Three Times as Many Short Trips as 20 Years Ago: A Burden on Austria's Roads
Vacations have gained importance for Austrians in recent years. In 2024, Austria's population took around 27.5 million vacations - twice as many as 20 years ago. However, short vacation trips tripled to 14.43 million, the Austrian Transport Club (VCÖ) announced on Wednesday based on data from Statistics Austria. Since the majority of arrivals are by car, traffic congestion is also increasing.
Three Quarters of Guests in Austria Arrive by Car
According to the latest figures from 2023, around 78 percent of vacation guests in Austria arrived by car, 11 percent by train, 7 percent by plane, and 2 percent by bus, the VCÖ refers to data from the Ministry of Economic Affairs. The VCÖ determined based on data from Asfinag that on weekdays last year, fewer cars were on Austria's highways and expressways than in 2019, but more cars were on the road on weekends and holidays.
Trend Towards Car-Free: Attractive Mobility Offers Demanded
The number of car-free households is increasing in European metropolises. In Berlin, 46 percent of households are already car-free, and the average for all major German cities is 40 percent. To be an attractive vacation destination for these population groups, an attractive public mobility offer is needed. With the Guest Mobility Ticket, vacationers can use public transport in Salzburg, cited Wilhelm Prommegger from the Salzburg Transport Association as an example. For this, 50 cents per overnight stay are charged as a mobility contribution.
But shuttle services from the train station to the accommodation, as offered by ÖBB at 20 train stations in Carinthia and Salzburg, have also proven themselves according to Florian Hitzelberger from ÖBB Personenverkehr AG.
(APA/Red)
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