Salzburg sets new standard for sustainable tourism with their Guest Mobility Ticket – the results speak for themselves on public transport!

Following a successful trial period in the tourist regions of Fuschl, Wagrain and Kleinarl, the Guest Mobility Ticket was introduced throughout the province of Salzburg on 1 May 2025. Now, for the first time, all overnight guests have access to a simple and convenient public transport ticket throughout their stay.

“The Guest Mobility Ticket is an important building block for sustainable mobility throughout the province of Salzburg. Thanks to its widespread use, emissions of almost 40,000 tonnes of CO₂e have already been avoided. These emissions would otherwise have been generated by more than 160 million kilometres travelled by car. This directly benefits our regions, with less traffic, cleaner air and an overall higher quality of life for the people of Salzburg,” says Johannes Gfrerer, Managing Director of Salzburger Verkehrsverbund GmbH.

How the Guest Mobility Ticket works

The Guest Mobility Ticket provides access to a comprehensive public transport network, including city and regional buses, suburban trains, regional and long-distance rail services and micro public transport operated by Salzburger Verkehrsverbund GmbH. Thanks to the pre-check-in option, overnight guests can use the ticket even before arrival for travel within the province of Salzburg. The ticket can also be easily issued at hotel reception. Guests receive it either as a PDF or in a digital wallet format, without the need to download an additional app, and it remains valid for the full duration of their stay.

Issuance is fully integrated into the digital guest registration system. Even accommodation providers without dedicated hotel software can generate tickets quickly and easily via an online platform. Seamless integration with the guest registration system is guaranteed at all times.

Already proven as a successful model for sustainable mobility in Salzburg

The Guest Mobility Ticket is financed by a dedicated mobility levy of €0.50 per night (from 1 May 2027: €1.10), which is paid by guests during their stay. By 15 February 2026, over 3.9 million tickets with a total of around 17.4 million days of validity had already been issued.

“The ticket represents an invaluable competitive advantage for tourism in the future. Salzburg has a unique selling point and is a role model for many other regions throughout Europe. Sustainability and environmentally friendly mobility are increasingly important factors in travel decisions. With this initiative, Salzburg has positioned itself as a pioneer in sustainable tourism. Guests can explore Salzburg in a stress-free, comfortable and environmentally friendly way while individual car journeys are increasingly being replaced by public transport. By earmarking the funds, guests and locals benefit from the mobility contribution, as it is used to significantly expand and improve public transport for all regions. The increased flexibility for guests also leads to greater use of leisure activities throughout the province and thus to added value in the regions,” says Stefan Schnöll, Deputy Governor.

The facts speak for themselves

Particularly high demand for tickets was recorded in August and February. These two peak months, with four million overnight stays each, account for around 28 per cent of all overnight stays in the province and underline the central role of the ticket in visitor mobility.

The survey, conducted between December 2025 and February 2026 with 6,530 data records, is the largest of its kind in Austrian tourism. The findings show that more than half of all visitors who have information about the Guest Mobility Ticket already travel by public transport. The ticket motivates 93 per cent of guests to take trips using local public transport and generates a calculated annual savings potential of 38,892 tonnes of CO₂e. The Guest Mobility Ticket is therefore an evidence-based tool for sustainable visitor management and probably one of the biggest measures with a direct climate impact and measurable effect on guest loyalty.

Positive feedback from the tourism industry

Yvonne Rosenstatter, head of Marketing & Communications at Salzburger Verkehrsverbund GmbH, states: “What started with some scepticism has quickly developed into a real success story. The Guest Mobility Ticket is now very well received by both hoteliers and guests. The straightforward ticket issuance and the diverse public transport options are a real plus for everyone who stays with us.”

‘Our guests are really enthusiastic about the Guest Mobility Ticket,’ says the Nocker-Schwarzenbacher family from the Brückenwirt in St. Johann im Pongau. ‘Many are really surprised at how much they can do with it. The wide range of services makes it easy for our guests to leave their cars behind and travel to their destinations in a relaxed manner by public transport.’