Economic Importance

A study published in early 2005 by the Institute of Tourist Land Use Planning ITR (at the request of the Ministry of Life) confirms the outstanding role of the national parks.

During the summer season national park municipalities earn 451 million € in net product from tourists staying over night: 33% (150 million €) of these visitors come exclusively or also because of the respective national park.  Another 29 million € are generated by day tourists in the national parks.  Summer guests spend on average 5 days in the national park area, which is 1 day more than the Austrian average.  Out of the 4.5 million nights spent by tourists in the summer season in the national park regions, 1.5 million or one third are typical visitors of protected areas. 
 
Another phenomenon that has been noted is the fact that national park regions are not so much affected by weak tourist periods but benefit more than proportionally in good years.  Thus, the national parks managed to increase the frequency of overnight stays in the time from 2000 – 2003 by 4.9 %, whereas the overall increase for Austria amounted to only 2.6%.

03.05.2011,