OeNB: Overnight August stays above pre-crisis levels

Based on payment card sales, the Oesterreichische Nationalbank (OeNB) has calculated an increase in overnight stays for tourists by 15 percent compared to the year prior to August 2021.

Compared to the record summer of 2019, there was a slight increase of 2% in August. According to OeNB, this is primarily due to guests from Germany and the Netherlands.

While the number of overnight stays in Austria stagnated in July compared to 2020, OeNB expects a significant increase in overnight stays for foreign guests in August due to travel payment card sales.

Final numbers at the end of September

Based on payment data available up to calendar week 34 (until August 29), the National Bank expects the total number of overnight stays in August to increase by 15 percent over the previous year – buoyed by a strong increase in overnight stays by foreign guests (plus 27 percent) For a slight one-night decrease in the overnight stay of domestic tourists (minus six percent).

OeNB economists acknowledge that due to CoV-related shifts between cash and non-cash payment methods, person-to-one payment card sales cannot be converted into overnight stays, and that local guests in particular will be paying with card more often than before the pandemic.

However, previous months have shown that a night’s stay can be very well predicted by payment card sales. Statistics Austria will not publish the actual number of overnight stays until the end of September.