Austria advertises German vacationers: Come to us, not to Malle!

Austria advertises German vacationers: Come to us, not to Malle!

Santanyí, Spanien - Current events in Mallorca bring the German tourism industry into a precarious situation. Austria reacts to the increasing anti-German mood with a clear appeal: "Come to Austria and go on vacation with friends." The Austrian Ministry of Tourism has published an open letter, which offers a welcome alternative in the face of enemy slogans such as "German Raus" and "Foreign Buyer, Travel to Hell" in Mallorca. The letter aims to encourage German vacationers and to emphasize the deep connections between Germany and Austria, as oe24.at

The aggressive mood in Mallorca, especially in Santanyí, means that business German owners and vehicles with German license plates are specifically smeared. It is estimated that between 20 and 30 restaurants were vandalized. These developments are an expression of an overarching anger among the locals, which was directed against rising real estate prices and housing shortages. The "Menys Turisme, Més Vida" initiative therefore calls for political measures to combat these problems, while politicians see the causes of the protests as a minority, as the WDR reports.

background to anger on Mallorca

The reasons behind the growing hostility are complex and complex. According to the reports, tourism is responsible for around 40 percent of the gross domestic product Mallorca, but many locals, including representatives of tenant associations and environmental protection groups, demand measures to reduce mass tourism. They warn of negative consequences such as housing shortages, environmental destruction and a massive increase in rental prices since 2021, while wages have only increased by 7 percent. This problem is taken up by n-tv.de where the worries about the increasing homelessness in Palma are also discussed.

In order to defuse the tense situation, the Balearic authorities plan various measures, including deactivating new licenses for holiday apartments and introducing increased tourist taxes. The increase in illegal holiday apartments and the pressure, which is exercised by the high number of tourists on the infrastructure, is a great burden for the locals. Last year, a total of 19 million tourists visited the Balearic Islands, which is estimated for over 20 million visitors for 2024.

Austria as an alternative for German tourists

In the middle of these tensions, Austria emphasizes its tourist offers, which range from hikes in the Alps to family vacations on farms to cultural city trips to Vienna, Salzburg or Graz. The Tourism State Secretary Elisabeth Zehetner from the ÖVP emphasizes the "real friendship" between Austria and Germany and is optimistic about the arrival of German guests, who are considered important for tourist added value in Austria. Austria takes the opportunity to position yourself as a safe and inviting alternative for German tourists, in contrast to the tense situation in Mallorca.