Crisis Management in Alpine Winter Sports Resorts—The 1999 Avalanche Disaster in Tyrol

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SUMMARYAlpine tourism destinations must be prepared for environmental hazards such as avalanche disasters. The maintenance of safety and security, and thus the management of crises have become a major issue in Alpine winter resorts. After a short literature review of crisis management models applicable for tourism destinations, the article demonstrates the disaster management process of Galtuer (Austria) in 1999, which suffered one of the severest avalanche disasters ever experienced in the Austrian Alps. The authors investigate security and emergency measures taken in this Alpine resort and discuss failures and success factors in disaster management. The paper reveals that destinations greatly improve their disaster management tools and procedures after having faced a crisis. The final part of the paper identifies key lessons and provides recommendations for future research.