Tourism Cheaper hotels in Vienna benefit from the Eurovision Song Contest
The Eurovision Song Contest (ESC) has ensured ringing tills for Vienna's tourism businesses. The big event has mainly benefited cheaper accommodation, as Felix Neutatz, chairman of the hotel industry section of the Vienna Chamber of Commerce, told the APA.
09.05.2026, 06:39
SDA
Two- to three-star establishments can report above-average booking figures. In the luxury sector, on the other hand, there is a reluctance to book, Neutatz told the Austrian news agency APA.
In general, both the Chamber and the Vienna Tourist Board - which recently published figures on this - assume that the occupancy rate is around 70 percent. This is seen as very pleasing by the interest group and the tourism association. However, according to the industry, a May weekend with a public holiday is also otherwise very well booked.
Younger visitors are driving the boom
According to Neutatz, the boom in the budget segment is due to the fact that the ESC attracts a younger audience in particular. The four- and five-star hotels, on the other hand, which would probably be particularly well booked on a long weekend in May, are actually registering a decline. "The Song Contest is also a deterrent," he states.
Guests from the high-price segment would sometimes switch to other destinations in view of the Vienna-wide party atmosphere. Some may also have postponed their vacations. As Neutatz explained, it is already clear that the booking situation in June is back to normal.
