Interview: Mozart's hometown looking to expand its reach in China

The historical city of Salzburg in Austria's west has maintained its position as a major European tourist destination on the enduring strength of some of its main attractions, a tourism manager from the city claimed.

Klemens Kollenz, sales and marketing manager at Tourismus Salzburg GMBH, said in an interview two key attractions are responsible for the continued influxes of large numbers of visitors, including more and more from China.

The first is due to the town being the birthplace of world-famous composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, with his childhood home still featuring as a prominent attraction in the Old Town city center, and whose name is almost synonymous with the city.

The other is the enduring legacy of the 1965 film The Sound of Music, filmed in the city and surrounding area, that has brought generations of fans to see firsthand the landscape that provided the backdrop for the movie.

In addition, Kollenz said the picturesque nature of the city -- the Old Town that has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1997, the Hohensalzburg Castle, Mirabell Palace and gardens, cathedral, traditional lanes and public squares, as well as the lakes, forests, and mountains just outside the city -- remains a drawcard for visitors from far and wide.

Festivals are also an integral part of the attraction of the city, such as the annual Salzburg Festival, which includes renowned performers and brings in visitors from across the globe, and which will celebrate its 100th anniversary in 2020.

It is also no coincidence that the main tourist influx occurs in July and August, when the festival takes place, he added.

The tourism industry is vital to the local economy -- one in four people in the whole state is employed this way, Kollenz said.

It is thus imperative to continue to market the city abroad, he said, citing China as an example of where tourist numbers to the city have continued to climb.

He said overnight stays from Chinese visitors reached 105,000 in 2015, a huge 39 percent increase from a year earlier, and representing an upward trend observed since 2010. This now makes China the second-most important overseas market behind only the United States, he added.

Chinese guests are in particular drawn to the two main attractions of Mozart and The Sound of Music, he said. Chinese-speaking guides as well as Chinese audio guides in some of the city museums are targeted toward this part of the tourist demographic.

Efforts are also being made to promote the environmental aspects of the city to foreign guests, Kollenz said. Guests are able to enjoy the city, but also follow walking trails and can, in no time, be in the middle of "unspoiled nature," such as through forests or up mountains that offer views of the city.

In addition, special "Salzburg Card" tourist cards are available to purchase either online, at information kiosks, or in hotels, that include one, two and three day entrance passes to all attractions, museums, as well as the use of public transport.

Special attention will also again be given to Mozart this year as it coincides with the 260th anniversary of his birth. Kollenz said the jubilee will be given special public relations attention, particularly in markets where his name carries greater weight.

The brand "Mozart" does not, however, require modernization or modification to keep up with the times, Kollenz argued, saying the "spirit of Mozart" is what guests are looking for -- how he lived, how he worked -- so as to have a glimpse into the man behind the music.

The tourism body is, however, always keen on providing new experiences, he said, citing the new "Mozart in Residenz" that includes both a concert performance with history and facts concerning the famous composer.

Other options are a Mozart dinner concert at the St. Peter Stiftskeller, the oldest restaurant in Central Europe.

The other main attraction, the legacy surrounding The Sound of Music, has led to the creation of tours and routes that take visitors to the Leopoldskron and Hellbrunn palaces, the latter of which features the famous white gazebo from the film, as well as to alpine pastures, lakes, and mountains, and a trip to the church at the nearby Mondsee where the wedding scene from the film was shot.

Visitors can choose a number of ways to see these locations and other sights of the city, such as via bus, bicycle, on foot, or even via rickshaws. Kollenz noted that the Old Town part of the city is a pedestrian-only zone, enabling for walking tours of the area.

Concerning the promotion of the various attractions to visitors abroad, Kollenz said this requires a continued effort.

He said Tourismus Salzburg is currently planning an advertising campaign to begin at the end of March in the subway network of the Chinese capital Beijing, to promote the feel of the city.

Other channels for reaching Chinese consumers have been via social media including Weibo and Wechat.

The nature of Chinese visitors has also changed, he said. While it previously was far more centred around larger tour groups, and still involves this, nowadays more Chinese are choosing to visit the city in smaller groups -- individually, as couples, and as families.

This has led to a need for the creation of more tailor-made packages that provide individual options and itineraries.

In addition, while Chinese guests have been coming to the city for decades, promotional activities in China have primarily been centered on the metropolises of Beijing and Shanghai, in part due to budget constraints and a resulting need to focus on where the greatest apparent effect can be achieved.

The growing market has prompted the tourism office to look at other areas also, such as Guangzhou and Shenzhen in the nation's south and to further broaden promotions across the country over time.

Kollenz said their sphere of operation there is growing in tandem with the expanding Chinese tourist market. Endit