Christian G.A. Zeller in Tampa, Florida

Christian G.A. Zeller has been serving as the Austrian Honorary Consul in Tampa, FL since 2017.
New Austrian spoke with him as part of our ongoing series Meet the Consul.

***Tampa Theatre***, a historic U.S. theater and city landmark in Downtown Tampa, Florida.
Built in 1926, Tampa’s majestic movie palace hosts 600+ events each year, including contemporary films, classic movies, concerts, corporate events, educational programs, weddings and tours. The recently restored historic landmark has been called “One of the Most Spectacular Theaters in the World” by CNN and one of “15 Things You Must Do in Tampa” by the *Huffington Post.*
*Photo: Visit Tampa Bay*

Dear Mr. Zeller, what is your connection to Austria and where are you from?
I was born in Austria, in Wald im Pinzgau, and I grew up in Innsbruck, where I lived until I moved to the United States in 1991.

What brought you to the United States in ’91?
I completed an apprenticeship and training in hospitality management and worked in the hospitality industry, as so many Austrians do and that afforded me the opportunity to work and go around the world. I worked on cruise ships and this is how I initially came to United States. In 1991, I received an offer from a ski vacation travel wholesaler in Houston, TX, who was wholesaling ski vacations to Austria—I ended up working for them, and I have been in the United States since.

So you came to the United States through the hospitality industry, but today you are an attorney by profession?
That is correct. After some time in Houston, we decided to move to the Tampa Bay area where I decided to go back to school. I earned a bachelor’s degree in business management and then I went on to law school. Today, I am a board-certified Immigration & Nationality Lawyer and managing partner in our firm.

Consul Christian G.A. Zeller
*Photo: Austrian Consulate Tampa*

How did you then become the Honorary Consul for Austria?
That occurred a few years ago. As a partner in our law firm I have been out and about quite a bit and this is how I met the German Consul in our area. She let me know that the Austrian Consul at the time was about to retire. I met with my predecessor and she was kind enough to introduce me to the Austrian Ambassador in Washington, DC, at the time, Ambassador Dr. Wolfgang Waldner. I interviewed with him, we came to terms, and he offered me to become the Austrian Consul for Western Florida.

What kinds of cases do you have to deal with as part of your duties as Consul?
Right now my work as Consul consists mostly of certifying documents. We meet with a lot of Austrians who either sell or purchase real estate, mostly in Austria, and we authenticate and certify the documents they need. We also deal with a fair number of children’s passport applications, where we help with the necessary documentation before we send it on to the Embassy in Washington, DC. In addition, we also receive a lot of visa inquiries, which we refer to an Austrian Consulate General or our VFS Global Partner, as appropriate. We are currently in the process of applying for local capture of biometrics at the Tampa Consulate, which will enable us to process passport applications and once that has been implemented we will be a lot busier.

Let’s talk about Tampa for a little bit—I understand the area has been booming?
Yes, indeed. In the past, let’s say for the past few decades or so, we have been ground zero for retirees, coming mainly from the Midwest and the Northeast to spend their golden years in the Sunshine State. But the Tampa area has really developed and grown, also economically, and that has shifted and changed the demographic paradigm. In addition, Florida does not have a state income tax, which is of course a big draw if you are running or opening a business in Florida, or relocating an existing business to our area. And last, but not least, there is the weather—right now we are in the mid-70s without humidity. Tampa Bay has become a booming metropolis and we expect this to continue.

Have you noticed any effects of this growth on traffic in the area? In Miami, many people complain that the city now has the worst traffic in the country due to its growth.
I can report that Miami continues to have worse traffic than we do, but our traffic situation is far from ideal. If possible, one should choose their time of travel; it is no longer fun to head downtown during rush hour. Although many people are working from home these days and can avoid the hassle, traffic still has been getting worse in general.

How many Austrians (that you are aware of) reside in your region?
I don’t know—our consular district spans from Naples in the south going north along the coast all the way to Alabama. It’s a rather large district and it is hard to tell how many Austrians live in it. The majority of Austrians I get to meet are from the Tampa area and from Southwest Florida, from Naples up to the Tampa Bay Area. If I were to make a list of the Austrians I met here, that number would probably be between fifty and fifty-five—those are the ones I know. But I know there have to be a lot more, because we constantly get inquiries at the Consulate—so we realize there are a lot of Austrians here that we have not heard from yet. We have slowly been building a database of our compatriots that hopefully continues to grow.

Are there Austrian clubs or organizations in your area?
Not to my knowledge. We hosted an annual celebration on the occasion of the Austrian National Day, but the pandemic threw a wrench into that. This year we are planning to have a live event again.

Since you are from Austria originally, do you still go back on a regular basis?
Yes. My wife and I live here in Tampa Bay, she is of Austrian heritage as well and our son lives in Philadelphia, where he practices in our firm’s law office there. Both my wife and I still have family in Austria, and we go back at least once a year.

As Consul, is there any particular event as part of your work that you would like to highlight?
I don’t think that I can single out one particular event; it is more the collective opportunity to serve the Austrian community. That is something that I really enjoy. Look, we are living the American dream and have been successful here, and I believe that—at least in part—is because of my Austrian heritage and because of how Austrians are welcomed here in the United States based on the great reputation Austria has. I think it goes without saying that this is helpful when you start a business here or whatever it is you do. I know that this has helped with my success, so sharing that, helping other Austrians to be successful here is a big part of what I want to do as a Consul.

So you will continue to serve in this role for the foreseeable future?
As long as the Republic will have me, I’d be honored to.

Mr. Zeller, thank you very much for your time.
My pleasure.