Tourist mobility in Tyrol

Nicole Ortler: The car is still the number one most used means of transportation for vacations in Tyrol. This is the result of our guest survey. According to the survey, in winter 2023/2024, 6% of guests in Tirol traveled by train and 89% by car; in summer, the proportion of guests arriving by train is generally higher and was already at 8% in 2024. Once guests have arrived in Tirol, both cars and buses (especially ski buses) are used almost equally in winter with more than 60% (source: Tirol Tourist Board, T-Mona guest survey, winter 2023/2024, multiple answers possible). In summer, however, the proportion of car users is slightly higher at 75% (Tirol Werbung, T-Mona guest survey, summer 2024).

There are two factors to consider when looking at the choice of transportation: Firstly, which market do guests come from? In Tirol, the main markets with over 75% of arrivals and overnight stays are in the DACH+NL region (source: Amt der Tiroler Landesregierung, Sg. Provincial Statistics and tiris, 2023). The connections here are very good and there is hardly any need to travel by plane. And secondly, how long do guests stay? With the trend towards short breaks and more arrivals, traffic is absolutely increasing. This makes it all the more important for us to consistently pursue our strategic goal of extending the length of stay of Tirol guests and to promote this in a targeted manner.

Nicole Ortler: The main arguments of the guests surveyed against public transportation in winter are luggage transport (60%), travel time (almost 58%), convenience (transfers, flexibility, overcrowding...) (48%) and local mobility (40%). Less than a third of respondents were bothered by the cost and distance of the train station from their accommodation (Tirol Werbung, T-Mona guest survey, winter 2024). In summer, the top three reasons for not traveling by public transport are also the journey time with 51%, followed almost equally by the feared restriction of mobility on site with 50%, followed by luggage transport with around 49% of votes (Tirol Werbung, T-Mona guest survey, summer 2024).

Carrying luggage on public transport can certainly be a challenge in winter. Even with a direct connection without transfers, the journey to the train station and accommodation with a large suitcase, skis, ski boots and rucksack can seem arduous. We therefore recommend renting sports equipment locally. This not only eliminates the need to transport luggage, but also uses a sharing model in the interests of sustainability. There are also luggage services offered by ÖBB and private providers, but these require some planning and preparation in advance, as the luggage is sent a few days before arrival. As far as comfort is concerned, personal preference is quite decisive. Whether I sit in the car for hours concentrating and can stop when and where I want, or on the other hand use the train journey to rest, read, plan my vacation or spend quality time with my travel companion, both can be perceived as comfortable. Delays are certainly an additional obstacle to rail travel at the moment, but there is also no guarantee that every car journey will be smooth and congestion-free.

For local mobility, we at Tirol Werbung are increasingly focusing on communication and information. If guests realize that public transport works locally, they are more likely to gain the confidence not to need their car on vacation.

Nicole Ortler: Tirol Werbung has been working on the topic of sustainable mobility for over a decade. Tirol auf Schiene, a network of tourism representatives, the Tyrolean Transport Association, the Chamber of Commerce and the federal railroads from the DACH region, has established itself as an Austria-wide pioneering model in strengthening rail travel. A large part of our work consists of raising awareness within the system, i.e. with the tourism associations. We prepare newsletters several times a year, provide helpful materials, offer advice and organize events. This allows the TVBs to network with each other on the topic, but also relevant partners from the closely maintained network of Tirol Werbung, such as transport companies and the province of Tyrol, are available for exchange - everyone benefits from mutual learning and making needs visible.

A regular exchange with the Province of Tirol and the Tirol Transport Association is helpful in order to target, politically underpin and then jointly implement province-wide projects and measures. Our challenge as a regional tourism organization is that transport and its infrastructure are regulated locally by the regions and we can therefore only take action where overarching measures make sense. One example of this is improving the data basis for mobility in order to better understand traffic flows and derive appropriate control measures (see question 1), but also the provision of the public-friendly excursion platform Naturtrip or the exchange with rail companies on timetables and the further development of rail services. Other projects that we are working on are often initially limited to a pilot region, so that they can then be rolled out throughout Tyrol if they are successful - for example, we are currently looking for a region with which we can test tourist e-car sharing.

In order to inform and inspire guests about all these offers, cooperation with our marketing team is essential. We promote public travel and local mobility in the best possible way on all our channels and in our campaigns.

Nicole Ortler: The strategy for sustainable tourism mobility in Tyrol is derived from our corporate strategy, the Tyrolean Way and the Tyrolean sustainability and climate strategy. The aim is to achieve a 20% share of sustainable travel by 2035. Specifically, at least 15% of guests should travel by train and the remaining 5% by other sustainable forms of travel (e.g. bus). This requires three key elements: Securing the infrastructure, communicating what is available and working together as a network and corresponding collaborations.

Nicole Ortler: Our hope is that, following the success of the extensive line renovations in Germany, significantly more guests will travel by train again. At the same time, new generations of vacationers with a greater affinity for sustainability will follow. With more than 400 weekly direct long-distance connections from the DACH-I region - i.e. without changing trains - we are an attractive destination for a car-free vacation.

The greatest potential probably lies in creating such a high-quality public transport service that both locals and guests can reach their destinations, demand increases accordingly and car traffic is reduced overall. In any case, Tirol has already achieved a great deal and has many ambitious and enthusiastic public transport representatives in and outside of tourism, who will certainly continue to work tirelessly to ensure that there is a good offer for guests and locals.