Background information

When the Austrian government ordered the temporary closure of accommodations (hostels, hotels, b&b etc.) as one public health measure to combat the Corona virus, this website was set up. Its aim is to match open hotels with companies providing essential services, who are looking for temporary accomodation for workers in essential service. e.g. for caregivers, food retailers, mechanics and aid workers.

It is available for all 9 Austrian regions. For establishments in the regions of Salzburg, Carinthia and Vorarlberg special exceptions are required, as all touristic establishments have been locked between 16 March 2020 and 13 April 2020, in the first place.

Content of measure

Businesses in accomodation services can register on openhotels.at and companies can then look for open accomodation for essential workers in their regions. It has been set up by the section on hotel businesses of the Federal Economic Chamber (WKO). Establishments can register on the platform, once they have been issued such an exception. Sanctions for keeping the establishments open and non-compliance with the regulation amount to €1,450 or alternatively imprisonment of up to four weeks.

Establishments can register on the platform, once they have been issued such an exception. Sanctions for keeping the establishments open and non-compliance with the regulation amount to €1,450 or alternatively imprisonment of up to four weeks.

Use of measure

n.a.

Target groups

Workers	Businesses	Citizens
Particular professions Seasonal workers Posted workers	Does not apply to businesses	Does not apply to citizens

Actors and funding

Actors	Funding
Employers' organisations	Employers organisation

Social partners

Social partners' role in designing the measure and form of involvement:

	Trade unions	Employers' organisations
Role	No involvement	Agreed (outcome) incl. social partner initiative
Form	Not applicable	N/A

Social partners' role in the implementation, monitoring and assessment phase:

• Only employers' organisations
• Main level of involvement: Sectoral or branch level

Involvement

N/A

Views and reactions

The platform is a unilateral initiative of the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber (WKO), industry section for hotels, an employers' organisation.

Sectors and occupations

This case is not occupation-specific.

Sources

• 27 March 2020: Platform openhotels.at (openhotels.at)
• 30 March 2020: Package of measures for tourism (Maßnahmenpaket für den Tourismus) (www.bmlrt.gv.at)
• 31 March 2020: Neue Matching-Plattform hilft bei der Suche nach geöffneten Hotels in Österreich (www.wko.at)