Positive signs for winter holidays in the snow
The holiday mood and the economic assessment of potential guests have brightened further in the core markets for holidays in Austria compared to the 2023/24 season, according to a result of the new winter potential analysis by Austria Advertising and the NIT. Winter holidays in the snow continue to be a top longed-for destination for people; 17 million people have fixed travel plans for a winter holiday in Austria. 35% want to spend more on their winter vacation than last year, 45% want to spend the same amount and only 13% want to save – and this is more on additional expenses.
State Tourism Councilor Sebastian Schuschnig: “Carinthia is ready for a good start to a successful winter season! Winter holidays in Carinthia are once again very popular this year, as the positive booking situation shows even before the start of the season. Our tourism businesses and the cable cars are well prepared and this year we are once again relying on a southern and sunny winter package that offers many experiences worth discovering not only on the ski slopes, cross-country ski trails and winter sports facilities, but also in our relaxing thermal baths, bathhouses, excursion destinations and culinary delights . The Carinthian cable cars alone have invested around 40 million euros this year in more comfort, in the quality of the slopes and in the offering. The state is also investing around 250,000 euros in expanding the winter infrastructure. Carinthia is again absolutely competitive with its price-performance ratio. We are looking forward to a successful start, to many guests and to a snowy winter.”
Winter sun, winter sports and family time – that’s what Carinthia guests are looking for
Kärnten Werbe has further developed the winter positioning developed last year with the Carinthian mountain railways, ski schools and tourism regions. Klaus Ehrenbrandtner, Managing Director of Kärnten Advertising about this: “In communication and product development, we clearly concentrate on the topic of winter holidays from their sunniest and most family side. At 75%, winter sports are the top priority of our guests’ holiday activities. Active relaxation, spending time with the most important people and consciously recharging also play an important role.”
Roland Sint, Managing Director of the Nassfeld – Lesachtal – Weissensee tourism region says: “We are looking forward to the start of winter with great anticipation and optimism. At Nassfeld, further investments are being made in the quality of the ski area. Bergbahnen Nassfeld Pramollo AG alone is investing 25.7 million euros in the new Tröglbahn, the renovation of the valley station of the Millenium Express and the new premium ski depot. This further expands the pioneering role of Carinthia’s largest ski area. The gentle winter is becoming more and more important and the Nassfeld – Presseggersee Lesachtal, Weissensee region is well equipped with alternatives in winter. Be it with the snowshoe and ski tours in the Lesachtal or the largest natural ice arena in Europe at Weissensee – nature’s playground.”
Strong campaign for a winter holiday feeling
“The Kärnten Werbe winter campaign is being implemented with partner participation from the Carinthian tourism regions and farm holidays in the markets of Austria, Germany, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Poland, Slovakia, the Netherlands, Italy, the UK, Slovenia and Croatia. Cooperation campaigns are also being carried out with Austria Advertising in order to pool resources in a targeted manner,” informs Ehrenbrandtner. The campaigns are played out depending on the market, tailored to the respective booking cycle and with particular attention to early and late winter (Easter Monday is April 21st in 2025). More social media and online campaigns are planned for the period outside of the winter peak season weeks.
Excerpt from the application: Be the focus of marketing measures
- TV and radio spots
- extensive print and online campaigns
- Out-of-Home und Digital-out of-Home-Kampagnen
- numerous social media and PR activities such as eleven Carinthian press trips with 70 media representatives
- B2B events and collaborations with tour operators such as ski openings at the Mölltal Glacier and Nassfeld for the markets of Poland, Slovakia and the Czech Republic. Around 400 guests are expected per opening (stay three to four nights)
- Flight Hamburg – Klagenfurt: An offer flyer in cooperation with 12 Carinthian hotel companies is included in the Hamburger Abendblatt and Welt am Sonntag Hamburg and is intended to ensure numerous flights to the Carinthian snow.
In addition to the main marketing package for the 2024/25 winter season, a targeted online campaign with 11 hotel businesses is currently being launched November played out. This is at the center here Thema Wellness. A separate campaign on the subject of Advent is also being implemented.
Cooperation and pooling of resources for more effectiveness
“The synergies of jointly coordinated campaigns are undisputed. Therefore, in addition to broad-based collaborations with the ÖW and Kärnten Werbe, in which we pool budgets, we also try to focus on the same core topics in the messages of our independent campaigns in order to get into the minds of potential guests,” beton Sint and added:
“With #Nassfeldstyle We create an unmistakable communication bracket, fresh and with a wink, we differentiate ourselves from the interchangeable, normal world of the slopes. The campaign is initially starting in local markets and online.”
Advent – Styria as a cooperation partner, TV highlight and quality project
A separate campaign will be on the theme of Advent with six tourism regions in five markets implemented. For the Italian market, a joint supplement was produced with Steiermark Tourismus, which is intended to encourage Advent trips to the south of Austria in high-circulation media such as Io Donna or Amica. The Advent folder was launched for the first time at the Barcolana in Trieste and was met with great interest. Carinthia’s Advent experiences are causing a sensation on TV on December 2nd, 8:15 p.m., ORF 2: In the program “Christmas Markets in Austria”, which is moderated by Sylvia Schneider and Armin Assinger, the focus is on Carinthia (Katschberg, Villach, Wörthersee). Feeds come from other federal states.
Ehrenbrandtner: “This year we are starting an intensive quality process with a check of the Carinthian Advent experiences involved, a guest survey as well as value creation and image analyses. The goals include increasing the number of overnight stays, customer satisfaction and the international appeal of the domestic Advent offering.”