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Millions in aid: This is how the government supports small tourism businesses!
The government is planning three million euros to support SME transfers in tourism by 2027. Important information here.
Millions in aid: This is how the government supports small tourism businesses!
On June 3, 2025, the Austrian government announced aid packages for business transfers in the tourism sector, which include three million euros from federal and EU budgets by 2027. This initiative is aimed particularly at small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in communities with fewer than 30,000 inhabitants. This reported orf.at.
In this context, Tourism State Secretary Elisabeth Zehetner (ÖVP) spoke of the special importance of tourism businesses, which are considered the economic and social backbone in rural areas. They not only secure jobs, but also maintain local supplies and offer a gastronomic infrastructure.
Details about the help
A structured handover process should also create clarity, planning security and investment requirements. SMEs can be supported with a flat rate of up to 8,000 euros for individual business transfers. According to forecasts, there will be up to 8,000 handovers in this sector by 2029. Against this background, SME Research Austria expects around 7,900 business transfers in the accommodation and catering sector by 2029.
What is particularly noteworthy is that around 15 percent of all business transfers scheduled to take place in Austria by 2029 will be in the core tourism sectors of accommodation and catering. This figure underlines the urgency of support options for tourism SMEs. Such measures are available not only at the federal level, but also in the respective federal states.
Support offers
The support offers available to tourism SMEs include numerous initiatives from both the federal government and individual federal states:
- Bund: Bundesministerium für Wirtschaft, Energie und Tourismus, Österreichische Hotel- und Tourismusbank, und Economic Recovery Program Fonds.
- Burgenland: Wirtschaftsagentur Burgenland bietet Jungunternehmerförderung.
- Kärnten: Unterstützung durch die Wirtschaftskammer Kärnten und den Kärntner Wirtschaftsförderungs Fonds.
- Niederösterreich: Beteiligungen und Bürgschaften durch NÖ Bürgschaften und Beteiligungen GmbH.
- Oberösterreich: Gastro-Förderung durch das Land Oberösterreich.
- Salzburg: Förderung von Betriebsneugründungen und Übernahmen.
- Steiermark: Projektkostenzuschüsse aus dem steirischen Tourismusförderungsfonds.
- Tirol: Beratungsförderung für touristische Unternehmen.
- Vorarlberg: Verschiedene Fördermaßnahmen für Jungunternehmer.
- Wien: Gemeinsame Kreditaktion der Wirtschaftskammer Wien mit geförderten Krediten.
These distinctions show the broad support planned for business handovers in the tourism sector. Loud bmwet.gv.at Extensive information is available from the Austrian Chamber of Commerce and the Austrian Hotel Association to support SMEs during this transition.