Report on the Impact, Development and Structure of the Austrian Tourism and Leisure Industry 2020

Estimations based on the Tourism Satellite Account concept amount to 26.5 billion € in tourism expenditures by domestic and foreign visitors in Austria in 2020 (–29.6 percent compared to 2019), resulting in direct and indirect value-added effects of 20.5 billion € (–31.0 percent) and a contribution to overall GDP of 5.5 percent. Employment estimates resulted in 216,800 full-time equivalents (FTE; employees and self-employed) directly and indirectly linked to the tourism economy (equivalent to 5.6 percent in total employment). Within the balance of payments travel services added up to +8.7 billion € in 2020 (–18.2 percent; exports –41.3 percent, imports –61.0 percent; in nominal terms, including international passenger transport). Austria's market share in nominal tourism exports of the EU 28 thus reached 7.6 percent in 2020 (a new historical record high); the country is thus still ranked 6. The non-touristic leisure industry generated 35.5 billion € in sales (estimate; –16.9 percent), a total value added of 24.7 billion € (–17.8 percent) and direct and indirect employment effects of 240,300 FTEs (–17.6 percent). Thus, the leisure industry contributed 6.6 percent to GDP and 6.2 percent to total employment.