Wild Years. Tourism in South Tyrol – Book presentation in German only

The Boom Years of South Tyrolean Tourism

From the 1960s onwards, South Tyrol became a laboratory for tourism: farmers turned into hoteliers and ski instructors, quiet valleys transformed into stages for a new experience-oriented society - until the speculative bubble burst in the early 1980s. Looking back reveals how South Tyrol became a brand through an offer perceived as “typically local,” including souvenirs, music, and cuisine. At the same time, the local population also embraced the newly built lifts, outdoor swimming pools, and discos.

Across the region, around 90 tourism pioneers, waiters and waitresses, chefs, as well as children of the boom generation were interviewed as part of a research project by the Provincial Museum of Tourism (Touriseum). The many first-hand accounts not only bring this transitional era to life, but also reveal the roots of current challenges - from questions of quality of life to overtourism.

The event is held in German.