Kraus-winkler: Easter Holidays Herald Final Sprint For A German Winter Season That Has Gone Well So Far

“Tourism can be quite satisfied with the course of the winter season so far. The booking situation is good and the recent snowfall at the beginning of the holidays gives the winter sports areas hope for short-term bookings - free rooms are still available. In the higher-lying ski areas, snow is still guaranteed in most of the federal states," says Secretary of State for Tourism Susanne Kraus-Winkler.

In the current winter season - November 2022 to February 2023 - there have been 48.13 million overnight stays so far. Compared to the last real winter season 2018/19, a drop of 3.1 percent. If you compare February 2023 with February 2019, Burgenland, Carinthia and Vorarlberg have already exceeded the number of overnight stays.

“One third of the guests during the Easter holidays come from Germany, the other third from Germany and the rest from other countries. In all three home markets, the Easter holidays this year are almost a week ahead of the Easter holidays in 2022. That is boosting demand in terms of dates. Some ski areas are still open until April 16,” says Kraus-Winkler.

The "Easter effect" also gives hope for good overnight stays in April. Easter usually falls in April. If Easter falls in March, this has a stronger negative impact on the development of arrivals and overnight stays in April - which is generally a weaker month for travel - than vice versa. In 2017, the Easter holidays fell in April, which means that overnight stays rose by 30.1 percent to 8.35 million and the overnight stays in March fell by 10.9 percent.

With the many Easter offers, the last turns on the slopes can also be combined with Easter customs. From the numerous Easter markets and culinary specialties, such as the Carinthian Easter snack, to the cultural supporting program, such as the Easter bonfire, the destinations have many special features.

“It is this perfect combination of winter sports experience and customs in Austria that makes the Easter holidays a special experience. Our guests are constantly rediscovering the diversity that our country has to offer for tourists,” says Kraus-Winkler