Kitzbühel Tourism has appointed lifestyle travel specialists Heaven Publicity to lead its UK activity.

As the first external communications agency to be brought in by the Austrian regional tourist board, Heaven Publicity will work with the Kitzbühel team to capitalise on the British interest in European winter sports holidays and out of season Alpine travel.

Heaven Publicity will conduct a destination awareness drive, highlighting Kitzbühel’s ease of access and selection of sports, while also emphasising the town’s lesser known, but equally attractive, cultural, gastronomic and family product.

Central to the PR messaging will be the importance of Kitzbühel’s status as a year-round destination, with a key focus on encouraging visitors to consider active summer breaks and travel during the spring and autumn shoulder seasons.

The team will carry out a series of PR initiatives in the UK and in Austria, targeting leading consumer and travel trade journalists across ski, adventure, lifestyle and influencer media.

Kitzbühel is set the heart of the Austrian Alps and is easily accessible from Innsbruck, Salzburg and Munich airports.

Benefiting from direct flights from London, Birmingham, Edinburgh, Cardiff and Manchester, the town is the perfect base for UK holidaymakers wanting to get active in the Alps and for those wanting to explore the entire region at any time of year.

The winter sports season in Kitzbühel is a long one, with more than 200 days of skiing to enjoy from October to April, boasting 57 cable cars and lifts, and 185 kilometres of glorious pistes.

Although Kitzbühel is less travelled by British holidaymakers outside of the ski season, it has just as much to offer from May to September, with 1,200 kilometres of marked biking trails and more than 1,000 kilometres of hiking trails set against spectacular Alpine scenery.

Heaven Publicity was established in 2011 and is one of the leading destination marketing and representation firms in the UK and Europe.

Account director and tourist board specialist Tim Blostone will lead the PR function under the strategic direction of Lynsey Devon, founder of Heaven Publicity.

Devon said: “Kitzbühel offers an exceptional choice of year-round sports, plus cultural, gastronomic and adventure activities that appeal to a wide demographic of traveller.

“With our in-depth knowledge and experience of the ski and adventure travel market, we aim to place Kitzbühel firmly on the radar of UK media and in turn UK holidaymakers.

“It’s an exciting time for the town and wider region, and we look forward to exploiting the huge potential for visitor growth.”