Prepared for what lies ahead in tourism
Stay up-to-date with current, independent statistics and information on tourism in the Alpine region.
Glossary
Complex technical terms, explained simply
Ableism describes the rejection of a person with a disability. This takes place through devaluation, by emphasizing everything that this person cannot do. Also, it goes hand with a supposed revaluation or overemphasis on what this person can do “despite” their disability. The term is a relatively new description of what people with disability experience on a daily basis. They must always expect to be the exception. They experience boundary violations and are often discriminated against by stereotypical portrayals in the media.
The word ableism is composed of the English word “to be able” and the suffix “-ism” for a derogatory attitude. Abilities are decisive: how “normally” can a person walk, see, or interact socially? Anyone who deviates from the norm is labeled as disabled. The person is considered inferior and is reduced to their disability. This ignores the fact that the disability is not caused by their abilities, but by barriers and lack of access.
The term draws attention to discrimination and personal devaluation as everyday experiences of people with disabilities and helps to raise awareness of the underlying norms and structures.
Source: Friedrich Ebert Stiftung, 2025, https://www.fes.de/wissen/gender-glossar
The term accelerator comes from the startup scene and means exactly what it says. Accelerators are support programs for startups that already have a well-thought-out business model. The aim is to accelerate the development and growth of the startup—for example, by providing access to networks, capital, or coaching from mentors. Accelerator programs usually last between a few weeks and several months.
Source: Impact Hub Tirol, 2021
https://www.tirol.impacthub.net/glossar
Accessibility encompasses measures and precautions that ensure that environments, systems, buildings, and services are accessible and usable for people with disabilities without them having to rely on special assistance.
Source: Sozialministeriumsservice, 2025, https://www.sozialministeriumservice.gv.at/Glossar/Glossar.de.html
Accessible Companies are those that take measures to make their workplaces, products, and services accessible to people with disability. The Social Ministry Service offers subsidies for the creation of accessibility in companies. These subsidies can amount to up to €15,000 per calendar year and company, provided that the investments are €20,000 or more. The subsidy applies exclusively to those costs directly related to the creation of accessibility.
Source: Sozialministeriumsservice, 2025, https://www.sozialministeriumservice.gv.at/Glossar/Glossar.de.html
Since January 1, 2016, accessibility has been mandatory in Austria for all public goods, services, and information. This also applies to digital offerings.
In order to make electronic media and information systems with graphical user interfaces, operating systems, and the Internet accessible to all people—including those with limited visual, auditory, and/or motor skills—special technologies that support users in interacting with these systems exist (e.g., screen readers for reading website content auditive). In addition, accessibility also deals with design guidelines that aim to avoid obstacles for users. Initiatives such as the Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) deal specifically with the accessibility of the Internet.
Source: Haus der Digitalisierung, 2024
https://www.virtuelleshaus.at/kategorien/accessibilit
Das Behindertengleichstellungsgesetz zielt darauf ab, die Diskriminierung von Menschen mit Behinderungen zu verhindern und ihre gleichberechtigte Teilhabe am gesellschaftlichen Leben zu fördern. Es umfasst Regelungen zur Barrierefreiheit, Gleichstellung in verschiedenen Lebensbereichen und den Schutz vor Benachteiligung.
Quelle: Sozialministeriumsservice, 2025, https://www.sozialministeriumservice.gv.at/Glossar/Glossar.de.html
Adserver is a software that is responsible for delivering and distributing advertisements and storing data (ad clicks, ad visibility, ad impressions). Adservers can be used to deliver Internet advertisements and measure advertising success.
Source: Wirtschaftskammer Österreich, Tourismus, Freizeit, 2024
https://www.wko.at/oe/tourismus-freizeitwirtschaft/digitalunterwegs-lang.pdf
Adventure tourism is a type of vacation where the search for adventure is the main focus or motivation for travel. While adventure trips were originally more individually organized and carried out, they are now offered in programs of specialist tour operators. Adventure travelers seek, according to their own understanding, new and unplanned experiences (including self-awareness) and challenges. They want to prove themselves and exceed their physical and mental limits, for which destinations that are relatively undeveloped and considered “dangerous” seem ideal.
Source: Messe München, 2003
The AIEST (Association Internationale d'Experts Scientifiques du Tourisme) is the International Association of Scientific Tourism Experts, which was founded in 1951.
Source: AIEST, 2024
www.aiest.org
The Alpine Convention is an international agreement between all countries of the Alps (Germany, France, Italy, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Austria, Switzerland, and Slovenia) and the European Union for sustainable development and protection of the Alps. The Alpine Conference is the decision-making body of the Alpine Convention, comprising the ministers of the Alpine countries. The Alpine Conference meetings are usually held every two years in the member state that holds the presidency of the Convention (the presidency rotates every two years).
Source: Die Alpenkonvention
https://www.alpconv.org/de/startseite/
The Alpine Manifesto is a joint commitment by nine leading tourism regions from Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Italy to greater sustainability, a responsible approach to people and the environment and nature-friendly development in the Alpine region.
Source: Alpnet, 2025, https://www.alp-net.eu/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/3419_25-Alpenmanifest-10-Leitprinzipien_EN.pdf
Alpine tourism generally refers to the European Alpine region, which, according to the scope of the Alpine Convention, covers a total area of 190,912 km² and includes the mountainous regions of Austria, France, Germany, Italy, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Slovenia, and Switzerland. The Alpine region is characterized by a special topographical situation, which is marked by a strong relief energy - typical for high mountains. This situation also explains the sensitivity of natural resources with regard to their use by residents and visitors to the Alpine region.
Source: Baerisches Staatsministerium für Umwelt und Verbraucherschutz, 2024
https://www.stmuv.bayern.de/ministerium/eu/zusammenarbeit/alpenkonvention/index.htm
AlpNet is an association for the promotion of alpine tourism in Europe. Nine alpine regions are currently part of this network: Allgäu Tourism, Graubünden Holidays, Lucerne-Lake Lucerne, Made in Bern AG, SalzburgerLand Tourism, Tyrol Advertising, Trentino Tourism, IDM South Tyrol-Alto Adige, and Valais Promotion.
Source: AlpNet, 2024
https://www.alp-net.eu/
Artificial intelligence (AI) is a field of computer science that deals with machine learning.
AI is about machine learning and the automation of human behavior. It involves programming a computer so that it can solve problems on its own. Artificial intelligence is used in many areas, such as computer games, chatbots, and facial recognition.
Source: Haus der Digitalisierung, 2024
https://www.virtuelleshaus.at/kategorien/kuenstliche-intelligenz-artificial-intelligence
Augmented reality (AR) describes a computer-assisted link between the real and virtual worlds. Digital applications use real-time text information and graphics to overlay the environment currently being viewed. This technology also enables navigation to be displayed in the field of vision or images and videos to be recorded, for example.
Source: Wirtschaftskammer Österreich, Tourismus, Freizeit, 2024
https://www.wko.at/oe/tourismus-freizeitwirtschaft/digitalunterwegs-lang.pdf
As a national tourism organization, it is a central concern of the Austrian National Tourist Office to work together with all Austrian tourism partners to maintain and expand the competitiveness of Austria as a tourist destination. In this way, the Austrian National Tourist Office makes an essential contribution to increasing value creation for the Austrian tourism and leisure industry.
Source: Austrian National Tourist Office, 2024
https://www.austriatourism.com/ueber-uns/
The Austrian Economic Chambers represent more than 540,000 member companies. As the strong voice of businesses, we advocate future-oriented and business-friendly policies, e.g. tax relief, reduction of bureaucracy and subsidies.
The chambers of commerce are modern service providers and offer fast and competent advice, from labor law to customs information.
With our educational institutions - WIFI, universities of applied sciences - we contribute to strengthening the competitiveness of the domestic economy.
Source: WKO, 2024
https://www.wko.at/oe/wko/wirtschaftskammer-oesterreich
Österreichische Hotel- und Tourismusbank Gesellschaft m.b.H. (OeHT) is a specialist bank for the financing and promotion of investments in tourism. With decades of experience, it can draw on extensive industry knowledge, as OeHT has played a key role in shaping the development of the Austrian leisure industry as a financing and promotional institution.
Source: OeHT, 2024
https://www.oeht.at/die-tourismusbank/ueber-uns/
The Austrian Hotel Association is the independent organization representing the interests of the hotel industry in Austria, which was founded in 1953. Its members include around 1,700 leading hotels of all categories from the vacation, corporate and city hotel sectors. The association represents the interests of the hotel industry at national and international level and supports its members with professional services and training programs.
Source: OeHV, 2024
https://www.oehv.at/ueber-uns/organisation/vision-und-mission/
The term, which originates from Greek, means authenticity, credibility, and reliability. In the context of leisure tourism, it is seen as a motivating factor for travel: According to this line of argument, the external control of people, “the cold rationality of factories, offices, residential buildings, and transportation facilities, the impoverishment of interpersonal relationships,” etc., in modern industrial and service societies lead people to leave "because they no longer feel comfortable where they are; where they work and where they live." Instead, they seek authenticity on their vacation trips, an unalienated and self-determined life, unspoiled nature, and genuine social relationships.
Another variation on the concept of authenticity can be found in the educated middle-class tradition of study trips, which were intended to seek out and experience a cultural and historical reality that was as unadulterated as possible by foreign influences. MacCannell (1973) sees tourists in the tradition of pilgrims who want to relive the authenticity of important religious events through the genius loci or “aura” (Benjamin 1936/1963) of a place.
Source: Fuchs, W. (2021). Tourismus, Hotellerie und Gastronomie von A bis Z. Walter de Gruyter.