Measuring Sustainable Tourism Development in the heart of the Alps
Tyrol, one of Austria’s nine federal states, lies at the heart of the Alps and is known for its breathtaking mountain landscapes, crystal-clear lakes, and authentic alpine culture. Home to about 780,000 people and covering around 12,600 km² (Statistics Austria, 2025), Tyrol is both a vibrant living space and the strongest tourism region in the Alpine arc. With over 12 million arrivals and 48 million overnight stays in the tourism year 2023/2024 (F.acT, 2025), tourism is not only a key driver of Tyrol’s economy but also an integral part of its regional identity.
Tourism in Tyrol is organized through 34 regional Tourism Associations, which are united under the Federation of Tyrolean Tourism Associations. Together with the Province of Tyrol and Tirol Werbung, the province’s regional destination management organization, they ensure coordinated tourism governance, strategic development, and knowledge exchange across the region.
For decades, Tyrol has balanced the needs of its residents with those of its visitors through participatory strategies and strong collaboration between government, research institutions, and the tourism industry. This approach has created a solid foundation for responsible, future-oriented destination development and lead to the integration of sustainability as one of the central elements of Tyrol’s tourism strategy. “The Tirolean Way – Perspectives for the responsible development of tourism” (2021) emphasizes ecological, social, and economic responsibility as equally important dimensions of success and already establishes a framework for multidimensional monitoring and evaluation of tourism development. These principles are reinforced in the Tyrolean Tourism Act (2022), which requires all Tourism Associations to appoint a sustainability coordinator, develop a sustainability strategy, and publish an annual sustainability report — a unique model in Austria and beyond.
The shared identity of Tyrolean tourism, developed through broad stakeholder dialogue, rests on three core elements: sustainability, connection and lifestyle.
Building on this strong foundation, the Tyrolean Sustainable Tourism Observatory (TYSTO) was established to systematically monitor and advance sustainable tourism development in Tyrol. Initiated by MCI Tourism together with the Government of Tyrol, the Tyrolean Economic Chamber, and the Federation of Tyrolean Tourism Associations (VTT) and supported by the Austrian State Secretariat for Tourism, TYSTO joined the UN Tourism INSTO network to provide a robust framework for ongoing monitoring. By providing data-driven insights, TYSTO supports informed decision-making and strengthens Tyrol’s role as a leading example of sustainable alpine tourism.