Austria sees record arrivals from Mideast

New luxury hotels, shopping areas and family attractions should secure Austria’s position as the fastest-growing European destination in the Middle East this year.

With an increase of 612 per cent in guests from the Middle East in 10 years alone, Austria has been the fastest-growing European market for the region. Last year was yet another record year (fourth in a row), with an increase of 23 per cent resulting in 268.476 arrivals and 872.571 overnights from the Middle East. The first quarter of 2014 indicates a continuation of this trend with a growth of 29 per cent in arrivals and 19 per cent in overnights so far.

For Austrian tourism, the Middle Eastern market has become increasingly important. The biggest volume of total growth in 2013 came from Germany, China and the Middle East.

Austria boasts many positives that the Middle Eastern traveller craves - moderate climate, Alpine nature with crystal-clear lakes, green grass and snow-covered mountain tops, romantic city centres with ample shopping facilities and many family attractions.

The main highlights for this year will be, amongst others:

AUSTRIA’S FIRST HYATT

The capital city of Vienna has recently experienced a boom in luxury hotel openings. After the Ritz-Carlton, the Kempinski Palais Hansen, The ME Vienna by Meliá and many luxury boutique hotels that have all opened within a few months only, the big bang of this summer will be the opening of Park Hyatt Vienna on June 1, 2014.

This will not only be the first Hyatt hotel in Austria, but – considering its unique location in Vienna’s historic Old Town district – one of the most anticipated hotels in Austria’s capital.

Vienna’s Old Town has been declared a UNESCO world heritage site in 2001 and the new Park Hyatt hotel will occupy a listed 100-year-old building right in the centre of it. Right next to the hotel, guests will find Vienna’s latest luxury shopping district, the ‘Golden Quarter’.

Featuring 143 generously sized guestrooms, including 35 suites, Park Hyatt Vienna’s guestrooms range from 35sqm to 170sqm. Visitors of the hotel enjoy gourmet cuisine at the historically restored hotel restaurant ‘The Bank’, an afternoon tea at the ‘Lounge’, fine cigars at the lounge ‘Living Room’ or a snack at the bar ‘Pearl’ with outdoor terrace seating during the summer months. For relaxation, guests can indulge in a selection of exclusive body treatments and facials at ‘Arany Spa’.

EUROPE’S BIGGEST OUTDOOR ADVENTURE PARK

Family entertainment is one of the key factors for a popular holiday for the Middle East market. Austria boasts a range of different entertainment parks, from the classic amusement park with rollercoasters, rides and food stands in Vienna’s Prater Park to the mesmerising Swarovski Crystal Worlds close to Innsbruck. Many of Austria’s theme parks for families can be found high up in the mountains, for example, the Ice Arena on famous Kitzsteinhorn Glacier, which is one of the most popular Austrian family attractions for guests from the Middle East.

The Area 47 in the Ötz Valley is another entertainment park in the Alpine mountains and known as Europe’s biggest outdoor adventure park. The 700,000-square feet large area combines nature and high-tech outdoor features. The heart of the adventure park is a scenic bathing lake featuring a water fun park with a range of thrilling waterslides, an adjustable diving platform with a maximum height of 27 metres and water ramps for spectacular ski or bike stunts and a water trampoline.

Other attractions in the park include rides on a mega swing with incredible views, a 300 metres-long flying fox ride, Austria’s highest climbing wall, Austria’s highest rope course and outdoor adventures like rafting, canyoning and caving.