Austrian summer holidays: 'The start of the season will be good'

Austria's tourism sector is gearing up for a promising summer, with a recent survey by the Hotel Association indicating that eight out of ten Austrians plan to travel.

Slightly more than half of these travelers intend to holiday within Austria, a figure consistent with the previous year. This raises questions about whether Austrians are indeed staying home despite high kerosene prices or if fewer international tourists will visit due to global crises. Tourism officials across the country are seeking clear answers as the holiday season begins.

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People who want to come in August may not have booked yet.

Many summer holidays are booked spontaneously. In Carinthia, for instance, nearly one-third of bookings are made last minute, according to Klaus Ehrenbrandtner, managing director of Carinthia Tourism. "People who want to come in August may not have booked yet," he noted, adding that ample capacity remains available for spontaneous visitors.

Ehrenbrandtner expressed optimism for Carinthia's summer prospects, partly due to increased domestic tourism. The newly opened Koralmbahn railway line offers direct and fast access to Carinthian lakes from the east. For those seeking respite from summer heat, Carinthia offers a compelling mix of mountains, lakes, and gorges. "The start of the holidays," Ehrenbrandtner stated, "will be a good one for us."

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The start of the holidays will be a good one for us.

However, matching last year's figures might not be easy everywhere. The summer of 2025 (May to October) saw 83.39 million overnight stays, a 2.2 percent increase. In the Zell am See region, despite a drop in visitors from Arab countries due to the Iran conflict, optimism prevails. Advance bookings are currently stronger than in the same period of 2025, with expectations to reach at least the occupancy level of 2025, which set a summer record with 1.48 million overnight stays. The decline in guests from Saudi Arabia and other Arab nations in May was offset by a significant increase in German (plus 75.2 percent) and Austrian guests (plus 13 percent).

Mathias Schattleitner, managing director of the Schladming-Dachstein Tourism Association, suggests that people, especially after a hot June, are increasingly drawn to lakes and mountains. "We're not just seeing hardcore hikers and bikers anymore, but also many who are going for a summer retreat like in the old days: three or four days in the mountains." Schladming also anticipates a strong season after a record performance in the summer of 2025.

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We're not just seeing hardcore hikers and bikers anymore, but also many who are going for a summer retreat like in the old days: three or four days in the mountains.