Gulf Connections: The hills are alive with the sound of Arabic

Set in the Austrian Alps, the resort town of Zell Am See could have been plucked from The Sound of Music. Against a backdrop of snow-capped mountains, picturesque traditional buildings lead down to the clear blue waters of Lake Zell.

In winter it attracts skiers from all over the world. In summer, bringing in the visitors needs a different approach. And that’s when, more than 20 years ago, the Zell Am See tourist board hit upon a brilliant idea.

Placing adverts in GCC countries, from Kuwait to Oman, the region soon began attracting Arab visitors in their tens of thousands, anxious to escape the punishing heat of an Arabian Gulf summer for the cool of the Alps.

Rainy attraction

The campaign succeeded beyond anyone’s wildest dreams. Even cloudy weather and rain was an additional attraction. In 2006, the head of the local tourist board, Hans Wallner, speculated that “for Arab tourists, I guess that water in various kinds – frozen as snow at the Kitzsteinhorn glacier and the high-quality water in Lake Zell are the main attractions”.

By then, Arab visitors to the area represented about 10 per cent of the total − about 80,000 tourists. Two years later, it was 15 per cent and by 2013, over a third. They also spent, on average, €490 a day, compared with €160 a day by European tourists.

Before the pandemic hit in 2020, it was estimated around 350,000 visitors from GCC countries were visiting Zell Am See during July and August. Post-covid anecdotal evidence suggests the area is as busy as ever.

Arab Muslim visitors enjoy walking trails, boat trips and the chance to experience real snow by taking the mountain lifts, and local businesses have been quick to respond to their needs. Hotels cleared out the mini bar to offer alcohol-free rooms, while restaurants such as Ali Baba, Shiraz and Al Khalij offer Arab menus that are halal.

Several shops also began offering products that appealed directly to Arab tastes. The Aydin Supermarket sells sweet treats like dates, halva and mamoul, along with spices, hummus and “a wide selection of halal food”. More than a dozen stores and grocers in the town and in neighbouring Kaprun now cater for tourists from the Middle East.

'Tourism apartheid'

Success also brings problems, though. Far-right political movements began to stir again in Austria, prompted in part by refugees from Iraq and Syria’s civil wars. There were mutterings that Zell Am See was losing its Austrian character amid the huge number of Arab visitors.

In 2014, the regional authorities, including the police and tourist board, issued a well-intentioned but heavy-handed booklet intended to help Middle East tourists better integrate with Austrian culture. Visitors were asked not eat meals on the floor, not haggle in shops and make sure their children wore car seatbelts.

Most controversial it attempted to address women’s clothing, saying: “ In our culture, we are accustomed to looking into the smiling face of the person opposite us in order to gain a first impression and build mutual trust.

"It would be a great pleasure for us if you could join us in celebrating the uniquely joyful Austrian mentality and show your colourful scarves and dress and, in this way, show us your smile.”

Described by one newspaper as “tourism apartheid”, it was withdrawn after only a few weeks, with officials admitting "unfortunately, certain passages led to misunderstandings”.

More seriously, in 2017, the country passed a law banning full face coverings such as the burqa and niqab in public places. Aimed at conservative Muslim women, the law could not single them out specifically to avoid discrimination.

Enforcement soon descended into chaos. Fines or warnings were issued to costumed mascots including a man dressed as shark promoting an electronics store, skiers and cyclists with scarves wrapped around their faces as protection against pollution.

For Zell Am See and its Arab visitors the implications of the new law were potentially more serious. Fortunately for all, it appears the resort is quietly ignoring the rules; pragmatism outweighing politics.

As Monika Oberschneider, who works in a sports shop renting snow boots to ill-prepared Gulf visitors, told an Austrian TV station last year: “Every guest who comes pays our wages.”