Vienna has record number of tourists in 2013

Tourists in the Austrian capital of Vienna experienced a record 12.7 million overnight stays in 2013, a 3.7-percent increase over 2012, the ORF reported Monday. A total of 82 percent of guests came from abroad, and the greatest increase in visitors came from Russia. Total revenues amounted to 550 million euros (753 million U.S. dollars) for hotels up to November. Hotel operators are however not entirely happy, as bed capacity has risen faster than the number of staying guests. By the end of 2013 there were 3,450 more beds available than at the same time in 2012, and with a bed occupancy rate of 54.7 percent last year compared to 2012's 56.7 percent. Director of Tourism Vienna Norbert Kettner said despite the hotel industry's discontent, he remained confident of the future and said in the past there had also been periods of high bed occupancy increases. He added he intended to stick to an international marketing strategy with sights particularly set on Asian tourists.