1946: Origins of the “Holidays in Austria” Brand

The founding of the Office for the Reconstruction of the Austrian Tourism Industry in 1946 was an attempt to pick up where the tourism marketing of the years 1933 to 1938 had left off. There were also continuities in personnel from the Austrofascist era. The first image used for a 1947/1948 winter poster was identical to one from 1937/1938, adapted by the in-house graphic designer of the Austrian People’s Party. The 1950 summer poster was based on one from 1936.

Starting in the 1960s, the drawn images were replaced by photographs—the era of the graphic designer was over and marketing agencies took over the creative process. Different logos followed and the “Holidays in Austria” brand was launched at start of the 21st century. Over the decades, one feature has remained a constant of visual communication: beautiful alpine landscapes, which are used again and again. New slogans appeared at regular intervals from the 1970s, from “Wander-ful Austria” to the current “Austria. Feel life.”

The agency responsible for marketing Austria as a tourist destination—from 1955 the Austrian State Tourist Department, and from 1989 the Austrian National Tourist Office—was and is financed by the federal government, the provincial governments (until 2001) and Federal Chamber of Commerce.