Austria captured world attention in 1986 when former United Nations Secretary-General Kurt Waldheim was elected president despite allegations that he had been involved in atrocities as a German army staff officer in the Balkans during World War II. Waldheim was succeeded in 1992 by Thomas Klestil, the candidate of the People's party. Austria began a partial privatization of state-owned industries in the late 1980s and entered the European Union in 1995.

2. The tourism industry as a part of the Austrian economy

The majestic Alps, plentiful forests, 88 lakes and a considerable network of rivers all add to Austria’s natural beauty and vibrant countryside. As a popular holiday destination in Central Europe, Austria plays host to visitors from all over the world. Thus, tourism plays an important role in the Austrian economy.

2.1 The Organizational Structure

According to a federal principle of the Austrian constitution, each of the 9 Austrian Federal Provinces is responsible for its own tourism. At the provincial level, tourist boards and a special division of the provincial governments conduct tourism.

Although the constitution itself allocates responsibility for tourism to the federal provinces, the Federal Government is held accountable for the general economic policy, public transport, financing instruments and subsidies - all questions which are directly or indirectly related to tourism.

The marketing activities in Austria’s tourism industry are provided by the "Austrian National Tourist Office"(ANTO). The Austrian Federal Government, the local governments of the 9 provinces, and the Austrian Economic Chamber are affiliated to the ANTO.

With a budget of around 44,743 mio. in 2001, the Austrian National Tourist Office strives to promote Austrian tourism on both the domestic and the international levels. To this end, it maintains 24 representative offices in all major incoming-tourist countries of the world, 4 marketing offices and several representatives/tourism managers and honorary representatives in a number of other countries (approximately 80 representatives in total).

2.2 Economic Significance

Austria's tourism and leisure industry plays a vital role in the Austrian economy. In 2002, the total foreign currency earnings from tourism amounted to approximately 14,13 million € (+5.5% compared with 2001). Thus, tourism accounts for 18,6% of Austria's total export earnings, for some 6,5% of the GDP and employs some 500,000 people. In terms of the per capita income in foreign currency from tourism, Austria is at the reign with annually approximately 1,400 €.

The number of beds and the number of overnight stays are the most important statistical indicators to measure the performance of tourism. The Austrian registration system ensures accurate statistical data. In 2002, approximately 1.151 million guest beds were registered.

In the same year, the number of overnight stays amounted to 116,8 million. Visitors from abroad accounted for about 85,79 million and domestic guests for about 31,01 million (comparison to 2001: +1,5% in total). Thus, foreign visitors represented 73.4% of the total overnight stays in 2002. Austria is again among the top tourist destinations.

Another important statistical indicator is the number of arrivals: In 2002 they amounted to 27,36 million (resulting in a plus of 1.7% compared to 2001 or approximately 465,882 more than the previous year). The guests stayed an average period of 4.27 days, which resulted in a 26.6% occupancy rate of guest beds.

Number of Arrivals and Average Staying Period (1976-2002)

Foreign currency receipts amounted to about 14,13 million € in 2002, which, with + 25.3% (the 10,97 million € the Austrians spent abroad already deducted resulted in no trade balance deficit in 2002. Thus, the tourism industry, for once, completely balanced Austria's traditional trade deficit and resulted in a surplus of 170 million €.

Traditionally, the vast majority of tourists come from Germany - in 2002 they accounted for approx. 53,52 million overnight-stays (around 62.4% of the total and +/- 2% var.):

GermanyThe NetherlandsGreat BritainSwitzerlandItalyBelgiumFranceUSADenmarkHungaryPoland

62.4% 9.6% 3.8% 3.8% 3.3% 2.5% 1.8% 1.6% 1.1% 1.0% 1.0%

Countries of Origin: Share in Bednights 2002

2.3 Trends in Austrian Tourism

In an industry of constant change, Austrian tourism must always remain flexible in its reaction to new tourist trends.

Perhaps one of the most remarkable trends is the increased influx of visitors from outside the German-speaking countries.

Other trends include an increase in shorter holidays each year, demands for higher quality accommodation and city tourism.

Warmly welcomed by the Austrian tourism industry, these trends fit perfectly into the planned policy which seeks to improve quality standards and to diversify the incoming tourist country of origin.

Less welcome trends such as the strong move from summer season holidays towards winter season holidays, pose real problems for enterprises which depend on only one season for business - mainly the summer season. While winter tourism accounted for only 33.7% of total overnight stays 23 years ago (1979/1980), 2001/2002 showed a shift in favour of winter with 56.3% of total overnight stays.

The trend toward higher quality accommodation makes things more difficult and creates problems for a large number of lower category hotels and private accomodation.

Number of Beds in One to Five Star Hotels 1990-2002 1 to 5 Star Hotels

In terms of long-term development, the experts speak of a normalizing effect since 1973: the preceding period brought yearly touristic growth rates of 6 to 10%, with top rates at almost 15%-rates, which could not have been maintained for any length at time without a harmful impact on the environment. Since then, the growth rates have decreased and were even negative on a few occasions. Nevertheless, a modest increase was on average maintained and should continue in the foreseeable future.

Austria’s official tourism policy goes under the motto "Quality before Quantity". This means, for example, that public financial subsidies to touristic enterprises are only granted if the planned investment promises to improve quality standards instead of enlargening the quantitative capacity.

Many efforts have been made in recent years to provide a wider range of tourism facilities in order to attract new target groups (i.e. groups in search of entertainment, amusement and leisure activities). Since the number of tourists seeking minimal activity during vacation is declining, Austria now offers 900 indoor swimming-pools, 22,000 kms of prepared alpine ski-slopes, 16,000 kms of cross-country ski trails, 60 wild-life parks - to mention only a few examples.

To sustain its success in a changing Europe, Austria must open up new markets for prospective tourists from overseas and from Eastern European countries.

The tendency towards "quality tourism", which increasingly demands highly qualified personnel, will continue.

2.4 The tourism labour market

Demand for highly qualified personnel in tourism is still very high. Taking labour market statistics as an indicator for the demand for specialized qualified personnel in this field, it appears that there is still an above-average demand for jobs in tourism.

Between 1986 and 2002 the number of employees increased by approximately 31,9% from 131,649 to 173,643 (data referring to July). Some 28% of the total work force in tourism are foreign workers.

A characteristic of the tourism labour market is high mobility. Seasonal workers tend to change their employers regularly.

Labour Market: Seasonal Changes in 2002

total number of employed persons	total number of unemployed persons in the tourism sector
Jan-02	162,272	28,362
Feb-02	164,228	28,258
Mar-02	159,157	29,060
Apr-02	133,576	43,611
May-02	144,015	35,591
Jun-02	159,677	26,462
Jul-02	173,643	21,995
Aug-02	170,679	23,088
Sep-02	155,854	27,940
Okt-02	134,125	41,121
Nov-02	127,711	49,703
Dec-02	153,031	28,078
Jahres-durchschnitt	153,164	31,940

Female employees account for over 60 per cent of the tourism labour market.

Professions in tourism are extraordinarily attractive for young adults: among the ten most popular apprenticeship trades with young females, four are to be found in the tourist sector (double apprenticeship "restaurant specialist - service/cook", and the single apprenticeships "restaurant specialist - service", "cook", "hotel and restaurant trade commercial assistant"). Among young males, the occupation of "cook" counts among the most popular qualifications - this is all the more significant as 80% of female and 55% of male apprentices decide for a total of only ten apprenticeship trades.

During and after apprenticeship training, there is a wide variety of vocational and further education and training opportunities open to them - technical schools, higher technical and vocational schools (BHS), special programmes, post-secondary courses, special academies, study courses at Fachhochschule (i.e. non-university institutions in 3rd level education), university study programmes and courses -, all of which fulfill the needs of modern, high quality tourism and, at the same time, make it possible for the participants in the training process to obtain almost any formal qualification and any conceivable position on the career ladder due to the high degree of transparency in the educational system.

Conclusion

Austria is located at the crossroads of Europe; Vienna is at the gate of the Danubian plain, and the Brenner Pass in W Austria links Germany and Italy. From earliest times Austrian territory has been a thoroughfare, a battleground, and a border area.

Austria's climate is generally moderate and mild but varies from the Alpine region to the eastern plain. Summer can be hot and long with average summer temperatures that range from 20°C to 30°C. The average winter temperatures are around 0°. Snow on the mountains in spring and autumn is not uncommon. In Vienna itself you can enjoy the very mild climate, a gentle breeze, fresh air produced by the surrounding Wienerwald.

Tourism is one of Austria's major industries, contributing an estimated 10% of the GDP. There are about 70,000 businesses with a turnover that has recently stabilised at about ATS 180,000 million. Employment is about 142,000 on annual average, or roughly 5% of the national total. In the peak season, in mid-summer, the industry employs about 160,000 people. Neither employment figure includes the employers themselves, who are an important part of the workforce in the industry.

Literature

2. M.A. Sully, A Contemporary History of Austria, 2006.

3. B. Head, State and Economy in Australia, 2003.

4. Мельников И.А. Республика в Альпах: свет и тени: Об Австрии. - М.: Политиздат, 1988.

Austria and tourism (стр. 2 из 2)