Tourism law
Tourism law in Austria

Tourism law. Where the business, the guest and public rules meet.

Accommodation, package travel, levies, letting and liability interact in day-to-day tourism. This portal structures the issue and guides you to focused topics, interactive checks and practical checklists.

BRANDAUER Rechtsanwälte
Contact person

Mag. Bernhard Brandauer, Austrian attorney-at-law

BRANDAUER Rechtsanwälte

Mag. Bernhard Brandauer assists with the legal assessment of tourism contracts, operating issues, levies and liability matters.

AT
federal and regional rules
B2B/B2C
business and guest
3
languages
Approach

From the specific issue to the right legal review path.

Tourism law spans contract law, trade regulation, levies, reporting duties and liability. The first questions are which service was offered, who contracted with whom and where the business or accommodation is located.

01

Identify the service and role

Accommodation, brokerage, package travel, hospitality and simple letting may follow different rules. Advertising, the booking process and actual performance need to match.

02

Preserve records and events

Booking confirmation, service description, terms, guest correspondence, registration data, photographs and official correspondence provide the basis for a reliable assessment.

03

Consider province and municipality

Tourism levies, local taxes, planning rules and use restrictions may vary by region. Location and the actual operating model should therefore be clarified early.

Begin with the service and the event in question. The topic pages explain the connections, the checks structure the key distinctions and the checklists help prepare documents and next steps.

Accommodation check

Accommodation check

Structure questions on accommodation and guest admission.

Legal context

Tourism law connects the business with several areas of law.

An accommodation provider, organiser, hospitality business or landlord can rarely rely on a single statute. Contract and service description, trade authorisation, location, levies, guest registration, liability and consumer protection may all be relevant at the same time. Tourismus-recht.at is the multilingual specialist portal of BRANDAUER Rechtsanwälte. It helps businesses, guests and contracting parties structure the facts, identify relevant records and prepare a focused legal review.

FAQ

Common questions about tourism law

When is an accommodation contract formed? +
The offer and acceptance in the actual booking process are decisive. The enquiry, confirmation, platform process, price, period and scope of services need to be considered together. Cancellation terms and standard terms must also be placed in the context of the contract formation.
When does a booking qualify as a package? +
The key question is whether at least two different types of travel service are combined for the same trip in a legally relevant way. Labels and invoice format alone are not decisive. The booking process, selection, pricing and businesses involved need to be examined.
Who has to account for a local or tourism levy? +
This depends on the law of the relevant province and municipality as well as the type of accommodation, operating model and status of the guest. Location, assessment notices, registration processes and possible exemptions should be clarified before calculating an amount.
What matters after a guest suffers loss or damage? +
Record the place, time, sequence, people involved and condition of the relevant property or facility. The booking, house rules, photographs, witnesses, invoices and insurance material help assess contract, safety duties, contribution and loss.
Can a home be let to guests on a short-term basis? +
The answer is not determined by tenancy or ownership law alone. Planning designation, building use, trade law, condominium documents and local rules may all be relevant. The specific location and actual pattern of use are central.
Which records help with an initial legal assessment? +
Useful material includes booking and contract records, terms, service descriptions, invoices, correspondence, official decisions, location details and a short chronology. Photographs, witness details and insurance records should be added where an incident occurred.

Discuss a tourism-law matter

Briefly describe the business, location, parties and issue. We will discuss which documents and next review step may be useful.

Contact

Clarify a tourism-law question

Address

BRANDAUER Rechtsanwälte GmbH Giselakai 51 5020 Salzburg