The Danube region in Austria

On 25 August 2008, the town of Ennshafen on the border between Upper and Lower Austria became the birthplace of the tourism syndicate Donau Österreich. Itsinitiatorswerethe governors of the three Danube provinces: Josef Pühringer (Upper Austria), Erwin Pröll (Lower Austria) and Michael Häupl (Vienna). The three most populous and economically potent provinces in Austria are working together successfully in this organization with the support of the Economic Ministry and Österreich-Werbung. With nearly five million inhabitants, the Danube provinces account for more than half of the total Austrian population. The tourism figures for the Austrian Danube region are also quite impressive. With 17.7 million overnight stays and some 8.4 million arrivals (figures for 2015), this region is enormously important for tourism in Austria. Tourists on day trips and excursions are another major source of revenue for town and country, especially along the Danube.

In concrete terms, Donau Österreich consists of the five partners

WGD Donau Oberösterreich Tourismus GmbH, Donau Niederösterreich Tourismus GmbH, Oberösterreich Tourismus, Niederösterreich Werbung GmbH andWienTourismus. Its primary task is to position the Danube nationally and internationally as a fundamental Austrian range of tourism products and services and as a brand in the tourist sector. Donau Österreich concerns itself with relevant interregional topics and products pertaining to the Danube in Austria, especially in the areas of bicycling, hiking, passenger shipping, nature, culture and the culinary arts. It strives to cooperate in an optimum manner on quality, marketing and communication.

Donau Österreich has defined the following goals, among others:

  • Position the Austrian Danube as one of the key tourist destinations in Austria
  • Implement the goals recently set in connection with the “Danube in Austria” branding process
  • Draw connections among the three Danube regions in Upper Austria, Lower Austria and Vienna by means of joint products and themes
  • Conduct joint quality management for defined products (e.g.: Danube Cycle Path, Donaugsteig (Danube Hiking Trail), Wachau World Heritage Trail, bett+bike businesses in the ADFC)
  • Joint marketingandcommunication
  • Joint marketresearch

Since 1 January 2014, internationalization has also begun playing a key role at Donau Österreich. Since 2014, ithas been a member of the Danube Competence Centers (DCC), an organization whose goal is to forge a network for the entire Danube, from the Black Forest to the Black Sea. Donau Österreich also became a member of ARGE Strasse der Kaiser und Könige, a syndicate in which ten tourism organizations and passenger ship companies from Regensburg via Passau and Vienna to Budapest are dedicated to cultivating the joint European heritage.

More Information:

ARGE Donau Österreich

c/o WGD Donau Oberösterreich Tourismus GmbH

Lindengasse 9, 4040 Linz

Tel: +43 732/7277 800

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