Austria Tourism Offers Influencers a Social-Media-Free Break

Just in time for the start of the summer season, Austrian Tourism has launched a campaign with well-known influencers from all over Europe. However, they were not hired for content production, as is usually the case. As part of the #iamAUT initiative, they indulged in a 'real' vacation without any social media obligations or content plan, handing over their accounts to 'normal' Austrians, dubbed AUTfluencers. The influencers aimed to set a good example for the initiative by putting their smartphones away while on vacation, inspiring others to do the same. 

German lifestyle influencer xLaeta kicked things off in June: she started in the city of Mozart Salzburg and used her offline time for a relaxing vacation - without a smartphone. Meanwhile, her account was taken over by AUTfluencer Lieselotte, who showed that food is central to the Austrian way of life. The Italian influencer Giulia Lamarca has already enjoyed an offline vacation in Schladming, while Polina Burashnikova from the Netherlands in Seefeld in Tyrol and Jitka Novackova from the Czech Republic at Lake Traunsee enjoyed a break from the duties of a social media personality. Meanwhile, their accounts were managed by locals who gave over 4.1 million followers authentic insights into everyday life and culture in Austria, giving the influencers real time to discover the Austrian way of life.

Offline vacation in Austria

"Our aim was to draw attention to the important issue of social media pressure. A lot of people find themselves overwhelmed and urgently need a break from it. At the same time, we wanted to showcase Austria's diverse regions as perfect hideaways for a time out. Our AUTfluencers have achieved this in an incredibly authentic and humorous way," says Sandra Stichauner, CMO of Austria Tourism. 

The success numbers on their own channels show that the initiative is very popular: 25 Mio Views and over 100 applications with more than 2.3 million followers from 15  countries. Christian Hellinger, creative director WIEN NORD Serviceplan, comments, "The #iamAUT initiative shows in a refreshing way how cooperation with influencers can be rethought in tourism. Is it possible to fully enjoy the Austrian Lebensgefühl if the unforgettable moments later have to be processed as content? In order to really take the  pressure off social media for the duration of the stay, the initiative simply outsources content generation - in an entertaining, authentic way that conveys more local charm than a conventional post ever could." 

How to apply for the AUTfluencer services 

Until the end of July, other influencers can apply for an offline vacation and to be represented by AUTfluencers during their social media time-out. All information about the initiative and insights is available here.