Tourism is booming – employees pay the price
Record figures in tourism: 54.25 million overnight stays in the 2025/26 winter season.
Tourism
The current figures from Statistics Austria show a clear trend: With 54.25 million overnight stays between November 2025 and February 2026, Austria recorded the most successful winter season since records began in 1974. An increase of 5.5 percent underlines the ongoing boom in tourism.
But while the industry is jubilant, the pressure is growing on those who make this success possible in the first place: the employees.
Record numbers mean record pollution
"Record numbers in tourism mean one thing above all for many employees: record workload."Fachbereichsvorsitzende Tourismus Gewerkschaft vida
Up to 48 hours a week, often six days in a row – including night, weekend and holiday shifts – are a reality for many employees. More guests mean more work in all areas:
- more stress in kitchens
- more pressure in service
- more organization at receptions
- more physical strain in housekeeping
The crucial question remains: Will employees benefit from the boom? The answer is sobering: usually not.
Low wages despite economic success
Although tourism is a central economic driver, pay is lagging far behind:
- Public service: from 2,262.30 euros gross
- Cleaning: from 2,184.99 euros gross
- Hotel & gastronomy: only 2,026.00 euros gross for assistants
"Is the work of colleagues in hotels and restaurants worth less? Certainly not," says Eberhart. Without their performance, tourism would come to a standstill.
Overload endangers the future of the industry
The trade union vida warns of the long-term consequences:
- Increasing dissatisfaction
- Exodus of skilled workers
- Staff shortage despite boom
A system that is permanently based on overload and low wages is not sustainable. Good working conditions are not a minor matter – they are a prerequisite for quality, stable operations and sustainable success.
Collective bargaining negotiations: vida calls for real improvements
Ahead of the next round of collective bargaining negotiations for the hotel and catering industry on 7 April, the trade union vida is putting central demands on the table:
- Real wage increase above inflation (3.6%)
- 12 guaranteed Sundays off per year
- Paid lunch break
"The employees keep tourism running – they have earned respect, fair pay and real relief. Now the ball is in the employers' court," emphasizes Eberhart.
No tourism without employees
Tourism in Austria is growing – but at whose expense?
The current figures clearly show that economic success is based on hard work under often difficult conditions.
Anyone who continues to talk about records must also talk about fair distribution. Because without fair working conditions, the boom quickly becomes a problem.
Good reasons to become a member right now
- You strengthen the bargaining power – the more we are, the better the collective agreements.
- Legal protection and advice when things get serious.
- Co-determination in the company: You give weight to your voice.
- Continuing education and networking: Sharing knowledge, learning strategies, winning together.
- All the benefits of a large community
- Solidarity that carries – even when things get uncomfortable.
Do you want negotiations to take place on an equal footing again – with results that reach your wallet?
