Impact of COVID-19 on the Austrian Tourism and Leisure Industry in 2022

Based on the concept of the Tourism Satellite Account, tourism spending by domestic and foreign visitors in Austria in 2022 is estimated 35.8 billion €, 86.9 percent above the 2021 level (–5.3 percent compared to 2019). The resulting direct and indirect value-added effects amounted to 27.9 billion € (+92.0 percent compared to 2021, –7.7 percent compared to 2019), which contributes 6.2 percent to total GDP. With around 313,200 full-time equivalents (FTE; employees and self-employed), the tourism industry accounted directly and indirectly for 7.8 percent of total employment in 2022. Within the balance of payments travel services added up to +7.8 billion € in 2022 (2019-2022 –26.2 percent; exports +110.5 percent, 2019-2022 –11.6 percent, imports +79.7 percent, 2019-2022 +0.8 percent; in nominal terms, including international passenger transport). Austria's market share in nominal tourism exports of 32 European countries accounted for 3.5 percent in 2022 (3.2 percent in 2021), the country's position improved to rank 8 (after rank 12 in 2021). Non-touristic leisure consumption by domestic inhabitants in 2022 was estimated at 45.2 billion € (+15.1 percent compared to 2021, +7.7 percent since 2019), generating a total value added of 30.8 billion € (+18.1 percent, 2019-2022 +5.1 percent) with a GDP contribution of 6.9 percent (7.4 percent in 2019) and 330,000 FTEs (8.2 percent of total employment; 7.7 percent in 2019).