Business tourism in Austria has long been no secret. From an incentive event in the Salzburg Citadel to a private cocktail party at the Vienna Opera House, from a seminar in the famous Olympic ski jump in Innsbruck to a private boat trip along the Danube, Austria is the perfect incentive destination. Austria is a must for MICE organisers.
Nevertheless, Austria is keen to get off the beaten track and offer a travel experience that respects the environment and local communities. This in itself is nothing new for the country. For years, Austrian tourism has been one of Europe's pioneers in this area. integrating sustainable practices and in preserving natural resources. So much so that the share of renewable energy in tourism has already reached 55 %.
In Euromonitor's Sustainable Travel Index, Austria is ranked as one of the most sustainable countries in terms of tourism. ranked third in the world out of 99 countries considered. France was ranked 11e position. A sustainable approach now includes business tourism. During its first Sustainable Tourism in Austria Summit (STIAS) at the end of June, the Austrian Tourist Board, in cooperation with its supervisory ministry and the Lower Austria region, demonstrated how the selection of venues for MICE events can have a positive influence.
A guide, the bible of Austrian sustainable tourism
To mark the occasion, the Austrian Ministry of Labour and Economic Affairs published the first Sustainable Austria Destination Guide (Sustainability in Austria). On almost 90 pages, this guide presents 50 examples of good sustainable practice applied to tourism. They are organised around five themes. There are chapters devoted to sustainable winter and summer, resources and circularity, sustainable mobility and social sustainability. The 50 examples of best practice include criteria for geographical diversity, contribution to the well-being of the communities involved, the originality of the product in terms of its history and development, and the diversity of the product on offer.
According to Susanne Kraus-Winkler, Secretary of State for Tourism, the promotion of sustainable tourism is also a means of improving the quality of life for tourists. better balance between tourists and the local population. This is becoming an essential issue at a time when over-tourism is tending to generate increasing hostility from local populations, particularly in cities.
For the Secretary of State, the visitor must no longer be the only "criterion" at the heart of the tourism sector's concerns. Just as important are considerations of the local population and businesses. The integration of vulnerable populations into tourist services, the use of local agricultural production in the culinary arts, the use of public transport for travel, and the systematic use of renewable energies and recycling are all elements that redefine MICE activities based on sustainable criteria.
This guide, which covers all the provinces of Austria, is a real source of inspiration and information for travel managers. It also helps you to "re-enchanting" Austria as a destination in the light of new practices and surprising discoveries.
Vienna through the prism of sustainability
The most emblematic example is the organisation of a MICE group in Vienna based on sustainable criteria, leaving aside (for once) the 'great classics' of the Austrian capital, from a Sissi tour to the tasting of a Sacher Torte, the eponymous dessert from the Hotel Sacher.
The Austrian capital is concentrating its efforts on promoting sustainable tourism. For example, the city's convention bureau lists 66 MICE venues with ecological certification. This includes, for example, the Wien Museum, recently extended and reopened to the public, with a superb terrace overlooking the city. At the same time, you can explore the history of Vienna without any taboos.
Another cultural institution with an eco-label is the Leopold Museum, with its unmissable collection of 20th-century Austrian painting.e century, including some of the finest paintings by Klimt and Schiele. As well as a large number of hotels, meeting places and cafés.
Discovering Vienna in a sustainable way also allows you to meet the local population and often discover characters or initiatives that are endearing to the Austrian capital. Take the Kunst Haus Wien, for example. This house, with its strange non-linear architecture, is the work of one of Austria's best-known contemporary painters, Friedrich Hundertwasser.
The man wanted to build a house that would become a ode to the environment and nature. The city of Vienna offered him the disused headquarters of a former furniture firm. With its trees growing inside the exhibition centre and its sloping floors, the Kunst Haus is a strange, profoundly ecological place that gives visitors a better understanding of this painter, a symbol of contemporary Austrian art. A café/restaurant and seminar rooms are available for MICE organisers.
Another surprise is the Hotel Magdas. Owned by the Archdiocese of Vienna, the building used to accommodate seminarians - but in the religious sense of the term. The structure, typical of the post-war years, is now a minimalist boutique hotel whose very 'sixties' rooms have been furnished with salvaged or recycled furniture. But there's nothing austere about it. On the contrary, you'll be staying in bright rooms with a vintage look. The Magdas Hotel also employs political and economic refugees, reintegrating them into Vienna's social fabric.
In a similar vein, the Vollpension café, with its kitschy, typically local decor, employs retired people to keep them active and part of the social fabric. With its homemade cakes and drinks, the café has become one of the most popular places in Vienna, including with Japanese tourists!
Finally, you can have lunch in vegetarian or vegan restaurants all over the city. Why not choose the Naschmarkt, Vienna's historic market? It's true that it's become a bit "boboized" over the last decade. But it still retains all its charm. The Tewa restaurant works with fresh, organic produce from local producers. A perfect place for a lunch or dinner break.
And just a few metres from this restaurant, you'll find perhaps one of the oldest Viennese cafés, a veritable quintessence of the Austrian metropolis' art of living. At Café Sperl, time seems to have stood still, with its wooden panels, huge counter and slightly worn red benches. And that's what Viennese sustainability is all about!
Baden bei Wien, Vienna's spa alternative |
For travel managers who would like to discover the charm of a small, typical Austrian town, but still less than 30 minutes from Vienna, here's what you need to know. the spa town of Baden bei WienUNESCO World Heritage Site. However, the status of this institution has not turned it into a "Disneyland" destination. Baden has retained all its charm as an elegant spa town, once frequented by the upper middle classes, the monarchy and musicians in search of glory such as Beethoven and Schubert. There is a museum dedicated to the former, where visitors can learn about the deafness of the symphonic genius.
The town boasts a historic casino, which also serves as a conference centre. The centre of this small town of 25,000 inhabitants is lined with pretty building facades and old cafés, local fashion boutiques and patisseries. " No chains in the town centre to spoil our authenticity" explains Klaus Lorenz, Director of the Tourist Office. Baden is ideal for a medium-sized MICE event, with hotels for up to 500 people in the town or within a ten-kilometre radius.
