{"id":106843,"date":"2026-05-23T14:29:02","date_gmt":"2026-05-23T19:29:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\/chicago\/?p=106843"},"modified":"2026-05-26T16:40:39","modified_gmt":"2026-05-26T21:40:39","slug":"what-the-numbers-say-how-family-friendly-is-vienna","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\/chicago\/what-the-numbers-say-how-family-friendly-is-vienna\/","title":{"rendered":"What the numbers say: How family-friendly is Vienna?"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Mallory Evans<\/strong>
\nMedill Reports<\/em><\/p>\n

VIENNA\u00a0\u2014\u00a0In the bustling heart of Vienna, the streets outside of\u00a0St. Stephen\u2019s Cathedral\u00a0are filled with locals and tourists alike.\u00a0At a glance, the\u00a0abundance of families\u00a0with children of all ages\u00a0suggests\u00a0the city\u00a0is\u00a0a\u00a0popular\u00a0destination\u00a0for family travel.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

However, in Salzburg, another historic Austrian city, families stay nearly double the length of time they do in Vienna.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Throughout 2025,\u00a0Vienna\u00a0recorded a\u00a0lower average length of stay at accommodations\u00a0for children \u2013\u00a0lodgings and hotels with child-friendly amenities \u2013 than in Salzburg. According to a 2025\u00a0<\/span>Statistics Austria<\/span><\/a>\u00a0dataset titled \u201cArrivals and nights spent in Austria \u2013 by type of accommodation,\u201d\u00a0Salzburg recorded\u00a0nearly two\u00a0additional\u00a0nights spent in the city\u00a0per month\u00a0for families traveling with children,\u00a0compared\u00a0with\u00a0Vienna.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Although\u00a0data\u00a0shows\u00a0families on average stay longer in Salzburg, Viennese residents and hotel managers alike describe their homeland as an exceptionally inviting city.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Vienna
St. Stephen\u2019s Cathedral and Hotel Royal in Vienna. (Mallory Evans\/MEDILL<\/em>)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Vienna experienced more than 20 million overnight stays in 2025, a new record for the city, according to Susanna Burger, content manager for music, stage shows and families at the Vienna Tourist Board. She said the increase in tourism didn\u2019t come as a big surprise, and that each year since the COVID-19 pandemic, Vienna has seen a steady increase in visitation.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe don\u2019t want to be a cheap city; we have what we offer in very high quality, and all of our marketing activities show this: that we are a premium destination,\u201d Burger said.<\/p>\n

Burger authors the \u201cFor Families\u201d page on the Vienna Info website, which outlines seasonal highlights, kids guides and travel advice for families visiting the city. She also said the Austrian age limit for adulthood is typically 18 years old.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen it comes to museums as well as music, these (are) very popular for families with children,\u201d Burger said.<\/p>\n

Some of the most popular outings in Vienna for families with children are to the Haus des Meeres aquarium, Prater Amusement Park, Sch\u04e7nbrunn Zoo, the Sisi Museum and Christmas markets, Burger said.<\/p>\n

\u201cChildren sometimes need a little bit of air and sports and movement, and that\u2019s easier in warmer months,\u201d Burger said. \u201cIt\u2019s very nice to come in spring, summer and autumn because of the weather for more outdoor activities.\u201d<\/p>\n

2025 was the first time more than 1 million American guest arrivals to Austria were recorded in a single year, according to Sigrid Pichler, manager of media relations at Austria Tourist Office, who called it a \u201cstrong year-end performance.\u201d<\/p>\n

It reinforced \u201cthe United States as Austria\u2019s most important overseas market and one of its fastest growing,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Below is an interactive line graph depicting the average length of stay at accommodations for children in Austria, Salzburg and Vienna during January to December 2025. Despite Austria\u2019s steady growth for overnight stays each year, Vienna sees an average stay total of 2.3 nights. Even though Salzburg does experience fluctuation, the city documented a higher average stay total than Vienna for all of 2025.<\/p>\n

Graphic<\/a><\/div>\n