COVID-19 Testing in the Tourism Industry

Earlier this year, Austria became one of the first countries to implement nationwide COVID-19 testing for travel and tourism industry employees. The first phase of testing began in designated trial regions on 29th May, scaling up to the goal of regular tests for 65,000 sector employees by July 2020. More than 230,000 tests have been carried out to date. For the winter season, the testing will be expanded to include catering service employees, ski instructors and tourist guides.

Participating service providers received clearly visible labelling to indicate that all employees are provided with regular tests. The costs of testing are covered by the federal government and are part of a broader screening strategy.