The Viennese authorities are giving away vouchers to treat city residents to a night out after their lockdown ordeal, and to help boost local bars and restaurants.
Vienna has reportedly allocated 40 million EUR (36 million GBP) for the imitative.
Mayor Michael Ludwig of the Social Democratic Party of Austria (SPO) said it was a priority that now the lockdown had lifted the economy also needed to be restarted. With tourists still not able to return, he unveiled the plan to give vouchers to spend in restaurants and bars to everyone in the Austrian capital.
The photo shows the mayor (centre) promoting the voucher scheme with Walter Ruck from the Vienna Chamber of Commerce and Vienna finance chief Peter Hanke.
Viennese residents living alone will receive 25 EUR (22 GBP) in booze credits while multi-person households can spend 50 EUR (44 GBP) in the bar or restaurant of their choosing, according to local media.
The vouchers will be available to residents from mid-June 2020 and the giveaway will last until the end of September.
Local media said that the vouchers can be used in a total of 9,000 Viennese coffeehouses, bars and restaurants.
Restaurant and pub owners are then able to exchange the vouchers for cash.
The mayor said: “This will ensure that there will be a swing. As long as the tourists are absent, the Viennese restaurateurs still need to be supported.”
The voucher scheme follows moves by the federal government to help restaurants by cutting taxes like VAT on non-alcoholic drinks and placing a special levy on sparkling wines.
The bar-restaurant industry in Vienna is reportedly one of the local economy’s worst-hit sectors as the COVID-19 lockdown has led to a complete absence of tourism.
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Story By: Lee Bullen, Sub-Editor: Michael Leidig, Agency: Central European News
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