Austria and Trip.com Sign New Deal at ITB Berlin — Global Push Starts Now

Quick Summary

Austria Tourism Board and Trip.com Group announced a strengthened global travel partnership at ITB Berlin 2026

The collaboration targets international travellers across Asia and Europe through Trip.com's digital ecosystem of flights, hotels, attractions, and transport

Austria Tourism CEO Astrid Steharnig-Staudinger and Trip.com VP Edison Chen spoke jointly at ITB Berlin about the growing role of national tourism boards and digital platforms working together

Austria is being promoted as a year-round destination — combining Vienna, Salzburg, the Alps, gastronomy, culture, and wellness tourism

Austria Tourism and Trip.com Deepen Global Partnership at ITB Berlin 2026

The Austria Tourism Board and Trip.com Group have strengthened their global travel partnership at ITB Berlin 2026, one of the world's most significant travel industry gatherings. Austria Tourism Board CEO Astrid Steharnig-Staudinger and Trip.com Group Vice President of Marketing Edison Chen spoke to media at the Berlin event, outlining how the deepened collaboration will use digital platforms and data-driven marketing to connect millions of international travellers with Austria's full range of experiences. The partnership is designed to accelerate Austria's positioning as a year-round European destination across key markets in Asia and Europe.

What the Partnership Involves

Trip.com Group is one of the world's leading online travel service providers, operating a global digital ecosystem that links travellers with flights, accommodation, attractions, and transportation.

By deepening its collaboration with the Austria Tourism Board, Trip.com gains a premium European destination partner to promote through its digital channels. Austria, in turn, gains direct access to Trip.com's vast international user base — particularly across Asian markets where digital travel platform usage is high.

Speaking at ITB Berlin, Edison Chen outlined Trip.com Group's role in the partnership:

"Through strategic collaborations with tourism boards and travel partners, Trip.com Group enables destinations to showcase their offerings to travellers across key markets, particularly in Asia and Europe."

The platform's ability to combine technology, data insights, and global distribution means Austria's tourism offerings can be presented to the right traveller audience at the right moment in the booking journey — moving users from discovery and inspiration through to confirmed bookings.

Austria's Year-Round Strategy at the Centre of the Deal

For the Austria Tourism Board, the Trip.com partnership directly serves a broader strategic goal: positioning Austria as a compelling travel destination in every season, not just peak winter ski periods.

Astrid Steharnig-Staudinger explained how global digital partnerships fit into Austria Tourism's core mission:

"Working with global travel platforms such as Trip.com Group allows Austria Tourism to reach millions of international travellers through digital channels while promoting diverse travel experiences across the country."

Austria's appeal spans a wide range of traveller profiles. The country offers historic cities — including Vienna and Salzburg — classical music heritage, Alpine skiing and hiking, wellness tourism, gastronomy, and a dense calendar of cultural festivals spread across all four seasons.

The Austria Tourism Board has been specifically focused on encouraging visitors to explore travel beyond peak winter periods, highlighting spring, summer, and autumn experiences that many international travellers have yet to discover.

ITB Berlin: Where Tourism's Most Important Deals Get Made

ITB Berlin remains the single most important annual gathering point for the global tourism industry. Destinations, airlines, travel technology companies, and hospitality groups converge at the event to form partnerships, share data on evolving traveller behaviour, and align on forward-looking marketing strategies.

For both Austria Tourism and Trip.com Group, the event provided a high-visibility platform to formalise and publicise their collaboration in front of an industry audience.

The Austria-Trip.com partnership is one example of a broader industry trend that the discussions at ITB Berlin 2026 highlighted: national tourism organisations across the world are increasingly relying on digital travel platforms to extend their marketing reach, particularly into markets where traditional advertising channels have less penetration.

Key Facts: Austria Tourism and Trip.com Partnership

Announced: ITB Berlin 2026
Austria Tourism Board CEO: Astrid Steharnig-Staudinger
Trip.com Group VP Marketing: Edison Chen
Platform: Trip.com Group — flights, accommodation, attractions, and transportation via digital ecosystem
Target markets: Asia and Europe (key growth markets for Austria)
Austria's strategic goal: Year-round destination positioning — culture, nature, gastronomy, Alpine experiences
Key Austrian destinations promoted: Vienna, Salzburg, Austrian Alps
Partnership mechanism: Technology, data insights, and global distribution to convert traveller interest into bookings

What This Means for Travelers

For international travellers — particularly those based in Asia browsing Trip.com's platform — the practical effect of this partnership is greater visibility of Austrian travel options within their existing digital booking environment.

Austria's destinations and experiences will increasingly appear within Trip.com's recommendation and search results, making it easier for travellers who might not have previously considered Austria to encounter it during their planning process.

For travellers already considering Austria, the partnership means more bundled booking options — flights, hotels, and experiences available together — through a single platform.

Key Austria travel highlights the partnership promotes:

Vienna — imperial heritage, classical music, coffee house culture
Salzburg — Mozart birthplace, UNESCO old town, Salzburg Festival
Austrian Alps — skiing, hiking, wellness, and outdoor adventure year-round
Austrian gastronomy — regional cuisine, Wachau wines, Viennese café culture
Cultural festivals spanning every season

Austria and Trip.com Set to Reach Millions of New Travellers

The partnership between Austria Tourism Board and Trip.com Group reflects a fundamental shift in how destinations compete for international visitors — less through traditional advertising and more through the digital ecosystems where travellers already spend time planning and booking travel. With Trip.com Group's global reach and Austria Tourism's year-round destination strategy now aligned, the collaboration positions Austria to reach a measurably larger audience of potential international visitors in 2026 and beyond.

Frequently Asked Questions

What was announced at ITB Berlin 2026 regarding Austria and Trip.com? At ITB Berlin 2026, Austria Tourism Board CEO Astrid Steharnig-Staudinger and Trip.com Group Vice President Edison Chen announced a strengthened global travel partnership. The collaboration uses Trip.com's digital platform — covering flights, accommodation, attractions, and transportation — to connect millions of international travellers with Austria's tourism experiences, particularly across Asian and European markets.

What is Trip.com Group and how does it work with tourism boards? Trip.com Group is one of the world's leading online travel service providers, operating a global digital ecosystem for booking flights, hotels, attractions, and ground transport. It works with national tourism boards and travel partners to help destinations increase their visibility among international travellers, using technology, data insights, and global distribution to convert traveller interest into confirmed bookings.

Why is Austria Tourism focusing on year-round travel promotion? The Austria Tourism Board has been actively working to shift the perception of Austria beyond peak winter ski tourism. The country offers compelling experiences across all seasons: classical music festivals and outdoor hiking in summer, autumn wine festivals, and winter Alpine sports and cultural events like Vienna's ball season. Year-round positioning allows Austria to attract a broader and more diverse international visitor base.

What Austrian destinations are being promoted through the Trip.com partnership? The partnership promotes Austria's full range of destinations and experiences, including Vienna (imperial heritage, classical music, coffee house culture), Salzburg (Mozart's birthplace, UNESCO World Heritage old town, Salzburg Festival), the Austrian Alps (skiing, hiking, wellness), and the country's gastronomy and cultural festivals throughout the year.