Prepared for what lies ahead in tourism
Stay up-to-date with current, independent statistics and information on tourism in the Alpine region.
3.1 hours
are invested daily by Austria's tourism professionals in bureaucratic duties.
are invested daily by Austria's tourism professionals in bureaucratic duties.
42%
of companies reduce originally planned investments for 2025
of companies reduce originally planned investments for 2025
46%
find it more difficult to obtain credit financing
find it more difficult to obtain credit financing
90%
of companies see employee expenses as a major cost driver
of companies see employee expenses as a major cost driver
The "Tourism Barometer 2025" is a joint study by Deloitte Tirol and the Austrian Hotel Association (ÖHV), which has been examining the mood in the Austrian tourism industry for several years. The current survey is based on the assessments of 223 companies from all over Austria, who were asked about their perspectives on current developments and trends in April 2025. The study covered the following topics: the economic situation of tourism, the regional environment and operating conditions, business development, employees, investments and financing.
Although many businesses were able to record sales growth, this is not automatically accompanied by rising profits. The profitability of companies is significantly reduced by sharp increases in costs, particularly in the areas of personnel (wage and salary increases), energy and cost of goods. The general tax and duty burden is also perceived as increasingly negative by tourism companies. These factors lead to a rather pessimistic mood in the industry. Accordingly, satisfaction with their own company development is also declining.
Key findings of this study:
- Sales growth without a proportional increase in profits: the study shows that sales growth does not automatically go hand in hand with rising profits. Although more than half of those surveyed expect turnover growth, the profitability of the majority of companies is deteriorating at the same time. This is mainly due to a disproportionate increase in costs.
- High costs are depressing sentiment: Rising costs, particularly in the areas of personnel (wage and salary increases), energy and cost of goods, are significantly reducing profitability. The general tax and duty burden is also being perceived increasingly negatively.
- Persistent labor shortage: The search for skilled workers remains a major challenge for Austrian tourism. Although the industry has adapted to this situation and the direct impact on businesses has decreased in some cases, 65% of businesses are still actively looking for reinforcements.
- Reluctance to invest and impending investment backlog: Entrepreneurs are reluctant to invest. Many companies (2025: 42%) have been reducing or postponing their planned investments for years. This poses the risk of an investment backlog, which could jeopardize the long-term competitiveness of tourism infrastructure. Access to credit financing has become more difficult for almost half of businesses.
- Need for strategic measures and political support: In order to meet these challenges, joint efforts by companies and politicians are necessary. Companies are required to secure their profitability by increasing efficiency, strategic cost and price management and digital transformation. Politicians, in turn, must reduce bureaucratic hurdles, promote the opening of the labor market and create stable framework conditions, as no significant tax relief is expected in the short term.