The winter season in Lower Austria has started with a significant increase in overnight stays. In November 2024, 484.000 overnight stays were counted, which corresponds to an increase of 6,5 percent compared to the same period last year. December also shows growth of 456.700 percent with 3,6 overnight stays. Overall, this means an increase of 5,1 percent for the winter season so far compared to 2023.
The increase in overnight stays by foreign guests is particularly noteworthy. In December 2024, an increase of 9 percent was recorded. Despite challenges such as the flood crisis, the total number of overnight stays for the 2024 tourism year remained largely stable at 7,32 million and was only 0,3 percent below the previous year.
According to Governor Johanna Mikl-Leitner, the cultural program "Culture St. Pölten 2024" is making a significant contribution to the positive development of tourism. St. Pölten was able to celebrate a record number of overnight stays. In 2025, Lower Austria also plans to invest specifically in culinary arts, hiking, cycling and culture in order to further increase its attractiveness as a holiday destination.
Michael Duscher, Managing Director of Niederösterreich Werbung, also emphasized the importance of campaigns and tourism initiatives. In particular, the programs to promote pub culture and new festival formats have contributed significantly to the positive trend. The final overnight stay figures for the 2024 tourism year will be published on February 13.
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