TORONTO — The Vienna Tourist Board and Star Alliance partners Air Canada and Lufthansa Group / Austrian Airlines, along with Vienna Airport and Ritz-Carlton Vienna, shared all that’s new and special about Vienna at a VIP industry dinner at The Ritz-Carlton, Toronto.
Not least of the news coming out of last night’s event was a travel agent booking incentive from the tourist board and Air Canada.
Agents can register their bookings to Vienna for a chance to win two Business Class tickets from Canada to Vienna, compliments of Air Canada and the Vienna Tourist Board.
The promotion is valid for bookings Sept. 5 – Dec. 31, 2022 and for travel between the same window. Some blackout dates and terms & conditions apply. Agents are asked to e-mail Armando Mendonca at armando@ampmcanada.ca for a registration booking form. The winner will be contacted the week of Jan. 9, 2023.
Mendonca, the man behind AMpm Canada – the DMC that represents the Vienna Tourist Board in Canada – encouraged agents at last night’s event to take part in the promotion and book Austria’s beautiful capital city.
The incentive and contest is open to all travel agents, Mendonca told Travelweek.
“From today until Dec. 31 bookings earn you a chance to win two tickets business class with Air Canada and two nights at the Ritz-Carlton Vienna. I want you all to sort of share this with your travel agents and to take on this incredible incentive,” he said.
AIR CANADA’S TONY CELIO: AC & OS ARE YOUR #1 CHOICE
Tony Celio, Specialty Sales Manager at Air Canada, also wants to keep those Vienna bookings rolling in.
Celio spoke about the importance of the Vienna routes for Air Canada, and the importance of its partnership with Austrian Airlines too.
Air Canada and Austrian Airlines, both Star Alliance partners, “are part of the Atlantic Joint Venture group of airlines, providing your customers with simplicity and choice and value across all brands,” said Celio. “Together, we offer your customers a wide choice of award-winning onboard products and services, optimized schedules and reciprocal frequent flyer programs including Air Canada’s newly revamped Aeroplan program with exciting new features, more ways to earn more rewards, and more benefits along the way.”
Back in 2019, says Celio, in order to increase the Atlantic Joint Venture scope from Canada to Vienna, Austrian Airlines moved its Vienna flights to Montreal, and Air Canada took over the route from Toronto. “Both of us have operated on a year-round basis, obviously with the exception of the pandemic, but we are definitely continuing offering the service to Vienna as we speak,” he said.
For summer 2022, Air Canada increased its service from five weekly to daily as of August for the remainder of the summer season. Air Canada will continue service from Toronto into the winter months with four weekly flights.
Austrian Airlines meanwhile continues to operate from Montreal with five weekly flights for the summer and three weekly flights for the 2022/2023 winter season.
“So wherever your customers choose to fly from, Air Canada and Austrian Airlines are your number one choice to be offering the only nonstop services from Canada with seamless connections throughout our extensive networks,” said Celio.
He also offered his take on demand at this point in the pandemic: “We’re encouraged by the strong demand and advanced options to Vienna, and overall the industry has rebounded from the most difficult times in history.”
“THE VERY HEART OF EUROPE”
Marie Polt, the Vienna Tourist Board’s B2B Relations Manager for the UK, US and Canada, shared her thoughts on what makes Vienna such a special city, and a special destination for Canadian travellers.
“It’s a city of music and art. And the Viennese love to enjoy ourselves,” said Polt. “There is this culture of enjoyment. It’s also a very green city and you can get very active in the city and you can enjoy the outdoors all year long.”
Sightseeing highlights include Belvedere Palace – the summer palace of the Habsburg family – and the Vienna Operahouse, one of the most famous opera houses in the world. “Don’t miss out on the music!” says Polt. “Even if classical music is not your thing, do a backstage tour at the opera house.”
Highlighting the cultural calendar in Vienna in 2023 is ‘150 Years of the Vienna World’s Fair’. Attention will also be focused on Vienna’s food scene in 2023, as Café Landtmann, one of the best known of Vienna’s Ringstrasse cafés, is also celebrating its 150th birthday.
Vienna is also easy to get to for Canadian travellers, added Polt.
“Vienna is in the very heart of Europe. So you just fly Air Canada from Toronto directly to Vienna. And what I really love about the Vienna airport is that it’s small and it’s very manageable, and it only takes 16 minutes to go from VIE to the city with the City Airport Train.”
For more information about Vienna see wien.info.
