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20. 02. 13. - 13:00

Hotel guests in Austria decreasing

Austria’s hotel industry suffered a reduction of 0.5 percent compared to January 2012. The number of hotel guests from Italy and Austria has decreased.

The hotel industry is facing a decrease in the number of holidaymakers from certain countries.

The number of hotel guests from Italy decreased by 25 percent. There were also less hotel guests from Germany (- 4%), Romania (-7%) and the USA (-5%). The number of holidaymakers from Austria decreased by five percent.

The statistics show, however, that there has been an increase in tourists from Russia (+9%), France (+22%), Great Britain and Japan (+10%) and Switzerland (+3%).

Vienna Tourism evaluated that domestic tourism was the cause for the reduction of overnight stays (-0.5%) because overnight stays of people from abroad have increased by 0.7 percent compared to January 2012.

This is, however, not enough to compensate the fact that the number of Austrian holidaymakers has decreased by five percent. All hotel categories apart from simpler hotels were affected by the general decrease in January.

The average bed occupancy rate decreased from 39.3 percent to 36.6 percent this year. According to Vienna Tourism, this is equivalent to an average room occupancy rate of 45 percent. Last year, this rate was 49 percent.

Bed capacity, on the contrary, has increased by three percent, which is 1,770 beds.

Vienna Times

Spanish Riding School for everyone
The riding centre of Heldenberg, district of Hollabrunn (Lower Austria) is now offering exclusive courses: professional riders of the Spanish Riding School of Vienna teach interested riders.

Vienna advocates a ban on pesticides
Vienna has now joined those Austrian states that advocate a cooperative strategy for a ban of the neonicotinoids pesticides. Apparently, there are tested alternatives for the pesticides that are harmful for bees.

Huge debate over multilingualism in Austria
Possible projects for a "multilingual oriented educational concept" have led to a debate in Vienna. The SPÖ, ÖVP and FPÖ are currently discussing the two sides of the issue: "multilingualism as a chance" and "German as a priority".

Exhibition Drawing Against Oblivion
The Leopold Museum in Vienna opened the the exhibition "Drawing against oblivion" on 17 May. Manfred Bockelmann drew more than 60 portraits of children and teenagers, who were victims of the Nazi terror.

Swap deals legal case gets underway
The civil case of the city of Linz, Upper Austria, against the Bawag bank about the swap deal will start on 24 May. The maximum amount of damage for Linz could be as much as 417 million Euros in the worst case.

Third man accident leaves man in hospital
A 55-year-old man fell during the "Third Man Tour", which leads visitors through the Viennese canal system. He is said to have suffered a femoral neck fracture.

Charity seeks funds to restore Jewish cemetery
SAFIKG – the Society of American Friends of the Jewish Community Vienna was formed as a U.S. registered charity to allow it to support the IKG (Israelitische Kultusgemeinde Wien) with tax deductible American contributions.

Doves released for funerals offer
The Viennese funeral parlour Furtner now offers a symbolic supplement of the classic funeral. White doves can be released into the sky during the ceremony.

US embassy marks international day against homophobia
The International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia (IDAHO) took place on 17 May. On this occasion, the rainbow flag was raised next to the American flag at the building of the US embassy in Vienna.

Key for Two at Viennas English Theatre [Review]
Key for Two at Vienna’s English Theatre is a quintessentially British comedy. The play by John Chapman and Dave Freeman has to be one of the funniest and timeless shows about in the Austrian capital.