Chennai: Indians love to stroll around in the land of Mozart and Beethovan, though Vienna also charms them with imperial palaces, including Schönbrunn, the Habsburgs’ summer residence.
The average flight time from Delhi to Vienna, which is about 6 hours and 50 minutes covering a distance of 5,552 km does not appear to be a hurdle at all for the Indian visitors. The Austrian capital Vienna has attracted 47,465 visitors (+31% over the same period previous year) from India in the first 10 months of 2016, accounting for 1,02,701 overnight stays (+30 % over the same period previous year) with each visitor clocking an average of 2.16 nights.
“Indians love to stroll around the city, with half its metro area dotted with 2,000 green spaces, 850 parks and 400 species of rose, perhaps unmatched by any other city in the world,” says Isabella Rauter, Public Relations Manager, Vienna Tourist Board (VTB). During the year 2015, there were 89,628 total overnight stays from India.
“Vienna got an overwhelming response from travellers from India exceeding the target of 1,00,000 overnight stays for 2016 by Indian tourists in just 10 months,” she said. The direct Delhi-Vienna flight by Air India also contributed to more Indians visiting the Austrian capital.
Vienna, situated on the Danube River is known for its artistic and intellectual legacy enriched by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, a prolific and influential composer of the Classical era and Beethoven - German composer and pianist.
According to sources, last year, the Vienna Film Commission had helped Bollywood director Karan Johar’s ‘Ae Dil Hai Mushkil’ team identify, finalise and shoot at a number of locations in the city also known for stately buildings, coffee houses and blooming parks and gardens lining the boulevard to provide relaxation.
Vienna is home to 27 castles, 163 palaces, 109 museums and 120 music and theatre stages that hold more than 15,000 concerts annually.
