Lower Austria Card

St. Pölten (OTS) – At a press conference held at the House of Digitalization in Tulln, plans and special features for the 18th season of the Lower Austria Card were presented. Visually revamped, digitally advanced, and even more user-friendly, the card will be available in the 2023/24 season. With 16 new destinations, almost 350 excursions in and around Lower Austria are now possible.

The review of the past excursion season is also entirely positive. Around 150,000 customers used the card last season, 35 percent more than the previous year. The number of excursions undertaken also increased: last season saw an average of 6.72 excursions per card, representing an increase of over 10 percent. Michael Duscher, Managing Director of Lower Austria Tourism, emphasized: “The restart after the Corona pandemic has been a success – for the Lower Austria CARD, but also for tourism in Lower Austria in general. The Lower Austria CARD is one of the strongest tourism brands in the region, making a significant contribution to attracting new visitors to Lower Austria and retaining returning guests. Over one million excursions were undertaken with the CARD last season, and each one inspires people to come back or stay longer in Lower Austria. This supports our goal in the current tourism strategy: ‘From day trip to short break, from short break to main holiday.’”

From animal and nature parks, museums, and adventure parks to mountain railways, nature experiences, and wellness – the Lower Austria CARD offers a diverse and extensive range of activities, ensuring there is something exciting for all interests and age groups. The range of attractions offered by the new partners is also broad: from city walks and castles to regional museums, treetop adventure courses, Stone Age and Celtic villages, show gardens, museums, and adventure parks, Lower Austria, Vienna, and Styria have it all.

This year, the Lower Austria CARD serves as a gateway to exactly 548 destinations in Lower Austria and the neighboring federal states – the selection has never been so vast. The CARD pays for itself after just a few trips – theoretically, you could save around €3,500 if you visit all the destinations in one season.

This includes everything in Lower Austria, Vienna, and Styria. Raiffeisen Lower Austria-Vienna has supported the Lower Austria CARD from the very beginning as a shareholder and sales partner: “We are proud to have been a key part of this success story for 17 years now. The Lower Austria CARD offers the opportunity to get to know Lower Austria and Vienna a little better – and at an attractive price. Especially in times of high inflation, high energy prices, and rising living costs, the Lower Austria CARD provides added value for all cardholders – particularly for families who are especially affected by the current price increases,” said Reinhard Karl, Deputy General Manager of Raiffeisenlandesbank Lower Austria-Vienna.

The Lower Austria CARD's new look is also striking: Visually, the card appears younger, fresher, and more vibrant, thus targeting its specific audiences: excursion enthusiasts, adventurous families, and active, culturally interested seniors. The offerings will be further tailored to meet customer needs in the future. Klemens Wögerer, Managing Director of the Lower Austria CARD, presented his plans for the new season and explained: “In recent weeks and months, we have not only focused on developing an attractive portfolio of offers, but have also dedicated ourselves to understanding the wishes and needs of our customers. Online usage is constantly increasing, and our digitalization initiative is heading precisely in this direction. The CARD will become more personalized digitally, and the CARD community will grow even closer – keyword: user-generated content.”

Of course, the tried-and-tested, popular additional benefits will continue: With 27,900 Lower Austria CARDs sold in the run-up to Christmas alone, the “12+3 Months” Christmas promotion in 2022 was the most successful in the history of the Lower Austria CARD. The bonus points program in cooperation with Lower Austria's tavern culture will also continue in 2023/24:
This allows tavern patrons to collect points with their Lower Austria Card every time they spend at participating establishments and later redeem them for a tavern culture voucher.