An Austrian government initiative is offering a year’s free rail travel worth more than €1,000 if revellers have the public transport logo inked on their body. The climate-conscious incentive is available at music festivals, targeting young people.
Festival-goers can claim up to €1,095 (approximately AUD$1,161) worth of free train trips if they choose one of KlimaTicket (Climate Ticket) Austria’s approved tattoo designs.
A national scheme designed to highlight sustainable travel, KlimaTicket promotes public transport to combat climate change and carbon emissions.
It offers unlimited public transport in Austria, minus tourist trains, but including rail, bus, tram and metro services.
KlimaTicket offered Frequency Festival attendees on-the-spot ink at a pop-up parlour with local paper Salzburger Nachrichten reporting that six revellers got a tattoo.
In July 2023, 30 festival-goers got inked for free rail links at Electric Love Festival in Salzburg, Austria.
At the Frequency Festival in St Pölten, Austria’s Climate Minister Leonore Gewessler said all those who got tattoos did so willingly, however, critics argue the scheme takes advantage of young people.
In European countries such as Italy and Switzerland, train travel actively promotes itself as a greener alternative to flying and road trips.
What’s the farthest you’ll go for free travel? Would you put your body on the line? Let us know!
Find out why Aussies love Austria here.
Discover more about Austrian rail travel here.
