From Crisis to Comeback with Vienna Tourist Board

IN CONVERSATION WITH HANNA-SOPHIE TOTSCHNIG, SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER, VIENNA TOURIST BOARD AND SPEAKER AT CITYDNA AUTUMN CONFERENCE IN BRUGES: ‘LET PIGS FLY’

Written in collaboration between City Destinations Alliance and Group NAO.

When Taylor Swift abruptly cancelled a series of concerts in Vienna due to terror threats, it wasn’t just fans who felt the shock. The city was left to entertain thousands of aimless (and heartbroken) concert attendees. Evenings derailed, emotions high and media scrutiny ready to pounce… For the social media team of the Vienna Tourist Board, this really was a stress test in audience management. How do you channel disappointment into city discovery?

Vienna’s swift transformation of a potential PR disaster into a celebration of fan culture is a masterclass in destination crisis management. From Taylor- themed parties across town to the world premiere of “Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour” on Austrian TV, we sat down with Hanna-Sophie Totschnig, one of Vienna Tourist Board’s Social Media Managers, to explore how they tackled a crisis that demanded immediate action.

What do you think enabled such a resilient and effective response to the cancellations?

We had a strong relationship with the city’s stakeholders and partners. When the cancellations happened, we worked very closely with our stakeholders. It had a snowball effect – when one of our partners decided to start offering services, and for free, then others followed. They were key to having a resilient response.

We also managed to quickly share with our followers about how we were embracing the Swifties with lots of free activities to help them enjoy the weekend. It was interesting timing as this happened during holiday season, which meant many from senior management weren’t in the office. This actually gave us much more decision-making power as the CEO and management trusted us. And with trust, it’s much easier to run with things. We had to react fast, especially as things kept changing. When you see something with potential – just go for it. We knew that even if something went wrong, there would be support behind us. Being in an environment where you’re allowed to try and maybe fail is a great place to be. If you’re always afraid of making mistakes, it’s a lot harder to take immediate action and take risks.

What about the visitors, how did they react to your response?

The Swities reacted enthusiastically, they went into the streets and cultural landmarks of Vienna to explore its charm. They shared their experiences on social media, creating so many videos – not venting or criticising, but just expressing their gratitude. If it had been any other concert, it might not have been so uplifting… The Swifties are mostly young, cheering fans, which is quite an adaptable demographic. If it had been an angry fanbase… it might have been a different story!

The session at the CityDNA conference was called “When your destination hits the spotlight” – were there certain words you had to avoid in communications out of concern that it would blow up the spotlight?

We were given guidelines, mostly to focus on safety and reassurance. There weren’t specific words we couldn’t use, but we were careful to strike a balance so people felt secure without feeling overly cautious. That’s tricky to manage.

Was there a question you wish someone had asked?

No one asked if I’m a Swiftie! But seriously, I think every question was very legitimate. Terror threats are uncomfortable, but they’re part of the story. Fortunately, we got early assurance from the authorities that there was no further threat, so we could safely encourage people to go out and enjoy themselves.

Did you, if at all, collaborate with the artist in the centre of it all? Did you hope Taylor would make a statement?

Oh yes! After being so immersed in Swiftie content, I really wished she would have acknowledged her fans. Weeks later she did say something, but it felt a little underwhelming. Her fans were so committed, and a small acknowledgment would have meant a lot to them.

What would you say to another destination facing something similar?

The Swifties’ weekend in Vienna was memorable, maybe even more than the concert would have been. The city transformed, with the experience going all over different streets and lasting the whole weekend. For example, there’s this street in Vienna called Corneliusgasse where they transformed it into Cornelia Street, named after one of Taylor’s songs- there the Swifties exchanged and hung friendship bracelets on the branches of trees. Of course, each destination is different, but I’d suggest pushing to see if you can offer special events or experiences to make the most of the moment. Visitors end up having a very personal relationship with the city because they simply had to be in the city more – not just in the concert hall. As a result, they leave with positive memories and may even feel inspired to return for another visit in the future.