“Vienna is like a gift that you have to unwrap”

Interview with Barbara Cacao

Barbara Cacao runs the online tourism platform Vienna Unwrapped. She offers personalized travel plans for Vienna tourists. In an interview with FashionTouri, she talks about current developments in tourism, among other things. 

Those who want to discover Vienna in a short time, apart from the usual tourist paths, will be in good hands with Barbara Cacao. On her website Vienna Unwrapped: English version of the website: www.vienna-unwrapped.com tourists will find sufficient information about how to make the most of their short stay in Vienna. In addition, Barbara Cacao also offers detailed plans on how to spend your fun-filled days in the Austrian capital.

How Vienna Unwrapped was created

Although Barbara Cacao lives in London, she was born in Austria and knows Vienna very well. Originally, she studied journalism and romance languages and literature and completed a post-graduate course in economics. Eventually, she decided to become self-employed and founded Vienna Unwrapped. Barbara Cacao combines her passion for the city of Vienna and her knowledge in the field of digital content creation. “The name Vienna Unwrapped comes from the fact that Vienna is sometimes like a gift that you have to unwrap," she explains. 

Services at Vienna Unwrapped

According to Barbara Cacao, her website functions as a kind of "self-service buffet". Those interested in a trip to Vienna can obtain information in advance about hotels, sights and restaurants, among many other things. The service of individually tailored travel plans is the premium function of Vienna Unwrapped. For a fee, tourists receive a detailed plan for the duration of their stay in Vienna. Most tourists stay three to four days in the city. Especially guests from overseas or Great Britain ask for tailor-made concepts, as they usually visit other cities in Europe and therefore do not spend much time in Vienna, but want to experience as much as possible.

Authenticity and experiences in tourism

Barbara Cacao has been working in the tourism industry for a long time and has noticed some new developments in recent years. "Tourists want more authenticity. They want more than just to scratch the surface of a destination," she says. Insider tips are increasingly in demand. Experience tourism is another important buzzword. "People want to experience something special that they will remember," explains Barbara Cacao. Cooking courses for Viennese cuisine or excursions around Vienna are well received by guests. "It is precisely this need for real experiences on a city trip that FashionTouri also appeals to. This includes discovering a traditional glove shop as well as next-generation loden jackets. I don't even want to know how often I have already passed by authentic finds during city trips!", she emphasizes.

New findings from the Corona-Crisis

The COVID-19 crisis and the associated travel restrictions severely slowed down the entire tourism sector. Vienna Unwrapped conducted a survey among newsletter subscribers (132 respondents) to better assess the expectations of potential visitors to Vienna. About two thirds of the respondents (62%) said they would postpone a trip to Vienna until next year. "I sense a great deal of uncertainty among my customers," she observes. In her estimation, it takes at least two seasons in tourism to get back to the level before the Corona-crisis. In the future, tourists will experience and design their trips more consciously. "The desire for information is growing all the time," says Barbara Cacao. 

Further developments in tourism continue to depend on the worldwide course of the Corona virus pandemic. When travel, without restrictions, is possible again, most people will eagerly pack their suitcases and take off to a new destination!

By Paloma Pöltinger, editorial staff FashionTouri