Risk perceptions in the alpine tourist destination Tyrol—An exploratory analysis of residents’ views

Little research exists regarding risk perceptions of alpine tourist destinations. Consequently, the main purpose of our study is to provide insights into lay persons’ risk perceptions relevant to the tourism industry and into the attribution of responsibility for holiday risks. The study was conducted in Tyrol, Austria. It was found that risks judged to be typical for the alpine destination of Tyrol are, on the one hand, winter sport related (cable car accidents, skiing accidents and getting lost on a ski tour) and, on the other, refer to natural hazards ([thunder]storms, avalanches). The attribution of responsibility highly depends on the type of risk: internal attributions apply to behaviour-related risks and sports risks, whereas external attributions concern transportation, accommodation, infrastructural and industrial risks, as well as natural hazards.