Vienna hit a high note for travellers once again. As the Vienna Tourist Board proudly proclaimed at an industry event on 28SEP at the W Toronto, the "city of music" has retained its crown as the world's most liveable city by the Economist’s annual Global Liveability Index.
And it's yet another reason that makes it an enticing city for Canadian travellers to visit.
"We're very proud of this ranking and we want to share with anyone who doesn't know that Vienna has received this distinction," Armando Mendonca, president of AMPM, which represents the Vienna Tourist Board in Canada, told Open Jaw.
The very qualities that render a city liveable are often the same attributes that travellers find appealing.
"In Vienna, they're very proud of their heritage and they want visitors to have an authentic experience when they visit. Vienna has a very rich history and a lot of history, with the Hofburg imperial palace, the aesthetic, and so many unique neighbourhoods that are walkable. They're proud to showcase more than just hotspot and landmarks," Mendonca said.
Flights: Easy, Direct, Frequent
Mendonca and Elke Bachner, Canada Market Manager for the Vienna Tourist Board, recognized several key partners throughout the event, including Air Canada, Lufthansa Group, the Vienna Airport, the Greater Toronto Airports Authority, Swarovski, Marriott's Hotel Imperial in Vienna, the Salute to Vienna New Year's Concert 2024 at Toronto's Roy Thomson Hall, and the City Airport Train (CAT) in Vienna.
Air Canada and Lufthansa remain the only non-stop, year-round flights from Canada to Vienna. Flights between YYZ and VIE operated daily in summer 2023 with Air Canada and the same frequency is planned for summer 2024. With Austrian Airlines, flights operated five times a week between YUL and VIE in summer 2023 and are planned again for summer 2024 at the same frequency.
Throughout the winter season, flights will operate up to six times a week from YYZ with Air Canada and up to three times a week out of YUL with Austrian.
Cindy Ducasse, an advisor with TTI Travel, told Open Jaw at the event that what she finds with Vienna is that after her clients check Europe's most iconic cities off their list (think Paris and London), Vienna tends to be next. Her clients travelling to Vienna often combine nearby iconic cities like Prague in the Czech Republic, Salzburg in Austria, and Budapest in Hungary.
Air Canada Vacations offers several itineraries that mirror Cindy's observations. For example, an eight-day tour explores three of Europe's brightest cities: Vienna, Prague, and Salzburg.
"Austria is surrounded by eight other countries, so it's such a great destination to visit other destinations," Mendonca highlighted.
#1 Tip: Join the Vienna Experts Club
Bachner's number one tip for the trade is this: sign up for the Vienna Experts Club.
Joining the Vienna Experts Club offers an opportunity for travel advisors looking to deepen their knowledge about the city. As members, advisors can enhance their skills, expand their knowledge, and ultimately provide a better service to clients interested in travelling to Vienna.
"It's an initiative of the Vienna Tourist Board where we give advisors, especially luxury advisors, the Vienna City Card so when they come to Vienna, they can experience the city with more than 200 benefits," Bachner told Open Jaw.
Perks of the Vienna City Card include free public transportation, exclusive hotel and restaurant discounts, discounts in museums and tourist attractions, and more.
"It's like a familiarization tour on your own. It's very important for the trade," Bachner said.
Travel advisors can also earn 5% commission for every card they sell.
Discover Vienna's Heartbeat with the ivie App
Bachner and Mendonca emphasized that all of Vienna has a distinct personality and travel offering, not just the city centre. This is embodied in the "Heartbeat Streets" marketing campaign.
"After you explore the landmarks in the city centre, we want you to explore the outer areas, the suburbs, that are charming and unique on their own," Mendonca said.
Each of Vienna's neighbourhoods and 23 districts are a world of their own, promising travellers a treasure trove of distinct and captivating encounters. In a video feature played at the event, Bachner highlighted Freihausviertel in District 4. A short distance from the Museum Quarter, Freihausviertel is an eclectic neighbourhood now considered the city's bohemian and creative epicentre.
Then there's Karmeliterviertel in the second district, originally the heart of Vienna's Jewish quarter, now stands as a vibrant fusion of history and modernity.
The ivie app is a new, trendy, and highly innovative way of uncovering the many gems within Vienna's neighbourhoods. ivie is a free digital city guide app where travellers can find helpful tips, themed city walks, curious stories, and quirky anecdotes about the city. It's a visitor's ultimate Vienna travel companion.
