg
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This week, Travel Daily chats to Elisabeth Sissi Woschnagg, Vienna Tourist Board’s market manager for China, Japan, South Korea & Arab countries, about how Asian arrivals to the Austrian capital are faring, and how she is planning to attract more regional visitors…
Q) How many Asian visitors does Vienna currently receive, and which countries are you largest source markets?
In 2015 Vienna counted 835,000 visitors from Asian countries, which was 12.7% of total arrivals. 185,000 of these originated Arab countries in Asia, followed by China (162,000) and Japan (134,000). In 2016 the Chinese market is doing specifically well and seems to become the most important Asian source market due to a heavy decline from Arab countries.
From China, Vienna has also seen two new direct flights operated by Austrian Airlines – one from Shanghai and one from Hong Kong – which contribute to ongoing rising numbers.
South Korea has delivered an amazing increase for the sixth year in a row. By end of August 2016, visitors from South Korea have overtaken Japan in arrivals – a very sensitive market regarding world-politics, threads and economic impacts. India, by the end of August 2016, has been increasing by over 30% and may, by the end of the year, ascend the top five Asian source markets for Vienna.
Q) On average, how long do Asian guests stay in Vienna, and do they combine the city with any other destinations?
The average stay of guests from Asia is between 1.5 (South Korea) and three days (Arab countries). Except Arabs, who stay for several days in Vienna and combine their trips frequently with the Alps, most Asian travellers take part in Europe or Eastern Europe round-trips, with one to two overnights in Vienna.
As Vienna Tourist Board we aim to get at least a fly-in or fly-out opportunity and we try to convince tour operators that Austria’s capital is worth more than one night.
Q) What are the main attractions for Asian visitors to Vienna?
With its rich past and imperial heritage, Vienna has more to offer than the historic city centre and the Palace of Schönbrunn, both listed as UNESCO World Heritage sites and most visited by guests from Asia.
We try to put other sights in focus as the Belvedere palaces or the Kunsthistorische Museum (Art History Museum), the Museums Quartier – one of the largest cultural complexes in the world – or different accessible music performances, as the Schönbrunn Palace concerts at the Orangerie or the Mozart Orchestra performing in the opera house, the Musikverein or the Wiener Konzerthaus.
We always highlight that Vienna has been nominated for the seventh time in a row as the most liveable city in the world, that more than 50% of its surface is “green land”, and that it’s the only world capital with substantial wine production within the city limits. An afternoon or evening at the city outskirts, a stroll through the vineyards, some wine-tasting and Viennese cuisine in one of the traditional wine taverns, called “heurige”, is really unique for Vienna.
Q) How are you educating the Asian travel trade about what’s on offer in Vienna?
Trade activities of the Vienna Tourist Board comprise, among others, the participation in major B2B fairs as ITB Asia, ATM Dubai or ILTM Shanghai, and the roadshows of the Austrian National Tourist Office in China, Japan, Korea and the Arab countries and other B2B events preferred with airline partners.
In China, we organise our own exclusive Vienna Roadshow (from 21st to 24th March 2016 in Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Chongqing and Beijing). For travel trade agents we have the Vienna Experts Club International, which guarantees two free Vienna Cards and free entrance to most sights, museums etc. when in Vienna, preferential fares on hotel-stays, newsletters and online raffles in the countries of origin.
Q) What promotional activities do you have planned for Asian markets in the coming months and years, and what are your targets for visitor arrivals?
The Vienna Tourist Board generally focuses more on high-end product promotion and in increasing the average stray in Vienna with guests from Asia. Despite that we are convinced that further growths rates from China, Korea and Southeast Asia are possible. We try to keep numbers from Japan and to re-conquer the Arab market, where Europe has lost in 2016 due to world politics.
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