Dr. Petra Stolba has more than 30 years of experience in the areas of tourism and communication: starting as a tour guide, her path led via the Austrian Verkerhsbuero and Managing Director of the Austrian Convention Bureau to the position of Head of Advertising and Marketing in a provincial tourism organisation (Lower Austria Tourist Office). Subsequently, Petra Stolba became Head of Department for National Tourism Policy in the Federal Ministry of Economics and Labour and Managing Director of the Federal Tourism and Leisure Industry Division of the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber. From 2006 to October 2021, Petra Stolba was with the Austrian National Tourist Office, until May 2021 she was Managing Director of the association.

Currently, as Head of Cabinet of the First Vice-President of the European Parliament, she is mainly responsible for the dossiers Information and Communication as well as the Scientific Service of the European Parliament and furthermore for the implementation of the conclusions of the Conference on the Future of Europe.