Salzburg plans mandatory digital guest registration

Salzburg plans to require hotels and other accommodation providers to register guests exclusively through a digital system, ORF reported. The state government expects the reform to reduce administrative work while providing real-time data to help manage visitor flows.

Tourism in the Salzburg state is on course for a record year, but the administrative workload for businesses and authorities is also increasing. At present, accommodation providers must submit three separate sets of information when guests arrive: registration details for the digital guest directory, overnight-stay tax data for the relevant municipality and the state tax office, and statistical data for the state statistics service. Much of this process is still handled manually.

Under the planned system, accommodation providers would enter each guest’s data only once. The information would then be sent automatically to the relevant authorities.

“It will reduce bureaucracy on both sides,” said Stefan Schnöll, the state’s tourism minister and deputy governor, who is a member of the ÖVP. He said the change would make processes more efficient for both tourism businesses and the state.

Christoph Brandstätter, the ÖVP deputy mayor of Salzburg city, said the system would also allow guests to complete check-in and receive their public transport tickets before arriving.

The state also wants to use the data to respond more quickly to developments and manage tourism flows, traffic, and arrivals and departures. Schnöll said this had previously been difficult because collecting and analysing the information took time.

The necessary amendment to the law is due to go out for consultation later this year and be passed by the state parliament. It is scheduled to enter into force in May 2027.