Austrian Tourism Makes Tourists Sign an NDA

As concentrated tourist masses become a growing issue worldwide, Austria is the first country to ask its future guests to sign an NDA, prohibiting them from talking about their vacation. In doing so, Austria aims to protect its hidden gems from becoming overhyped and overcrowded, while also making a statement for a balanced form of tourism. Launched by Austria Tourism together with Wien Nord Serviceplan, the campaign gives those who signed access to exclusive insider tips from real Austrians - redirecting visitors away from hotspots and dispersing tourist flows during the busy winter season.

In an era where special places are widely shared and massively hyped on social media, hidden gems quickly become overcrowded hotspots. Unbalanced tourism has become such a heated issue worldwide that places like Barcelona, or Venice discuss tourist restrictions. Austria goes another way by promoting a new balanced form of tourism. That’s why Austria Tourism launches a new campaign called NON-DISCLOSURE AUSTRIA, where it asks tourists to sign an NDA.

The campaign kicked off with social media clips teasing authentic insider tips from real Austrians - while pixelating and bleeping all the crucial details. It’s a tourism campaign that deliberately withholds the beauty of the country. The result: pure FOMO. Viewers saw just enough to crave what they couldn’t have. The only way to unlock these, along with more than 120 curated tips - from uncrowded slopes and panoramic spots to lesser-known wellness retreats and local huts - is to visit non-disclosure-austria.at and sign an NDA.

The NDA, available to sign directly on the website non-disclosure-austria.at, is not legally binding, not enforceable, and intentionally humorous. Its only 'obligation' is a moral one: visitors are asked not to talk about or share on social media any insider tips they encounter on the website or discover in person during their winter vacation in Austria.

The idea is based on a simple insight: Austrians love to share their favourite insider tips with the world; they just can’t keep them to themselves:

“Today, travellers are looking for authentic experiences that go beyond the usual bucket lists. Austrians love to share their favourite places, but some of these secrets are just too good to give away publicly,” says Astrid Steharnig-Staudinger, CEO of Austria Tourism. “With this creative approach, we want to showcase Austria's lesser-known attractions in a humorous way and help disperse visitor flows”, adds Astrid.

“Stuff like this only works with a brave client like ours. Think about it: who would let people sign an NDA just to look at an advertisement - especially in this day and age? But it makes so much sense: an experience gets so much more special when you are not allowed to talk about it. And we implement that on the level of a whole country,” say Axel Spendlingwimmer and Michael Maier, the creative duo behind the case.

​Matthias Piskernik, CCO of Wien Nord Serviceplan adds, “It’s about letting people in on a secret while keeping the places special. It’s an insider club for those in the know - and in the end for everybody that commits to keeping a secret.”

The campaign launched in key European markets - Germany, the Netherlands, and Denmark - and is accessible worldwide. The online campaign is accompanied by influencer activations together with social media agency Tacsy. In the German market a large-format billboard in Cologne features a spectacular pixelated Austrian winter insider tip and a giant QR code that leads to the NDA.