- Ceremonial opening of the Austria House in the Montsouris Pavilion on July 25, 2024
- Austria Advertising is a premium partner of the ÖOC Austria House at the Olympic Games for the third time
- ÖW CEO Astrid Steharnig-Staudinger: “Olympics as the perfect stage for the Austrian attitude to life”
Since the Olympic Games in Rio 2016, Austria Advertising has been a partner of the Austria House of the Austrian Olympic Committee (ÖOC). This successful partnership will be continued this year: on Thursday evening, the Austria House was ceremoniously opened in the Montsouris pavilion in the presence of Federal Chancellor Karl Nehammer, the athletes, media representatives and guests from Austria.
The house – this year also implemented in cooperation with Tirol Advertising, Austrian Mint, Austrian Lotteries, backaldrin – The Kornspitz Company and the Austrian Chamber of Commerce – brings a piece of Austria to France during the Olympic Games from July 26th to August 11th. A sequel will follow during the Paralympic Games from August 28th to September 8th.
The aim of this joint appearance is, on the one hand, to offer the athletes a bit of home on site, and on the other hand to give the French people the opportunity to experience Austria up close in Paris. For Austria Advertising itself, its presence at the Olympics offers a perfect platform to address French travelers and to benefit from the international attention surrounding the sporting event as a travel destination. Around the 2024 Olympic Games, Austria Advertising is bringing the uniqueness of Austria to an international stage with numerous activities. In addition to the charisma of the athletes of the Olympic Team Austria as red-white-red ambassadors, activities of Austria Advertising and Tirol Advertising make it possible to experience the Austrian attitude to life in an authentic way and together send a strong signal for Austria as a tourist destination. These joint activities include the Travel Day for French media representatives and travel trade partners on August 8th, which focuses on culinary and exercise holidays in Austria and Tyrol. In addition, Austria Advertising is sending a hop-on-hop-off bus with a focus on Austria on tour: The fully branded E-Big Bus with a DJ and Austrian cuisine to try will be in use at the Austria House on July 25th and will then tour from July 28th July to August 2nd and through Paris on August 5th.
“Unbelievably Close. Austria”: Social media & online campaign shows connection between France & Austria
Just in time for the start of the games in Paris, Austria Advertising is launching the new online campaign “Unbelievably Close. Austria” – “Étonnamment proche. L’Autriche”: With a wink, this shows throughout the entire Olympic and Paralympic Games how close central points in Austria actually are to Paris – often closer than the Côte d’Azur. The focus of the campaign is on the extraordinary Social-Media-Videos and one specifically designed micrositesupported by digital out-of-home measures in key locations across Paris.
Kraus-Winkler: Guests from France appreciate sustainable holidays in Austria
“It was a great pleasure for me to help open the Austria House. France was our twelfth most important foreign origin market in 2023 with 1.64 million overnight stays – an increase of 18.9% compared to 2022. According to French tour operators, the booking situation for the current summer season is very good. This applies to holidays in the mountains as well as to city and theme trips. For guests from France, cultural visits, delicious gastronomy and immersion in nature are top topics for a holiday in Austria. Above all, Austria enjoys a pioneering role among French guests when it comes to sustainability. “It is all the more important to further exploit this potential here,” said Tourism State Secretary Susanne Kraus-Winkler.
Mennel: Austria House’s strong comeback
ÖOC General Secretary Peter Mennel: “Without Austria Advertising there would probably not have been an Austria House comeback after six years. The basic condition was that no money flows from sport, but on the contrary, this successful project must generate money for sport again. Österreich Werbe joined as a premium partner and the financing was secured with the other top partners Tirol Werbe, Österreichische Lotterien, backaldrin, Münze Österreich and WKO. We are very grateful for this and are pleased that we were able to realize Austria House 2024 together at this unique location, which I was fortunate to know and had in mind. The success story can be continued in a stylish way with the help of Austrian advertising in the Montsouris pavilion!”
Steharnig-Staudinger: Major sporting events as a platform for Austria
“When the elegance of the Parisian boulevards meets the cosiness of the Tyrolean mountain huts and the Viennese coffee houses and the sophistication of French haute cuisine is combined with the multi-faceted enjoyment of Austrian cuisine, it becomes not only spectacular in terms of sport. Major events such as the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris in 2024 are the optimal opportunity for us to convey our Austrian attitude to life to the world,” says Astrid Steharnig-Staudinger, Managing Director of Austria Advertising. The mega event in Paris in the summer will be followed by one in our own country in the winter with the World Ski Championships in Saalbach-Hinterglemm in 2025. Here, too, Austria Advertising is already working on making the most of the event for tourism.
Seiler: Continuation of a long tradition
“Tyrol appearances at major sporting events have a long tradition. That’s why we want to use the attention surrounding the Olympic Games to make the Tirol brand and our products and services internationally visible and to increase the desirability of Tyrol. “We present Tyrol as a holiday destination and bring the best of our country’s economy, science, culture and cuisine to Paris,” explains Karin Seiler, Managing Director of Tirol Advertising.