ROME-- This year, the collaboration between the Tourism Authority of Vienna and the CTS (Student Youth Center) took place all in the name of Viennese cuisine.

On the occasion of the contest "All the tastes of Vienna", participants were asked to guess the ingredients needed to make up their favorite recipe from Viennese cuisine. The winners of the competition were chosen at a gastronomic event on June 6th in Rome. Young people aged between 18 and 35 years had been invited to participate in the contest via Facebook.  Their task was to choose a recipe from amongst the ten present, guess the ingredients and explain what makes Viennese cuisine so special. Of all the candidates registered through Facebook, four were randomly selected, which were then invited to demonstrate their skills in the kitchen as part of a competition at the Atelier Lanificio, in Rome.

They were assisted by the young and cute Viennese cook Leopold Wrenkh. The objective of the event was to select the two best cooks that the next day would fly to Vienna for a four day  exclusive culinary experience, with, among other things, an invitation to one of the best restaurants in the city ​​and a private cooking class at Kochsalon Wrenkh.

In 2009, a cooperation between CTS, which, with its 187 travel agencies is the leading operator in the travel industry for young people in Italy, and the Tourism Authority of Vienna was launched. More than 1,300 young people participated in the this year’s "All tastes of Vienna" contest and more than 2,900 people voted for their favorite recipe. The race was promoted through the websites www.cts.it, www.facebook.com / CTSfanpage, as well as various social media channels and online.

Newsflash on the Viennese Kitchen

Wiener Schnitzel and Tafelspitz, Sacher Torte and Kaiserschmarren: dishes from Viennese cuisine are famous all over the world and have something unique about them. And they are a good example of how different culinary influences can complement each other. Vienna is probably the only city in the world that has given its name to a gourmet style. The Viennese cuisine owes its success to a very simple recipe: take the best traditions of Bohemia, Austria, Hungary, Italy and the Balkans, mix well, and the result will be outstanding and delicious specialties. In fact, even the most classic dishes from Viennese cuisine are prepared with ingredients that come from other countries. This is not surprising when you consider that Vienna was for centuries the center of the Austro-Hungarian monarchy, that unified such many different cultures and with them also their culinary styles.

Tourism success in Vienna

The Viennese evening in Rome was also the occasion for an update on tourism to the Austrian capital: in 2012 Vienna set a new record with with 12.3 million overnight stays (an increase of 7.5% compared to 2011). The most significant increases came from tourists from Russia and Eastern European countries. With 257,846 arrivals and 643,058 overnight stays, Italians occupy third place in the tourism stakes for Vienna, even though in 2012 they showed a slight decrease in overnight stays, with a decrease of 2.2%.

The appeal of Vienna does not lose out either: every year the international consulting firm Mercer (www.mercer.com) carries out a survey to assess the quality of life in 221 cities worldwide. In 2012, Vienna took first place in the survey: the Austrian capital can boast for the fourth year in a row the title of "World's Most Livable City." Among the criteria assessed are the political climate, social and economic factors, health care, opportunities in education and infrastructure including the public transport network. Also compared are recreational facilities such as restaurants, theaters, cinemas, availability of consumer goods, from food to cars, as well as environmental conditions (air pollution, green spaces).

To facilitate the numbers coming across the Alps, Austrian Airlines offers numerous flights between Italy and Vienna. Planes land in Vienna several times a day from Milan, Florence, Bologna and Rome. Even the company FlyNiki / airberlin provides daily flights from Milan and Rome, and AirDolomiti connects Verona to Vienna every day.