In the introduction, President Neumeister introduced participants to the association’s future program and ABTA’s new website. At the same time, he invited the members present to actively help shape the program.
In doing so, he asked to intensify the exchange of experiences and cooperation between companies and service providers in the new specialized committees. “I am convinced that the future of the association lies in the search for joint partnership solutions between companies and suppliers,” Neumeister emphasized.
Four tracks between Salzburg and Vienna
The first item on the agenda of the evening was the presentation of the new Köstendorf-Salzburg line planned by DI Alexander Öppinger (responsible for managing the Salzburg / Upper Austria axes at ÖBB-Infrastruktur AG). The project is currently in the “deep” planning phase. The start of the works is possible from 2026, the commissioning is scheduled for 2040.
In some areas of the western route, the extension to four tracks is already complete, for example between Vienna and Linz. Öppinger pointed out that the journey time here has already been significantly reduced, so that the train is already faster than the car.
Travel time is reduced by seven minutes
The long-term goal of the planned new Köstendorf-Salzburg line is to create more space and thus a better offer for passenger and freight traffic and to reduce the travel time between Salzburg and Vienna to 2 hours and 15 minutes. It’s now seven minutes longer.
The length of the new line is 21.3 kilometers. Of these, 16.5 kilometers pass through the Flachgau tunnel. The connection is made with the existing line in Köstendorf and Kasern. The expansion will not only have positive effects on long-distance traffic. By disaggregating long-distance, local and freight traffic, a huge improvement in S-Bahn traffic in the northeast of Salzburg is possible.
New concept of gastronomy at Salzburg Airport
Janine Kranz presented the new airport catering concept. The time of the pandemic was used for renovations to make time at the airport more enjoyable for guests. In the new “Relay Shop” you can now buy magazines, books and other things you need to travel, even lottery tickets.
A small café is also integrated into the shop. The “Marktcafé” has been extended by 60 seats. It is now after the security area. A small but refined business lounge with 25 seats and a splendid view of the square offers breakfast from 9:00 and lunch from 11:00. The opening hours depend largely on the flight time.
If required, the lounge can be expanded to include the VIP lounge with 20 seats. The roof terrace with the “Das Wolfgang” lounge has also been extended. It has a bar and a grill station and can now also be used indoors for meetings.
Current trends in business travel
Finally, Roman Neumeister asked Peter Tolinger (AX-Travel Management GmbH) about current trends in business travel and the effects of the crown crisis in his company in the form of a casual interview. To the personal question how often he had flown this year, Tolinger replied: “Too few, only nine routes. With different conditions: from the mask at the airport to the absence of restrictive measures”.
When asked how his company overcame the crisis: after the initial shock phase (lockdown), he gradually began to work constructively. There has been a general rethinking. It has been noted that it is more important to stay with the customer and “serve” him rather than to position oneself as a simple intermediary for transport services.
70 to 80 percent of 2019 levels
About one third of the 330 employees were lost in the pandemic. Since July 2022, however, 25 new employees have been hired. The travel question has returned. When it comes to business travel, however, Tolinger has remained rather cautious with his assessment. Personally, he thinks a 70 to 80 percent question for 2019 is more realistic than the more positive results from many studies.
“We need to recover, but we suffer from poor planning. The volume is there, but the requests to the travel agency have changed, “explained Tolinger, citing as an example a huge number of requests for booking changes and above all refunds.” Refunds have become a science. It was once a by-product. “says Tolinger.
The need for TMC is still great
Many lessons have been learned from this situation and business models must therefore be changed. When asked about the great importance of TMCs, which Neumeister sees as a fact, Tolinger replied: “Despite many direct bookings, the need for TMC is still great. Its role, however, differs significantly from the previous one. TMCs need to recognize what they should do and transform from intermediaries to service providers and consultants. “
Acceptance by Austrian companies is very slow, Tolinger noted, citing extreme cost pressure, content (as a buyer, what content do I see in which distribution channel), the growing importance of travel expenses, the safety, environmental social governance (ESG) as reasons and many employees who no longer want to travel. (red)
