Indians log highest growth among visitors to Vienna

Vienna: Not only did 32 per cent more Indians visit this picturesque Austrian capital during the first six months of this year, but their growth was also the highest among any nationality, followed by Britain, as per latest official data.

As many as 25,181 Indian travelers visited Vienna in the six-month period that ended on June 30, representing a 32 per cent increase over the same period the previous year, as per the Vienna Tourist Board.

“A large number of Indian families, honeymooners and conference attendees traveled to Vienna for its stately castles, culture, cuisine, music and vast green spaces and helped record 56,000 overnight stays in January-June -- a 39 per cent growth over the same period last year,” the board said in a statement.

One in every eight visitors also attended one of the 3,685 congresses, corporate events and incentives in Vienna -- which is also a new record. This also coincides with global consulting giant Mercer ranking Vienna with the world’s highest quality of living for the seventh consecutive time in a row.

The Austrian capital, with its legacy of palaces, art, music and romance, coffee houses and green locales, also caught the eye of Indian film maker Karan Johar who chose Vienna as the setting for his upcoming romantic film “Ae Dil Hai Mushkil” that stars Aishwarya Rai, Ranbir Kapoor and Anushka Sharma.

The Austrian capital is also well connected with India. While Air India offers a thrice-a-week direct service from Delhi, those visiting from Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Hyderabad and Bangalore can reach Vienna after a small stopover on Turkish Airlines, Emirates, Etihad, Air India, Swiss, Lufthansa and British Airways.

IANS