Culture plays a vital role in sustainable tourism development, as it shapes the identity of destinations, strengthens social cohesion, and ensures that tourism supports rather than undermines local traditions and ways of life. Living culture and intangible cultural heritage encompass the practices, expressions, knowledge, and skills passed down from generation to generation, giving communities a sense of identity and continuously evolving in response to changing environments.

In Tyrol, culture is deeply interwoven with agricultural traditions such as alpine farming, the characteristic alpine cultural landscape, and a rich variety of customs, craftsmanship, culinary heritage, and artistic expression. Customs, culture, and art have long been an essential part of Tyrol’s diverse tourism offering. Moreover, aesthetics and sustainable architecture in rural and natural environments are gaining importance as key elements of responsible destination development. Tourism can thus support the preservation of traditions, cultural landscapes, and regional identity, while ensuring authenticity and enhancing the quality of life for residents as well as the distinctiveness of the destination.

TYSTO monitors indicators related to cultural engagement and the integration of local heritage in tourism, providing data to support decision-making that respects, preserves, and promotes Tyrol’s cultural assets for present and future generations.

While focusing on cultural engagement, identity, and local heritage, the indicators in issue area also provide valuable insights into other areas of sustainable tourism development, particularly Regionality, as cultural practices, craftsmanship, and culinary heritage are closely linked to regional value creation and local production systems.

Initial results will be published in 2026, covering data from the 2025 reporting year. Data collection is currently ongoing.