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Friday,  July 11, 2025   2:34 PM
Discovering affluent Austria

“Tourism is one of the most important industries in Austria. Every year you will find something new,” Christian Lassnig, Consult and Trade Commissioner of Austria said.

The hills were alive with the sound of Austria at majestic Casa Loma castle in Toronto last night as nearly 100 travel agents and industry pros gathered for an elegant soiree organized by the Consulat General of Austria - Commercial Section.

Daniel PasqualiThe event, called Discover Austria, unfolded in a lavish dining room with opulent chandeliers, where guests dined on fine fare, such as roasted strip loin and chocolate cheesecake lollipops, amidst ambient music by a live harpist (the player, whom many described as a “real-life angel”) and Austrian-inspired entertainment – notably a Sound of Music melody sung by Canadian Opera Company alumna Lilac Cana.

The evening was designed to provide travel agents with the resources they need to help promote the Central European country to clients, and to also emphasise that Austria is more than just the homeland of Arnold Schwarzenegger and Fräulein Maria.

“Canada is an affluent country and people can afford to go abroad,” said Lassnig, noting the 101,033 Canadians who visited Austria in 2014. Of that number, 257,256 Canadians invested in overnights, with 32 per cent travelling there during the winter and 68 per cent in the summer.

For Canadian travellers, it’s famous destinations like Salzburg and Vienna that take the cake, or sachertorte, so to speak.

Flying into Salzburg, for example, is so accessible, “It’s like flying your own private jet,” said Marco Garcia of Advantage Austria, noting how Salzburg airport is just 10 minutes from the city centre and how flight connections via Istanbul, Vienna and Frankfurt are fast and efficient.

Salzburg, the fourth-largest Austrian city, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site known for its baroque architecture, year-round festivals and attractions inspired by composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, “Salzburg’s most famous son,” who was born there.

And, yes, The Sound Of Music. Salzburg was the setting for the classic film, a reputation the city honours by offering round’-the-clock tours, dinners and shows inspired by the much-loved story of the famous von Trapp family.

Salzburg is also where one of the world’s most famous Christmas carols, “Silent Night, Holy Night!” was first heard in the town of Oberndorf bei Salzburg in 1818. The region pays tribute to that fact every winter at Salzburg’s famous Christmas market, which is a huge draw for tourists.

“But it’s not so silent anymore. It’s for partying,” noted Garcia.

Vienna, the capital of Austria known for its castles, opulent festivals, art museums and wiener schnitzel, is located about 300 kilometres east of Salzburg. It’s the most popular Austrian destination for Canadians and the momentum is growing.

Opera singer Lilac Cana

This past September 2015 saw a 15 per cent increase in Canadians who visited Vienna, said Rita Gily, Trade Relations Officer at Advantage Austria.

This year Vienna celebrates the 100th anniversary of the death of its longest-serving emperor Franz Joseph, which will be marked in 2016 with exhibitions that focus on aspects of the emperor’s life, said Gily.

Schönbrunn Palace, a 1,441-room Baroque-style marvel, is now open for visitor accommodation.

“It’s a special experience if you want to be a prince or princess for a night,” said Gily. You can even cruise Vienna’s streets in style on a Hot Rod tour, which offers group rides in miniature vehicles resembling that of a soap box derby car.

But beyond Vienna and Salzburg, there are other must-sees worth exploring, noted Lassnig, recommending his hometown of Carinthia, a southern Austrian state within the Eastern Alps known for its mountains and lakes.

“If you travel through Austria you will find very distinct landscapes,” said Lassnig. “It’s only 700 kilometres, which, for a Canadian, is almost nothing.”

Discover Austria also highlighted the latest in Alpine tourism, Eurofun Touristik, an outdoor touring company that organizes bike and hiking tours (and even transports your luggage along the way), as well as Hotel Bristol and Hotel Goldener Hirsch, the latest in luxury accommodation by Starwood Hotels and Resorts.

And as for those red tights worn by female flights attendants on Austrian Airlines? They’re here to stay. After a much-publicized debate over whether or not to toss the iconic red stockings, “80 per cent of our staff decided that, ‘Yes, we should keep them,” said Sherif Sedhom of Austrian Airlines/Lufthansa Group, which will be adding new destinations to Miami, Manchester, Menorca, Marrakesh, Bari, Odessa, Mauritus, Colombo and Shanghai in 2015 and 2016.

For the latest on Austrian tourism, visit www.austria.info

PHOTO: Austrian Consult General Christian Lassnig; Natalya Zubkova, Austrian Airlines/Lufthansa Group; Luisa Dimitrov intern, Lufthansa Group Toronto; Marco Garcia, Advantage Austria; Sherif Sedhom & Wael Seif, Austrian Airlines/Lufthansa Group; Daniel Pasquali, director of sales, global leisure and luxury sales, Starwood Hotels and Resorts

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