Discover Your Danube: Austria, Germany and Hungary Launch a Joint International Tourism Brand

At ITB Berlin 2026 a new cross-border initiative “Discover your Danube” was officially presented, aiming to strengthen the international positioning of the Danube region as one of Europe’s most important cultural and natural landscapes. The project brings together the national tourism organizations Austrian National Tourist Office, German National Tourist Board and Visit Hungary along with regional tourism bodies from Bavaria, Baden-Württemberg, Upper Austria and Lower Austria.

The initiative is supported by the European Travel Commission and co-financed by the European Union under the ETC Cooperation Programme 2026. Its strategic objective is to create a common international tourism brand that presents the Danube not merely as a geographical route but as an integrated European cultural and natural experience.

The concept of “Discover your Danube” introduces a new narrative for the Danube region. The river is positioned as a multidimensional living and cultural space that connects landscapes, historic cities, gastronomy and regional identities. This approach allows the Danube to be promoted as a holistic travel destination that can be explored gradually, section by section, throughout the entire year.

The initiative particularly targets international travelers who value high-quality services, individual travel experiences and authentic cultural encounters. A strong emphasis is placed on off-season travel, longer stays and environmentally sustainable mobility such as rail travel, cycling routes and hiking trails along the river corridor.

The launch of joint international promotional activities is planned for the third quarter of 2026. The campaign will include video storytelling, targeted social media content, familiarization trips for journalists and travel influencers, and the development of thematic travel routes that highlight the cultural and natural diversity of the Danube region.

Comment by the Institute of Danube Research

According to Vitalii Barvinenko, Director of the Institute of Danube Research, the launch of such a transnational tourism brand reflects a broader European trend toward the formation of macro-regional cultural and economic spaces.

In his view, the Danube is gradually evolving not only as a transport or environmental system but also as an integration platform linking regions of Central and South-Eastern Europe through tourism, culture and economic cooperation. Initiatives of this kind demonstrate the practical potential of the macro-regional approach embedded in the EU Strategy for the Danube Region, where tourism is considered a key instrument for territorial development and strengthening regional identity.

Barvinenko also notes that the emergence of a common Danube brand opens long-term opportunities for the Lower Danube countries. The gradual expansion of such initiatives could facilitate the integration of Romania, Moldova and Ukraine into wider European tourism routes, including the Danube Delta and the Danube communities of Odesa region.

According to the expert, integrating the Ukrainian part of the Danube basin into such transnational tourism concepts would significantly increase the international visibility of the region while also stimulating local economic development, infrastructure modernization and cross-border cultural cooperation across the entire Danube basin.