Government faces allegations of promoting "rainbow propaganda" by FPÖ
In a recent development, the Federal People's Party (FPÖ) spokesman for tourism, Christoph Steiner, has voiced his disapproval over the advertising campaigns of Austria Werbung, the Austrian tourism marketing organisation.
Steiner has taken issue with the organisation's decision to present traditional institutions like the Vienna Volksoper as a "queer stage" in their advertising. He criticises this move not as tourism advertising but as "pure ideology at the expense of taxpayers."
Austria Werbung, an institution that receives millions from the state budget annually, is under scrutiny for moving away from its legal mandate. The organisation is tasked with presenting Austria as an attractive tourist destination and promoting a positive image. However, Steiner questions whether the organisation is using public funds to strengthen Austria's tourism or to pursue the political agendas of individual actors.
The responsible ministry for Austria Werbung is the Federal Ministry for Economy, Energy and Tourism (Bundesministerium für Wirtschaft, Energie und Tourismus), headquartered in Vienna. Key persons listed within the ministry include Dr. Wolfgang Hattmannsdorfer and several directors and senior officials such as Alexandra Perl and Sabine Hochrieser.
Steiner has announced that he will directly confront the responsible persons in the competent ministry. He emphasizes that Austria should not send the message of promoting fetish videos and drag queens over traditional tourist attractions to the world. He warns of negative consequences: filling tourism channels with fetish videos and drag queens instead of promoting lakes, mountains, cities, and culture could deter guests rather than attract them.
An example provided by Steiner of content that does not promote Austria as a holiday destination is a video about a small Pride event featuring a man in fetish attire. He also criticises the use of drag queens as moderators or tour guides in advertising content, sometimes in connection with cultural offerings unrelated to LGBTQ themes.
The FPÖ's tourism spokesman and chairman of the tourism committee in the National Council, Christoph Steiner, has expressed sharp criticism of Austria's advertising. He objects to the use of drag queens in Austria Werbung's advertising content, stating that it is not in line with the organisation's legal mandate and could potentially harm Austria's tourism industry.
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