The Austrian population's desire to travel hardly diminished in 2024 despite a weakening economy. According to current data from Statistics Austria, people living in Austria undertook 27,53 million vacation trips with at least one overnight stay, including visits to relatives and friends. Of these, 13,03 million trips were to destinations within Austria and 14,50 million were abroad. In addition, 3,81 million business trips were made both domestically and abroad.
"The Austrian population's desire to travel remains undiminished despite the weakening economy. Three-quarters of all people aged 15 and over took at least one vacation trip in 2024. Travel intensity thus remains at a high level at 76,4 percent, almost reaching the record level of 76,7 percent in 2023. The most popular vacation destination was Austria. 47,3 percent of vacation trips were spent domestically, 2,5 percent more than in 2023. The number of vacation trips abroad increased by 1,4 percent year-on-year; Italy was the most popular destination with almost 20 percent," explained Statistics Austria Director General Tobias Thomas.
A total of 5,91 million holidaymakers took the aforementioned 27,53 million holiday trips in Germany and abroad. This corresponds to an average of five holiday trips per traveler. The total number of holiday trips was thus slightly higher than in 2023 (+1,9 percent; 27,01 million holiday trips). Those aged 15 to 24 were the most likely to travel, with a travel intensity of 89,2 percent.
Styria, Lower Austria and Salzburg as top domestic destinations
Austrians spent almost half of their vacation trips (47,3 percent, or 13,03 million) within their own country, making Austria the most popular vacation destination for its citizens. The number of vacation trips with overnight stays within Austria increased by 2,5 percent compared to the previous year, reaching the 13 million mark for the first time. Within Austria, the most frequently visited regions were Styria (19,7 percent), Lower Austria (14,8 percent), and Salzburg (13,5 percent). These figures underscore the attractiveness of the Austrian federal states for domestic tourism.
Italy and Germany lead in foreign travel
Of the 14,50 million vacation trips abroad, the number of vacation trips abroad was 1,4 percent higher than the previous year (2023: 14,30 million). The preferred destinations were Italy (19,8 percent of all vacation trips abroad) and Germany (14,7 percent), followed by Croatia (11,8 percent), Spain (5,7 percent), and Greece (4,2 percent). The share of long-distance trips (trips outside Europe and Turkey) increased by 2024 percentage points to 1,4 percent in 7,9 (2023: 6,5 percent), indicating growing interest in more distant destinations.
Short breaks mostly in Germany, longer trips abroad
More than half (52,4 percent or 14,43 million) of holiday trips in 2024 were short breaks (one to three overnight stays), of which almost two-thirds (64,9 percent) were spent in Austria. For longer holidays with four or more overnight stays (13,10 million), the majority of Austrians (72,0 percent or 9,44 million) went abroad. In line with this distribution, the average length of stay for domestic holiday trips is shorter at 3,3 nights than for international holiday trips (6,8 nights).
Fewer train journeys, more air travel
The car remains the most frequently used means of transport for arrival and departure on holiday trips, accounting for 61,0 percent. The share of air travel rose again compared to the previous year to 18,7 percent (2023: 17,5 percent). However, the share of train travel, which had increased in recent years, declined in 2024 to 13,6 percent (2023: 15,1 percent).
Reasons for not traveling
Almost a quarter of the Austrian population (23,6 percent, or 1,83 million people aged 15 and over) did not take an overnight vacation in 2024. Almost half of these non-travelers (49,7 percent) stated they preferred to stay at home. Financial reasons were the deciding factor for more than a third (34,7 percent), while health reasons played a role for 29,9 percent.
Decline in business travel
Business travel intensity decreased in 2024. 14,8 percent of the Austrian resident population (aged 15 and over) made at least one business trip with an overnight stay (2023: 15,9 percent). The 1,15 million business travelers made a total of 3,81 million business trips, representing a slight decrease of 0,9 percent compared to 2023. Almost half of the business trips took place within Austria, with Vienna being the most frequent destination. For international business trips, Germany was the top destination.
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