The Relevance of Traditional Languages for the Tourism Experience

The relevance of traditional languages for the tourism experience

Yvonne Unterpertinger Student registration number: 01516213 Strategic Management

MASTER THESIS

Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of MASTER OF SCIENCE in Strategic Management

At the Leopold-Franzens-Universität Innsbruck

Supervisor: Univ.- Prof. Dr. Mike PETERS

Department of Strategic Management, Marketing and Tourism

The University of Innsbruck School of Management

Innsbruck, May 2021

This master’s thesis “The relevance of traditional languages for the tourism experience” was co-supervised by Dott.ssa Mag. Serena Lonardi.

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Yvonne Unterpertinger

Acknowledgments

First, I would like to thank my supervisor Dott.ssa Mag. Serena Lonardi for always being available for my thousands of questions. I would also like to thank Univ.- Prof. Dr. Mike Peters for all the helpful advice and suggestions he shared with his students.

Thanks to the guests who agreed to do this interview series and participated with such great interest and motivation.

Lastly, I would like to thank my family and friends who have always been there to help and advise me. Thank you, mom and dad, for always affirming and encouraging me and for always finding the time to help me.

Thank you, Felix, for always listening to my insecurities and for always being there for me.

Abstract

Cultural tourism has grown and developed in the last decades. Tourists no longer want to just vacation and relax, but to get to know the culture and way of life of the locals. In the studied region, South Tyrol, this can be seen especially because of the linguistic minorities living there. It is well known that the traditional language of a place plays an important role for its inhabitants and their culture. On the other hand, however, there is little knowledge about visitors' perceptions of traditional language in this regard. The research is carried out in the context of South Tyrolean tourism and the focus was set on the traditional Ladin language, mainly spoken by a small community in South Tyrol. Using qualitative interviews, tourists of the German and Italian language groups were asked about their perception of traditional language in South Tyrol. The study shows that visitors highly value the local culture and the traditional language of a holiday destination. The traditions, foods, and friendly attitude of the locals make guests feel at home. It turned out that it is also in the traveler’s interest to preserve this culture and language. The sound of the Ladin language has been perceived by the subjects as very soft and appealing. Furthermore, many positive emotions are associated with the traditions in South Tyrol, which have caused many experiences to become firmly anchored in the memories of the guests. It is precisely these emotionally charged experiences that bring guests back to the destination.

KEYWORDS tourism, tourism in South Tyrol, cultural tourism, tradition, culture, traditional language, memorable experiences

Table of Contents

List of Figures ...... III

List of Tables ...... III

1. Introduction ...... 4

1.1 Problem Statement ...... 5

1.2 Research Objectives ...... 6

1.3 Structure of the Thesis ...... 7

2. Theoretical Background ...... 8

2.1 Cultural Tourism...... 8

2.1.1 Intangible Heritage and Traditional Language ...... 11

2.1.2 The Ladins and their Traditional Language ...... 18

2.1.3 Conclusion: Up- and Downsides of Cultural Tourism ...... 21

2.2 Customer Experience in Tourism ...... 23

2.3 Tourism in South Tyrol ...... 28

2.4 Summary and Outlook ...... 31

3. Methods ...... 32

3.1 Data Collection ...... 33

3.2 Data Analysis ...... 41

4. Results ...... 45

4.1 Travel Motivation ...... 45

4.2 Memorable Experiences ...... 49

4.3 Culture Awareness ...... 52

4.4 Traditional Language ...... 54

4.5 Involvement ...... 55

5. Discussion ...... 56

6. Conclusion ...... 64

6.1 Limitations ...... 65

6.2 Further Research Implications ...... 65

6.3 Theoretical Contribution...... 67

6.4 Implications for Tourist Destinations ...... 67

6. Reference List ...... 72

7. Appendix ...... 87

List of Figures Figure 1: A model of Culture, tourism, attractiveness, and competitiveness (Richards, 2010) ...... 10 Figure 2: The practices of cultural tourism (Richards, 2018) ...... 16 Figure 3: Market orientation vs Product orientation (Pechlaner & Sauerwein, 20029 ...... 30 Figure 4: Screenshot Codes MAXQDA ...... 44 Figure 5: Most valuable Aspects of Travel Motivation ...... 49 Figure 6: Rating memorable Experiences German ...... 51 Figure 7: Rating memorable Experiences Italian ...... 52 Figure 8: Touchpoints of Culture and traditional Language ...... 59 Figure 9: Use of traditional language in destination websites (Kronplatz, 2021) ...... 69 Figure 10: Traditional geographic expression (Rennradreisen von quäldich.de- Würzjoch., 2021) ...... 69

List of Tables Table 1: Language Ecology of Val Badia adapted from Dell’Aquila & Iannàccaro (2006) ... 20 Table 2: Components of the Tourist Experience, adapted from Kim, Ritchie & McCormick (2012) ...... 25 Table 3: Types of interview questions with examples, adapted from Kvale (1996, pp. 133-5) ...... 37 Table 4: Demographics of interview partner ...... 39 Table 5: Coding Structure ...... 43 Table 6: Main Topics and important Quotations ...... 63

III

1. Introduction

In recent years, tourism has increased worldwide and thus brought many different cultures into contact with each other (Reisinger & Dimanche, 2010). Also, in the Alpine region, tourism has developed into an important economic branch in the last 50 years, which is now crucial for the survival of many companies in this area (Tschurtschenthaler & Margreiter, 2001).

In a holiday region, the culture of locals always meets the cultures of the vacationers. The interesting part here is how these different cultures meet in a holiday resort and how they respond to each other. Numerous studies (Whitney-Squire, 2016; Pechlaner, Lange & Raich, 2011; Greathouse-Amador, 2005) have proven that tourists are interested in the way of life of the local population and that they are attracted by culture in general. The study of Chang, Backman & Huang (201) has also shown that the culture of a destination is crucial for a guest to return to spend holidays there.

Thus, the culture must have a significant effect on the tourist experience. One may think of culture as a combination of traditions and lifestyles of locals, but there is much more to culture than that. A very important element of culture, especially in areas that host minority language groups, is the language spoken over generations in the respective region, the traditional language. In this thesis, the traditional language of a holiday destination plays the main role. According to a study by Whitney-Squire (2016), visitors have a high interest in the traditional language of a holiday destination. As this is an essential part of the culture of a country/region, it would be interesting to know how tourists perceive this aspect of culture.

Being born in South Tyrol in many cases means to be part of a linguistic minority, hence there is an immediate connection to this topic. People from outside the region often perceive this kind of people as something special. Numerous South Tyrolians, like me, grew up in accommodation facilities where the whole family works together. In this job, locals always try to make their guests aware of this special feature of the region. As already researched by Pechlaner, Lange & Raich (2011), the locals in South Tyrol need to convey the culture and values of the region to the guests. The visitors are especially impressed by the history of the emergence of the linguistic minorities in South Tyrol. Locals are always happy to explain terms and place names and tell various sagas and legends connected with these places. This gives those places a kind of magical atmosphere. That sparkle in the guests' eyes when they hear the stories and see the beautiful places is why this topic is so close to my heart.

1.1 Problem Statement

Over the past time, local and authentic culture has become very important, especially for holiday destinations. It has become apparent that guests' experiences, in particular, play a decisive role here. Out of the tourists’ experiences with local culture, the destination can deduce where their interest lies, and which areas need to be improved or adapted accordingly. In addition, the adaption leads to constant engagement with the local culture and language and helps to preserve it. This is not only a great advantage for travelers but also the local population (Lonardi, Martini & Hull, 2020). It also reveals which experiences are most memorable to guests and therefore which experiences are most emotionally charged (Brewer, 1988).

In this context, a lot of research has been done recently in the field of cultural tourism. Numerous studies (Whitney-Squire, 2016; Pechlaner, Lange & Raich, 2011; Greathouse- Amador, 2005; Wu, Xie & Tsai, 2015) have highlighted the interest of tourists in holiday destinations’ cultural aspects. There is a deep curiosity in learning about foreign cultures and a great drive to participate in the daily life of the local population. This participation happens through observing and learning about traditions, usually associated with traditional food, festivals, and handicrafts (Galí-Espelt, 2012; Wu, Xie & Tsai, 2015).

However, the aspect of traditional language is often lost in the process. The traditional language in a tourist area is very present and guests are constantly in contact with it (Pechlaner, Lange & Raich, 2011). Whether in restaurants, shops, or alpine huts, tourists are constantly confronted with the traditional language of a place. Therefore, it would be interesting to find out how this language affects the visitors and how they perceive it.

According to the influence of traditional languages on the tourist's experience itself, not much research has been done so far. It is known that there is a high interest of tourists in the traditional language and culture of a holiday destination and that this phenomenon led to a strong feeling of connection between the locals and their own culture (Whitney-Squire, 2016).

Following that, this master’s thesis deals with researching the implementation of a language- based tourism program that reflects the multidimensional linguistic relationships in the community. This should examine visitors' attitudes to language: the meaning and value of language and their openness to broader forms of linguistic interpretation (Whitney-Squire, 2016).

1.2 Research Objectives

This study aims to provide insight into the existing literature and to show the influence of traditional language on tourists' holiday experiences. The focus of the research will be on South Tyrol, one of the northernmost regions of Italy. Two linguistic minorities are still speaking traditional languages here: the German dialect and the Ladin language. To achieve meaningful results, the attention of this work is set on the Ladin language minority. The reason for this is the Ladin people's attachment to their traditions, which is particularly attractive to tourists due to their desire for authenticity (MacCannell, 1976).

It also aims to show the importance of the traditional language for destination marketing and the involvement of the local culture in the holiday experience of tourists holidaying in Val Pusteria. Val Pusteria is one of the most visited valleys in South Tyrol. It is known for its hiking paradises in summer and the great skiing experience in winter. It is close to Val Badia, where mainly Ladin is spoken (ASTAT, 2019).

The research will be conducted through qualitative interviews, following a rough guideline. In these interviews, the subjects are asked about their memorable experiences related to the holiday spent in South Tyrol/Val Pusteria. The aim is to find out what motivated them to choose this holiday destination, what they remember most, and what they value most about this region. The subjects will also be asked about their experiences with the local culture and traditional languages in general. In a second step, the interview is specifically focused on the Ladin language. Through a short video in which a woman explains the preparation of a traditional dish in Ladin, the interview partners should put themselves in a concrete situation of direct contact with this language. Afterward, their opinion is asked about it. The interview partners will come from the Italian and German language groups and must have been in South Tyrol for vacation at least two times.

To provide an overview of the state of research regarding the effect of traditional language in tourism experiences the following research question is focused on the thesis:

“What role does the traditional language of a place play for the experience of tourists on the example of the Ladin community in South Tyrol?”

By reviewing the research question, this thesis contributes to a better understanding of the value a places’ culture and language provide to tourists. The results contained in this study show that visitors are also very interested in preserving and protecting traditions and language. The reason for this is the many positive emotions associated with traditions in South Tyrol. These emotions have caused the experiences and memories of the guests to become firmly anchored in their mind. Repeatedly, these memories are evoked by a smell, a sound, or a taste. Just to give a small insight in the results of the study.

1.3 Structure of the Thesis

This thesis is divided into five main chapters. The following section provides a good insight into the existing literature. The literature is divided into three big streams: cultural tourism, including intangible heritage and traditional language, customer experiences in tourism, and tourism in South Tyrol. Important terms and concepts are explained, which should provide a better understanding of the results emerging from the upcoming study. The theoretical background is followed by the empirical part, introduced by a brief definition of the qualitative research method. A section on data collection and data analysis, in which the determinants of the research are reported in detail are also included in the methods. After that, the results of the study are presented underlying five sections, which represent the five main categories of the interview guideline. These sections are explained in the methods part. Subsequently, in the discussion section, the existing literature is compared with the findings. At the end of the thesis the conclusion with the limitations, research implications, and management implications are provided.

2. Theoretical Background

2.1 Cultural Tourism

In the field of destination management, there is a need for qualifications and competencies to manage low-impact tourism and cultural tourism as well as possible, indeed, good management of cultural events is crucial to increase the attention of culture within tourists. To achieve this, a destination management organization has to be visionary enough to recognize the strengths of the nearby resources and make the best possible use of them (Peters, Siller & Matzler, 2011).

Cultural heritage can be defined in two directions, the demand, and the supply side. On the demand side, cultural heritage is all about directly experiencing various past and existing cultural traditions. Examples of this would be performances, food, handicrafts, and participatory activities. On the supply side, cultural heritage is seen more as a communication tool for economic development. Especially the local government or private companies often use cultural heritage for promotional purposes (Chhabra, Healy & Sills, 2003).

Cultural heritage is one of the main components of cultural tourism and it is driven by motivation. According to Galí-Espelt (2012), there are two groups of cultural tourists: vacationists whose main motivation is to consume mainly the culture of the holiday destination and visitors whose intention is to consume less culture. In addition, voyagers can also be categorized according to the degree of “cultureness”. This categorization is based on a combination of length of stay and the cultural experience dimension.

The motivation of cultural tourism is often linked to satisfaction and the intention to return to the holiday destination. After a study on creative tourism in Taiwan, it was found that culture is the most influential reason for returning to a holiday destination (Chang, Backman & Huang, 2014).

Cultural tourism is often characterized by cultural specificities, such as minorities who have lived in an area for generations and their languages (Pechlaner, Lange & Raich, 2011).

Before minority language and traditional language can be discussed in detail, the term minority has to be defined. There are two types of minority populations, or at least two different terms for them. It is widely accepted that the two terms "minority populations" and "native people" are equal, but a distinction has to be made between them.

There are very few groups that can be called "native" or "indigenous". Precise definitions of these concepts are lacking and usually differ from country to country (Pechlaner, Lange & Raich, 2011).

However, there are four criteria for defining native people. These were developed by the UN Working Group on Indigenous Populations (United Nations, 1996):

1. Chronological priority regarding the exploitation or colonization of a certain territory. 2. The voluntary preservation of specific cultural characteristics, which may involve language, social organization, religion, and spiritual values, methods of production and institutions. 3. Self-identification and recognition as a distinct community by others. 4. Experience/history of oppression, marginalization, expropriation, expulsion/exclusion and/or discrimination, with these conditions continuing to exist or not (UN document No. Cobo, 1986; United Nations, 1996).

To classify a group as indigenous, those people must have lived and worked in a certain area before the development of modern states and borders (Butler & Hinch, 2007).

The potential of places with minorities for tourism is currently very high (ASTAT, 2020). This can be explained by the fact that minority language and culture can be seen as a kind of resource (Pechlaner, Lange & Raich, 2011). To generate competitive advantages, the correct and sustainable use of these resources is crucial. They must represent a combination of technologies, know-how, processes, and attitudes that initiate a particular learning process and can thus be called core competence (Quinn, 1992; Pechlaner & Fischer, 2006).

Figure 1: A model of Culture, tourism, attractiveness, and competitiveness (Richards, 2010)

The ability of a tourist destination to compete lies in the ability to transform basic factors into special assets with a higher symbolic value, which also attract a much higher market value. Destinations must therefore organize their resources in the best possible way to gain a competitive advantage. The model shown in Figure 1 illustrates this relationship (Richards, 2010).Thus, the productive efficiency of a destination to generate flows of tourists can be seen as a proxy for destination competitiveness (Cracolicia, Nijkamp & Rietveld, 2006).

To find out whether the cultural distinctiveness of a tourist destination offers guests special added value, Pechlaner, Lange & Raich (2011) carried out a study using numerous quantitative standardized questionnaires, both in South Tyrol (Italy) and in Transylvania (Romania). The study shows that minority populations can offer added value for tourists in holiday destinations. The special interest and attraction of these types of holiday stay for guests are explained by the varied cuisine and the locals’ proficiency in languages as well as the specific architecture and the more extensive cultural offerings (Pechlaner, Lange & Raich, 2011).

The better the minority is embedded as a resource in the destination and its management, the better its market potential will be. Therefore, the minority must convey its culture in the best possible way and contribute to the variety and uniqueness of the destination's tourist offers (Pechlaner, Lange & Raich, 2011).

Participation in local tourism is a prerequisite for ensuring that the benefits reach the entire community. However, in some destinations where ethnic minorities live, this paradigm is not easy to put into practice. The results of a study in the Kanas Nature Reserve of Xinjiang show that community participation in tourism practices is low. The impact of this has serious consequences for the future development of tourism in Kanas Reserve (Wang et al., 2010).

Tosun (2000) has analyzed the different patterns of participation of the local population in tourism and has examined its characteristics and identified the links with tourism development. It was argued that a higher level of participation leads to more effective development of sustainable tourism. Furthermore, he noted that passive participation is a basic level of involvement. Therefore, he argued that a too rapid intervention of the local people in the tourism development should be avoided to ensure the long-term sustainability of the development.

2.1.1 Intangible Heritage and Traditional Language

Over time, minority languages and tourism have developed an important link. According to Heller, Pujolar & Duchêne (2014), a language acquires many different meanings and a completely different status when used in tourism. Quite different from when it is used in mere communication. A counterargument is that tourists always have to be able to speak English to communicate with locals and this competes with the preservation of the minority language (Bruyèl-Olmedo & Juan-Garau, 2015).

A study of verbal interaction between travelers and locals in a non-institutionalized environment would be useful and of great interest to sociolinguists. When visitors talk to locals who are not used to talking to foreigners, the dialect characteristics in the tourists’ home community immediately stamp their geographical, ethnic, or social-class origin no longer serve to do so. Thus, neither speakers of high-prestige dialects, nor speakers of low-prestige dialects, can signal their social status utilizing speech cues (Cohen & Cooper, 1986).

Language relations are the foundation for supporting culturally appropriate, culturally relevant language use within community-based tourism and tourism-related initiatives. The discussion builds on the indigenous perspective and understanding of place and the expression of these relationships through language so that it is reoriented as central to the development of indigenous tourism initiatives. Simply stated, it is argued that language reaches beyond the façade of tourism to touch the place as an individual and collective identity of a person. To consider, the relevance, cultural context, and network of resources at work in the community, the right usage of traditional language in tourism provide a cultural basis for supporting the development and revitalization of language within the community-based tourism and tourism- related initiatives (Whitney-Squire, 2016).

A language can be used as a guarantee of authenticity and thus serve as an asset for a holiday destination (Moriarty, 2014). This kind of valorization of language leads to a revival, not only of the language itself but also of culture (Kelly-Holmes & Pietikäinen, 2016).

Nevertheless, many minorities today have found new strategies to differentiate their culture and make it special for tourism and visitors in general. They made this their purpose of life, and this is what they live on (Kelly-Holmes & Pietikäinen, 2014).

Due to the high interest of tourists in the traditional language and culture of a holiday destination, the locals have started to feel very connected to their own culture and are particularly proud of it (Whitney-Squire, 2016). This phenomenon is particularly observed in one of the northernmost regions of Italy, in South Tyrol. There the Ladin language minority represents a great added value for the tourists. They especially like their customs, traditional clothing, architecture, and language (Pechlaner, Lange & Raich, 2011).

It has been shown that the use of minority languages in tourism has a positive effect on the preservation of tradition. This also has a positive effect on the local population because the interest of tourists awakens pride in their own culture (Lonardi, Martini & Hull, 2020). Three factors, besides politics and dominant policies, are important for the preservation of a minority language: first and second, the radio and the church in a place, as both are part of the daily life of minorities (Greathouse-Amador, 2005). An example of this would be the local radio in Val Pusteria (South Tyrol), which often broadcasts articles and even advertisements in dialect. Thirdly, the many tourists who show great interest in the minority language and its culture (Greathouse-Amador, 2005).

Besides traditional language, there are also other types of intangible heritage. Cultural heritage is about buildings and memorials of the past, but also about the traditions that have been passed down from generation to generation. This intangible cultural heritage represents an identity carrier for the locality and must therefore be protected and passed on (Deacon & Smeets, 2018).

The preservation of cultural and natural heritage is strongly debated, especially regarding the tourism sector. There are different types of tourism experiences and activities that contribute to the conservation of local heritage, like educational workshops or village clean-up campaigns for locals and tourists. It also protects the cultural sustainability of the destination and the cultural tourism initiative (Throsby, 2009; Ursache, 2015). A new pathway in the conservation of cultural and natural heritage is the use of virtual technologies (Chang et al., 2015). 3D reconstructions of heritage sites can provide adequate protection while still giving vacationists detailed insights to create a positive experience (Bruno et al., 2010). Many tourism destinations are focused on local heritage thus technology-based applications can be a great help in preserving cultural heritage and creating tourism experiences (Bec et al., 2018). According to Deacon & Smeets (2018), the best way to protect intangible cultural heritage is through human creativity and continuous adaptation to a fluid and ever-changing environment. People just need to be given the right equipment and the opportunity to be creative. In this way, intangible cultural heritage can not only be protected but also different ways of living together sustainably can be created (Deacon & Smeets, 2018).

The flipside of this interest on the part of tourists, however, is that they often do not act entirely in deliberate solidarity with the local hosts (Barrera, 1998). This means that they often do not actively pursue the preservation of the language (Greathouse-Amador, 2005). The fact is that many tourists visit a place to explore its 'otherness', and most of the time this happens only superficially (Barrera, 1998). They also tend to see minorities in a place as a single group speaking different dialects (Greathouse-Amador, 2005). However, this is not the case as can be seen in South Tyrol: There are many different variations of dialects, but also completely different languages such as Ladin. It is only through contact with tourists that the locals have become aware of their cultural specificity. The interest of the visitors has moved and motivated them to show and protect their own culture. Moreover, the locals have become visibly prouder of their language, ethnicity, and cultural identity (Greathouse-Amador, 2005).

In this context, it is interesting to note that the history of a place, a culture, and a language has a certain effect on tourists. In this purpose, Kelly-Holmes & Pietikäinen (2014) conducted a study in Finnish museums. The study showed how telling the history of a complex language in a limited space involves changes and reductions and the consistent reinforcement of prevailing hegemonies. The historical representation is always linked to the memories of the visitors. This connectedness influences the expectations of the travelers and thus their experience of the visit itself. Tourists bring their past experiences to a museum visit as well as to the destination itself and a crucial dimension of these experiences is the language they used at the time (Kelly- Holmes & Pietikäinen, 2014).

A minority cultural group, with their traditional languages, represent a differentiating factor for the destination and, thus, contribute to attracting visitors (Pechlaner, Lange & Raich, 2011; Lonardi, Martini & Hull, 2020; Kelly-Holmes & Pietikäinen, 2016; Ugolini & Costa, 2009; Lonardi, 2020). It is very interesting to know, there is a difference in the usage of a language. The language used towards voyagers has only recently been classified as very specific. It has been found that specific lexical, syntactic, and textual features are needed to properly communicate a destination to tourists. One of the main reasons why the tourist language is so difficult to classify is the hybrid nature of this language. It is both very specific and addressed to non-specialists (Gotti, 2006). This means that the language is accessible to most people and does not require any prior knowledge. However, this language is characterized by a specific vocabulary related to geography, architecture, and sports. Moreover, this language has genre colonization and syntactic and textual features typical of a specific conversation (Calvi, 2003; Gotti, 2006; Nigro, 2006).

After the diversity in cultural languages, a very important term in this chapter is cultural diversity, which is also strongly represented in Europe and is expressed in many states. Four out of five minorities in Europe are within the critical range in terms of the size where they are particularly dependent on minority protection. In addition, Europe is not unaffected by the global decline in language use. A third of the 90 European languages are particularly at risk as both micro and minority languages, another 14 minority languages also risk being displaced by a dominant state language, and except for French, almost all European languages risk erosion through creeping anglicization (Pan, 2008).

Opportunities and risks of the local population associated with their service culture are closely linked to the growth of tourism in general. In the first phase, admiration for the tourists and the adoption of individual components of the service culture can often be observed. In many cases, this is followed by a phase of critical distance from tourism. The fourth phase can manifest itself in two ways: on the one hand, this phase can be characterized by resignation and passive rejection. On the other hand, an active search for and development of autonomous alternatives may occur (Müller & Thiem, 1995).

In this context, it is important to briefly mention tourist involvement. Due to the increasing competition in the markets, many companies have understood that customer retention is very important. An important feature of customer retention is cost reduction, as attracting new customers can be very costly when competition is high (Ehrenberg & Goodhardt, 2000). The level of involvement of a tourist has an impact on their information processing and decision making. Involvement in tourism involves grouped touristic activities (Dimanche, Havitz & Howard, 1991; Hwang, Lai & Wang, 2015) and influences tourists' behavior in aspects such as travel motivation and destination selection (Jamrozy, Backman, & Backman, 1996). In addition, it turned out that in special vacation destinations visitors expect a certain amount of participation at the production level when they visit. They would recommend this type of activity to their friends and relatives, as they generally prefer experiences that offer more opportunities for practical participation, such as salt drying and salt tasting for example. (Wu, Xie & Tsai, 2015). It seems that the involvement activities are naturally attractive and generate a wide range of pleasant thoughts and feelings associated with the respective culture. It also shows that direct involvement in e.g., salt production correlates with a growing number of tourists who express interest in revisiting the salt fields and learning more about them (Wu, Xie & Tsai, 2015).

Figure 2: The practices of cultural tourism (Richards, 2018)

Another interesting driver of cultural tourism is the use of intangible heritage and how it represents the holiday destination. By representing the "otherness" of the destination, it is usually possible to make ethical, political, and economic adjustments. Thus, not only the needs of vacationists are considered, but also those of the local people (Yang, 2011).

Cultural tourism is a system composed of intangible and tangible heritage, contemporary culture, and creativity as materials that provide the basis for the cultural tourism practice. Further components are the meanings people attach to the practice like learning, identity, and storytelling and the competencies that are developed through the practice for example ways of doing cultural tourism as well as interpreting cultural heritage. It is crucial, that all components of the practice are mutually dependent, as can be seen in Figure 2. It is not possible to become a cultural tourism area without providing cultural materials for tourists to consume. This also requires a level of cultural competence and has to be a certain kind of meaning like learning something (Richards, 2018). Intangible cultural heritage as a sustainable tourism resource requires a positive and constructive relationship between protecting the authenticity and enhancing its socio-economic value (Kim, Withford & Arcodia, 2019).

Authenticity means uniqueness and/or difference from others (Ashworth, 2013; Bessiere, 1998). Furthermore, authenticity includes traditions, techniques, spirit, feelings, and historical and social dimensions of cultural heritage (Munjeri, 2004), thus it also refers to the originality and genuineness of a tourism resource (Kim, Withford & Arcodia, 2019). Today's tourists are looking for real and authentic culture, not artificial authenticity (MacCannell, 1976).

It was found that it is necessary to build authenticity and to differentiate a holiday destination, its culture, and its language. In the context of souvenirs, the authors found that the right level

of authenticity coupled with the right resources makes the best impression on tourists (Kelly- Holmes & Pietikäinen, 2011).

An authentic culture requires sustainable treatments to keep it intact. Sustainability has become an important aspect of the tourism sector in recent decades. This is since tourism activities have an impact on the ecological and socio-cultural environment (Fyall & Garrod, 1998). Sustainable tourism requires that tourism activities meet the social and economic needs of the present, but do not negatively affect the natural and cultural environment so that future generations also get the chance to enjoy the present environment (Fyall & Garrod, 1998). Accordingly, sustainable tourism can be understood as both a community-based and a resource-based approach. A community-based approach improves the quality of the community and contributes significantly to strengthen community and self-reliance (Hunter, 1997; Saarinen, 2006; Tsaur, Lin & Lin, 2006; Chambers, 1994). This approach encourages the active participation of the community in tourism decision-making processes because this reflects the interests of the community and the can take community profit out of this (Hall & Richards, 2002; Robinson, 1999). The resource-based approach, on the other hand, is concerned with communicating the economic, cultural, and social values of intangible cultural heritage. It is concerned with the protection of intangible heritage and the development of tourism and its potential to create positive and constructive relationships (Loulanski & Loulanski, 2011). This development could lead to a higher degree of autonomy for the community. However, the implementation of this development requires the awareness of the people who trigger the negative impacts of tourism. Such impacts could be, for example, the transformation of intangible cultural heritage into a good (Kim, Withford & Arcodia, 2019).

The tourism industry, especially in the field of cultural tourism, uses two views of strategy: the resource-based view and the market-based view (Peters, Siller & Matzler, 2011). However, it should be noted that the market-based view requires more financial resources than the resource- based view. This is because the resource-based view is based on already existing resources. Furthermore, it became clear that authenticity plays a decisive role in the creation of a unique service. In this context, it was also found that the resource-based view leads to the development of products for niche customers who place a very high value on authenticity. In contrast, the market-based view requires more effort to guarantee a certain level of quality across the standardized service process (Peters, Siller & Matzler, 2011).

According to Fyall & Garrod (1998), heritage tourism, as a destinations’ resource, is seen as an economic activity that uses its’ socio-cultural components to attract travelers. Local traditions can serve as attractions and include folkloric traditions, arts and crafts, ethnic history, social customs, and cultural celebrations (Hollinshead, 1988). In more detail, cultural heritage can also be seen as a phenomenon based on tourist motivations and perceptions (Poria, Butler & Airey, 2001).

Another interesting aspect in this context is the motivation of visitors by nostalgia: nostalgia for times gone by makes some tourists want to travel to foreign countries and learn about their traditions (Zeppel & Hall, 1991). Nostalgia is a universal collective word for looking back, people are nostalgic for old patterns of life and they want to experience them again in the form of tourism (Chhabra, Healy & Sills, 2003).

2.1.2 The Ladins and their Traditional Language

The Ladins are a particular linguistic minority in the Alpine region. The Ladin language is mainly spoken in three valleys of South Tyrol: in Alta Badia, Val Gardena, and Val Fascia. The first two valleys belong to the autonomous province of Bolzano, while the third belongs to the autonomous province of Trento. There are also three Ladin communities called Fadòm, Col, and Anpezo which belong to the province of Belluno (Walter, 2020).

If looking at other language minorities of comparable size, the preservation of the Ladin language has truly succeeded. Despite strong globalization in form of ever-growing mass tourism and the disintegrating traditional social structures, Ladin culture does not seem to be disappearing. The number of Ladin-speaking people has remained unchanged, and, in some valleys, it is even growing (Walter, 2020).

It seems that, in the case of the Ladins, the concepts of cultural extinction are not working. For this reason, many researchers are increasingly focusing on the socio-economic factors of language preservation. A remarkable and important contribution is the Survey Ladins (Dell'Aquila & Iannàccaro, 2006), a large sociolinguistic survey with about 3,200 participants from all Ladin communities. Very interesting data was collected from this survey, but it is believed that this was only a snapshot and that an important factor in the process of language preservation was overlooked, language policy and planning (Walter, 2020).

The Ladin language group gained recognition and acceptance for its cultural and linguistic distinctiveness after the Second World War and to a greater extent in the mid-1970s. Some communities receive financial support from the state to protect and maintain the language and culture. The efforts made for the preservation of culture and language during the past decades are visible in form of museums, cultural organizations, and associations (Walter, 2020).

In general, the history of the Ladins has often been marked by the aberrations of their own identity, and the valleys were long considered economically useless, but this changed drastically with the tourism boom. (Venzl, 2020) Today Alta Badia is one of the most flourishing tourist destinations in Alto Adige with about 760 businesses and about 210 thousand arrivals (ASTAT, 2020). Nevertheless, there are problems with the preservation and identity of the Ladin language. More and more innkeepers are adapting to their guests' language, but still, they try to introduce their own culture and language to the guests (Venzl, 2020).

To preserve the Ladin language and culture the cultural, artistic, musical and sports clubs and associations of the valleys are representing a big institution. In many associations the traditional costume is very important and a sign of devotion to the Ladin tradition. This is what touristic associations want to introduce to the tourists visiting their valleys. Alta Badia and Val Gardena for example, are mentioning Ladin culture and language in their brochures, websites and they also organize events that are supposed to inform vacationists about their tradition. These events consist of representations of the rural life of the past to show visitors, how the traditions were kept over hundreds of years. These actions also contribute to the long-term preservation of the Ladin language and tradition (Walter, 2020).

The study of this language group is interesting because it is one of the few that has survived so well and whose population is even growing. This language group has taken advantage of mass tourism and used it to communicate its own culture and impress tourists with it.

Table 1 shows the language ecology of the Badia Valley. Here, it can be seen that most people in this valley can speak Ladin at a high level. This means that they are very connected to the language and this is a proof of the ample survival of this language. The pride of a minority language group towards their culture attracts tourists because of its authenticity, as they are looking for authentic holiday experiences (Walter, 2020; MacCannell, 1976).

Community “Which language is “Can you speak the Ladin of your valley?” the easiest for you to speak?” “Ladin” “good” “ok” Mareo 86,3% 83,4% 14,7% San Martin de Tor 92,3% 89,7% 9,6% La Val 95,7% 90,6% 8,9% Badia 84,7% 82,9% 17,1% Corvara 78,1% 76,4% 17,9%

Table 1: Language Ecology of Val Badia adapted from Dell’Aquila & Iannàccaro (2006) Today, the Ladin valleys are also home to many other people, most of whom do not understand Ladin. This is usually not a problem, however, because most Ladins also speak Italian, German, or English. In the long run, however, the lack of knowledge of the language can become a problem. Most Ladin people switch to German or Italian if the other person does not understand Ladin. Nevertheless, a certain basic knowledge of the Ladin language is a prerequisite if you want to participate in social life. Many people who do not have Ladin as their mother tongue have stated that they learned Ladin on the side at work or on the street. However, learning this language is not that easy if you do not have experience in acquiring a second language. The efforts of the local Ladins to integrate the migrants are very great. Language courses are organized, and people are motivated to learn (Walter, 2020).

The language used towards tourists is completely different. Very specific language is used in the texts and audio materials provided to them. Especially the translations into German and Italian have a very special characteristic. Since Italian and Ladin derive from the Roman languages, it is easier for people of this language group to understand the Ladin language (even if only in chunks). Accordingly, many tourist texts and audio materials include isolated terms in Ladin. This makes the materials more authentic and more attractive for tourists. However, this is done in such a way that there are no comprehension problems (Fusari, 2009).

In this sense, it can be said that tourist language, especially tourist promotion, has interdiscursivity as one of its defining traits. These texts and audio materials have a very high capacity to inform, entertain and persuade at the same time. All these materials are always best adapted to their purpose in terms of language and the destination or product. This is a successful strategy that has been embedded in this Alpine space where multilingualism is an important part of everyday life. Moreover, this way of communicating with traveler serves to promote the local language and culture and thus to protect and preserve it (Fusari, 2009).

2.1.3 Conclusion: Up- and Downsides of Cultural Tourism

It may be that tourism interferes with the normal expansion of the local minority language and disrupts its natural flow. This happened for example with the Catalan language in Spain: it turned out that the Catalan language is found only to a limited extent in the linguistic landscape. The drivers of mass tourism are a barrier to a more extensive introduction of the language into the tourist language landscape. Under these conditions, the minority language has little chance of becoming a part of the holiday experience of tourists in Spain (Bruyèl-Olmedo & Juan- Garau, 2015).

Numerous studies (Mercer, 1994; Greenwood, 1989; Moowfroth & Munt, 1998) show that tourism has a kind of ripple effect that has a social impact on the cultural environment and can even destroy it if this local culture is used as a tourism attraction. This can lead to increased social tension and, in the worst case, cause a socio-cultural breakdown. For instance, Australian Aborigines have no autonomy in the current cultural context; if they did, they could choose to restrict or refuse tourist activities. Most Aborigines do not want any contact with strangers at all (Dyer, Aberdeen & Schuler, 2003).

A study on the land diving ritual of southern Pentecost, one of the 83 islands that make up the South Pacific island nation of Vanuatu, showed that tourism increases community tensions when traditional culture is commercialized. It has been found that tourism and traditional culture are very vulnerable to disputes. Especially in terms of control, income, and ideology. It is now common knowledge that a living heritage is subject to the vicissitudes of context, utility, and circumstances. While in the past the aim was to strictly avoid the commercialization of living heritage, this effort has now been abandoned (Cheer, Reeves & Laing, 2013).

Due to the ongoing commercialization of culture, vacation regions will have to be even more innovative in their development, management, and cultural marketing in the future to ensure long-term success. This is especially the case if the region wants to get the highest benefit from cultural marketing (Richards, 2010).

Vacation regions will face various challenges in the future (Richards, 2010):

• One of the biggest issues is funding, as culture is seen as a necessity to which everyone should have access. Cultural goods and services are usually priced very low to make this possible. • The establishment of sustainable relationships and the preservation of cultural resources could become a problem, as the desire of tourists to experience the local and authentic culture could conflict with the local population. • The integration of development strategies that make the destination more attractive for visitors and increase the quality of life of the local population will be necessary for the future. • Dealing with multicultural societies is becoming increasingly important. These can endanger the cultural image of a destination but also become a resource for cultural tourism as diversity.

To sum up, in this section, important connections between tourism and culture were presented, especially important here is the definition of minorities. Both the side of the visitors and the locals with their advantages and disadvantages illuminated. The interest of tourists in the culture, traditions, and traditional language of a place is explained here, as well as the interrelated aspects that motivate a tourist to return to a vacation destination. It also shows the added value that the local population provides to the destination through its participation in tourism, and how this contributes to its authenticity. In addition, the Ladin population and its culture and lifestyle are briefly presented, as well as the expression of their traditional language in the valley where they live. It is also explained how this traditional language is used in dealing with tourists. In conclusion, the up and downsides of cultural tourism are pointed out to be able to highlight the contrasts within this topic.

2.2 Customer Experience in Tourism

Before customer experiences can be defined and explained in detail, it is important to understand another closely related aspect, customer loyalty. The definition of customer loyalty is to some extent controversial. The most widely used is the one of Jacoby & Kvner (1973). They describe customer loyalty as an influenced response expressed over time by a decision- making entity, with consideration of one or more alternative brands, and as a function of a psychological process. Oliver (1999), on the other hand, criticizes this definition and defines customer loyalty as “a deeply held commitment to rebuy or patronize a preferred product or service consistently in the future, causing repetitive same brand or same brand-set purchasing, despite situational influences and marketing efforts” (Oliver, 1999, p.34).

Besides the exact definition of customer loyalty, it is also particularly important to know about mediating effects. These effects allow modeling the constant influences of competition, advertising, service failure, and external influences that make an existing customer vulnerable. A distinction is made between supporters and vulnerabilities (McMullan & Gilmore, 2008). Supporters keep a customer with a brand or company, while vulnerabilities move the customer to substitutes. Once a customer has found a product or service with which he is satisfied, he is less inclined to look for alternatives and therefore less responsive to advertising from other suppliers (Oliver, 1999).

Customer loyalty goes through four different stages, depending on the level of commitment customers develop towards a product or service. The four stages include (1) "cognitive loyalty" in which customers decide according to their evaluation of the costs and benefits associated with the product or service. (2) "affective loyalty" which represents the customer's feelings towards the product or service because of using the product or experiencing the service. (3) "conative loyalty" in which customers form behavioral patterns based on positive experiences with the product or service and (4) "action loyalty" in which customers become habitual buyers of the brand of a particular product and engage in positive word of mouth (Oliver, 1997).

The determinants of customer loyalty, quality, value, and satisfaction are also particularly important in the tourism sector. They play a crucial role in the decision-making process of tourists. Although there has already been a lot of research in this field, it is necessary to deepen the understanding of these determinants and that relevant theories and methodologies in this context continue to be improved by introducing new variables and/ or modified frameworks (Oh & Parks, 1996).

From the preceding discussion, it follows that also the satisfaction of human needs is a crucial factor for customer loyalty. It has been shown that ritual, utopian, and mythical features of travel make a significant contribution to satisfying human needs in terms of security, activity, and pluralism. In this way, the travel culture of Western countries has played a vital role in strengthening cultural identity (Müller & Thiem, 1995).

Customer loyalty develops during the customer's experience with the product or service. It has already been proven that customer loyalty results from the successful management of the individual customer experience. The customer experience includes three components: functional clues, humane clues, and mechanic clues (Donnelly, 2009).

Developing a memorable experience is the most important task in the accommodation industry (Pizam, 2010). The reason for this is that the positive experiences of tourists lead them to revisit a destination and create positive word-of-mouth (Woodside, Caldwell & Albers-Miller, 2004). However, it is not so easy to satisfy a tourist, as he is not impressed by banalities, but is looking for an authentic holiday experience (MacCannell, 1976). However, the authenticity of a holiday destination is not stable, it is fluid or emergent because cultures and societies are constantly changing (Cohen, 1979).

A tourist's experience-seeking behavior cannot simply be explained by their travel motivation (Wing Sun Tun & Ritchie, 2011). Accordingly, Cohen (1979) defined tourist experience as the relationship between people and their view of the world concerning the place they perceive as the center to the society to which they belong. To understand this concept, it is necessary to know a little more about satisfactory experiences. We perceive satisfaction as the result of a holiday experience, but a satisfactory experience can be captured as a congruence between need and performance. Dissatisfaction, on the other hand, can be seen as the gap between expectation and experience (Ryan, 1997).

Every tourist has different interests and backgrounds, which means that the interpretation of a product is always different (Ooi, 2005). Moreover, it should be considered that voyagers will always have different experiences, even if they do the same activity in the same place. This is because each draw different feelings and moods from these experiences and thus interprets them differently. Even if all individuals claim that they enjoyed the experience, it does not mean that each of them will carry a memorable experience from it (Ooi, 2005). For this reason, the subjective interpretation of tourists towards an object is continuously considered, rather than just the reaction to the object itself (Uriely, 2005).

To gain a better understanding of tourism experiences, numerous researchers have identified several experiential components. These components strongly influence tourist experiences and ultimately lead to memorability (Kim, Withford & Arcodia, 2012).

Factors Relevant Literature Involvement Bloch & Richins, 1983; Blodgett & Granbois, 1992; Celsi & Olson, 1988; Park & Hastak, 1994; Sanbonmatsu & Fazio, 1990; Swinyard, 1993 Hedonism Dunman & Mattila, 2005; Lee, Dattilo, & Howard, 1994; Mannell & Kleiber, 1997; Otto & Ritchie, 1996 Happiness Bolla, Dawson, & Harrington, 1991 Pleasure Farber & Hall, 2007; Kroll-Smith & Floyd, 1997; Gunter, 1987 Relaxation Howard et al., 1993; Mannell, Zuzanek, & Larson, 1988 Stimulation Arnould & Price, 1993; Bolla, Dawson & Harrington, 1991; Howard et al., 1993; Obenour et al., 2006; Samdahl, 1991 Refreshment Howard et al., 1993; Hull & Michael, 1995; Samdahl, 1991 Social Interaction Ap & Wong, 2001; Arnould & Price, 1993; Bolla, Dawson, & Harrington, 1991; Howard et al., 1993; Obenour et al., 2006; Samdahl, 1991 Spontaneity Gunter, 1987 Meaningfulness Bruner, 1991; Jamal & Hollinshead, 2001; Noy, 2004; Wilson & Harris, 2006 Knowledge Otto & Ritchie, 1996 Challenge Lee, Dattilo, & Howard, 1994; Mannell & Iso-Ahola, 1987 Sense of separation Gunter, 1987 Timelessness Gunter, 1987 Adventure Blackshaw, 2003; Gunter, 1987 Personal relevance Bloch & Richins, 1983; Blodgett & Granbois, 1992; Celsi & Olson, 1988; Park & Hastak, 1994; Sanbonmatsu & Fazio, 1990; Swinyard, 1993 Novelty Dunman & Mattila, 2005; Farber & Hall, 2007 Escaping pressure Hull & Michael, 1995; Lee, Dattilo, & Howard, 1994 Intellectual cultivation Blackshaw, 2003

Table 2: Components of the Tourist Experience, adapted from Kim, Ritchie & McCormick (2012)

Researchers have identified several factors that increase the memorability of an event: affective feelings, cognitive evaluations, and novel events (Kim, Ritchie & McCormick, 2012). Affective thoughts are an important part of memory, according to which events that are coupled with emotions stick in memory much more easily than others (Brewer, 1988).

Robinson (1976) found that object and activity words only produce emotionally neutral memories, while affect words were found to be a part of autobiographical memories. Moreover, individual cognitive evaluations like meaningfulness and challenge were found to enhance the recollection of a memory (Kim, Ritchie & McCormick, 2012). During the examination of the memory process, it was found that there is a link between the depth of cognitive processing and the memory of the individual. The depth of cognitive processing is defined as the degree of semantic or cognitive analysis that processes or reinforces stimuli. Thus, memory elaborates stimuli that are already known or meaningful faster and at a deeper level (Craik & Lockhart, 1972). Of course, such stimuli are also better retained in memory than others. This is also the reason why special non-everyday events are more easily remembered than typical events that we encounter every day (Rajaram, 1996; Reder, Donavos & Erickson, 2002; Schmidt, 1991).

It has also been found that affective feelings, such as being sociable, pleasant, happy, irritated, guilty, sad, and worried are part of an individual’s memorable experience (Larsen & Jenssen, 2004; Wirtz et al., 2003). Even if an individual cannot remember certain experiences, it is still possible for them to recollect the positive and negative emotions associated with the holiday (Kim, Ritchie & McCormick, 2012).

The challenge that accommodation providers face is to influence tourists' attitudes and conceptualize and correctly measure a satisfying holiday experience (Wang Sun Tun & Ritchie, 2011). The concepts of expressive and instrumental attributes have been used for some time in measuring the satisfaction of a guest. Expressive indicators include the action of the experience itself, for example, skiing, while instrumental indicators act as facilitators to achieve the positive experience, for example, the ski slope (Yoon & Uysal, 2008). Instrumental factors are linked to mental attributes and cause dissatisfaction when missing (Mang, Tepanon & Uysal, 2008). Expressive factors are more linked to emotions and contribute to a tourist's satisfaction as they link emotions in vacationers' memories to the event in question (Coghlan & Pearce, 2010). In this sense, satisfaction is a construct that combines affective, cognitive, and behavioral elements. Both instrumental and expressive factors contribute to overall tourist satisfaction (Pearce, 2005).

However, there is still one important factor that plays a crucial role in the tourist experience: service quality. There is a strong link between service quality and customer satisfaction (Ekinci, Riley & Chen, 2001). In recent decades, service quality has become a major area of attention for many entrepreneurs, managers, and researchers because of its great impact on business performance, lower costs, customer satisfaction, customer loyalty, and profitability (Guru, 2003; Sureshchander, Rajendran & Anantharaman, 2002; Newman, 2001; Lasser et al., 2000; Hallowell, 1996; Cronin & Taylor, 1992). Service quality can be described as the comparison customers make between their expectations and the actual service (Parasuraman, Zeithaml & Berry, 1994; Grönroos, 1984; Lewis & Boom, 1983).

An experience is subjectively perceived by an individual engaged in an event that takes place on an emotional, physical, spiritual, and/or intellectual level. Based on this idea, Pine & Gilmore (1998) have formulated four realms of experience: entertainment, educational, aesthetic, and escapist. Escapist experiences involve a greater immersion of the client in active participation and consequently a deeper immersion in the experience. This idea corresponds to Cary's (2004) description of the serendipitous moment as the moment “that simultaneously produces the tourist-as-subject” (p. 63). Once that moment is over, the tourists feel that they have almost no influence on their experience. This is where an escapist moment turns into an aesthetic experience (Pine & Gilmore, 1998).

A positive tourist experience, according to a study by Morgan (2006), is one of choice, shared experiences, moments of amazement, fringes at the heart, local distinctiveness, and positive values. The Canadian Tourism Commission (2004) has identified how a destination can create memorable experiences by fully engaging travelers and thus increasing customer loyalty. The Commission has focused on five fundamental points: first, the role of the tour guide in creating memorable experiences; second, the local specialists who connect visitors with the local community; third, the element of surprise, both positive and negative, planned, and spontaneous; and last, the free time and flexibility to allow tourists to discover for themselves.

Looking at the previous thoughts, it is important to understand the connection between memories and experiences. Many studies have shown that the interpretation of experiences is based on narratives. Narratives are knowledge structures that consist of a sequence of thematically and temporally connected events and have a beginning, the main part, and an end (Adaval & Wyer, 1998).

Several factors underline the importance of storytelling in understanding tourist experiences. Tourists create stories during their experiences and share them as memories with other individuals (Moscardo, 2010). Moreover, stories told by others significantly influence the destination brand (Hollenbeck, Peters & Zinkham, 2008). The management of a destination should therefore support the creation of consistent stories out of the destination's own experiences (Pine & Gilmore, 1998). Storytelling shapes memories and impressions of events over time (McGregor & Holmes, 1999). In summary, storytelling operates in two directions, consolidating and evoking experiences from memories (Wing Sun Tun & Ritchie, 2011).

In this chapter, the literature has shown the importance of memories, experiences, and memorable experiences for tourism. The link between customer loyalty and tourist experience has been shown, as well as the link to customer satisfaction in terms of service quality. The emotions involved in an experience have been identified by the researchers as particularly important. Not only for the visitors but especially for the destination itself, as these emotions contribute to the return of the customer. Likewise, important aspects of the tourist experience for destination marketing were highlighted, such as storytelling.

2.3 Tourism in South Tyrol

Tourism in the Alps has developed into an important economic factor over the last 50 years. The main impact of this development has certainly been the provision of sources of income and new jobs, which has been a welcome innovation in this region. Until then, this part of the Alpine region lacked economic income alternatives to farming in general (Tschurtschenthaler & Margreiter, 2001).

The small-scale farming structure in the Alpine region is the basis of many positive effects of Alpine tourism for the local population. On international tourism markets, recent changes have led to completely different activities than in the past. Even just a change in business structure would mean a lasting change in the functions of Alpine tourism. The fact that these functions have been the basis for the benefits of Alpine tourism for the local population raises the question of the possible consequences of large structures in Alpine tourism. As a breeding ground for large corporations that sell nature without any sense of regional society, this economic sector is losing much of its importance for the Alpine region (Pechlaner & Tschurtschenthaler, 2003).

The most important tourist destination in the Alpine area is the northernmost region of Italy, South Tyrol. Tourism in South Tyrol has experienced a remarkable revival in recent decades. Last year alone, South Tyrol had almost 7 million arrivals and about 40 million overnight stays with almost 10,500 businesses (ASTAT, 2019; ASTAT, 2020).

The most important markets for tourism in South Tyrol are mainly Germany and Italy, but other countries such as Belgium, Austria, Switzerland, and the rest of Europe are also of great importance (ASTAT, 2019; ASTAT, 2020).

The nationality of the guests differs only slightly between the summer and winter seasons. In winter, approximately 37.6% of South Tyrol's guests are German and 36% Italian, followed by Swiss and other European nationalities (ASTAT, 2019; ASTAT, 2020).

In summer, there are much more German guests (53%) than Italian guests (29.4%), followed by Swiss and Austrians (ASTAT, 2019; ASTAT, 2020).

Merano and its surroundings have the highest number of arrivals in the summer season with about 1 million guests, while in winter Brunico and its surroundings are ahead. This is because in summer the area around Merano enjoys a pleasant mild climate, while in winter Brunico with its Plan de Corones is a popular destination for skiers (ASTAT, 2019; ASTAT, 2020).

In summary, it can be said that German tourists predominate in South Tyrol in general (ASTAT, 2019; ASTAT, 2020).

Another important factor in the development of tourism in South Tyrol is the role of the tourism associations (Pechlaner & Sauerwein, 2002). These organizations were created to unite the service providers and tourism policy representatives of each place and region (Kaspar, 1995). They act as intermediaries between the local service providers and the tourism markets themselves (Pechlaner & Sauerwein, 2002).

Over the years South Tyrol has made various changes in its strategies (Pechlaner & Sauerwein, 2002):

• It has been given more impact force, speed, and flexibility to the market. • More energy has been put into improving tourism organizations. Functions, distribution of responsibilities, and cooperation with the markets have been improved. • The networking of the whole system has been improved in terms of a "multi-business structure".

• Clear division of non-delegable tourism-political guideline competence of the region and the autonomous executive competence of the tourism organizations.

There are different levels of tourism organizations, local, regional, national, and international. These show different forms of integration in terms of cooperation and destination formation (Manente & Cerato, 2000).

Figure 3: Market orientation vs Product orientation (Pechlaner & Sauerwein, 20029

Figure 3 illustrates that local tourism organizations are more concerned with product development and guest care, while regional tourism organizations are more focused on marketing activities (Pechlaner & Sauerwein, 2002).

South Tyrol has already understood what guests want to experience during their holiday. The focus was already placed on the integration of traditional factors some time ago. A good embedding of South Tyrolean cuisine, art, and culture into the tourist offer is of crucial importance to provide guests with an unforgettable experience. The study of Pechlaner & Fischer (2006) indicates that food will play an increasingly important role in the future and therefore a great deal should be invested in the further development of traditional cuisine. A good idea in this context would be to promote cooperation between hoteliers and agricultural professionals (Pechlaner & Fischer, 2006).

It is obvious, that the culture and tradition of South Tyrol plays a decisive role. Of course, the landscape and nature are beautiful, but visitors do not only spend their holidays here for this reason. This brings great joy and pride to the inhabitants of South Tyrol that their country is so appreciated by so many nationalities (Lonardi, Martini & Hull, 2020).

In a summary, South Tyrol was presented as a tourist destination in this section. The main market for this place was briefly presented and how the different nationalities are divided among the seasons. In addition, the accommodation establishments of South Tyrol were summarized in figures to give a better understanding of why this northernmost region of Italy is considered so strongly touristic.

2.4 Summary and Outlook

After this extensive literature review, it can be summarized that the connection between tourists, the culture, and language of a holiday destination is very strong, as they perceive them as valuable (Cheer, Reeves & Laing, 2013). This is due to experiences that are linked to strong positive emotions. These positive emotions lead to the guest being satisfied with their holiday experience (Coghlan & Pearce, 2010). Experiences that are coupled with emotions become much more strongly anchored in memory (Brewer, 1988). Therefore, vacationers are so interested in the traditional languages and culture of a holiday destination, which also encourages the local population to share their own culture (Whitney-Squire, 2016). This can be seen especially in South Tyrol, where a very old retro roman language minority lives in a valley. The Ladin language minority represents a great value for both the destination and the tourists (Pechlaner, Lange & Raich, 2011).

However, it is not only the perception of the culture and the traditional language itself that becomes an issue here but also the involvement of travelers in the everyday life of the local population. An example would be a study by Wu, Xie & Tsai (2015), in which visitors were involved in salt processing and found this particularly exciting. This is exactly what happens in South Tyrol, where specific courses revolving around the traditions of the destination are offered (ASTAT, 2019).

A lot of research has already been done in this area, but all this information reveals a research gap. Most research has been done on how local people behave concerning to their own culture and tourists (Pechlaner, Lange & Raich, 2011), but not much is known in the opposite sense. Existing studies show that visitors perceive the culture of the holiday destination as valuable, but not exactly what role this aspect plays for them and what different elements in culture motivate them to return to a holiday destination. This leads again to the research question of this study:

“What role does the traditional language of a place play for the experience of tourists on the example of the Ladin community in South Tyrol?”

With this summary, the empirical part of this paper will now proceed to explore this research gap.

3. Methods

Extensive analysis of articles dealing with the topic to be researched has shown that here the qualitative research method is best suited for data collection. More specifically, the direct questioning method of interviewing. The research interview is one of the most important qualitative methods for collecting data. It is used for both field studies and ethnographic research (Qu & Dumay, 2011). This research strand is very valuable for qualitative research, yet there is a risk that the interviewees are not competent and only tell the moral truth. This means they are not telling about their real experiences, feelings, and values, but only acting in the service of science (Alvesson, 2003).

Conducting qualitative interviews requires intensive listening and constant notetaking. The interview must be carefully planned, and the interviewer must prepare accordingly. To do good qualitative interview research, the interviewer must have a good basic knowledge of the area to be researched so that they can formulate targeted and relevant questions. In terms of interview design, it is important to plan who will be interviewed, how many people will be interviewed, what type of interview will be used, and how the data collected will be analyzed and evaluated (Doyle, 2004). Interviewing requires “a respect for and curiosity about what people say, and a systematic effort to hear and understand what people tell you” (Rubin & Rubin, 1995, p.17).

Interviews offer researchers extensive insight into the world of other people. However, it can sometimes be confusing to understand someone else's point of view. Even if the interviewer and the interviewee speak the same language, two different meanings may be attached to the same word. This can be due to cultural as well as social reasons. Accordingly, communication can become more difficult when people have different views of the world (Qu & Dumay, 2011). Therefore, some researchers criticize this kind of research. They perceive interviews as a qualitative research method as "unreliable, impressionistic and not objective" (Denzin & Lincoln, 2000, p.12).

Interviews are seen as casual everyday conversations that have no added value to the research (Hannabuss, 1996). Nevertheless, overall, if the interview is well and thoughtfully planned, this research method can produce a rich set of data (Qu & Dumay, 2011).

There are many types of interview methods to gain insight into the different facets of a situation. The two best-known interview forms are the focus group interview and the in-depth interview (Gubrium & Holstein, 2001). The different types of interviews differ in the types of questioning itself, such as the degree of emphasis on culture, the choice of boundaries of the study, and specific types of information sought (Rubin & Rubin, 1995). This method can be described as the art of interviewing and interpreting (Qu & Dumay, 2011). Interviews can take place as individual or group interviews. An example is the focus group interview, where a certain number of people are interviewed at the same time. The questioning is done by the moderator, who is called the interviewer in an individual interview (Doyle, 2004).

3.1 Data Collection

For the research conducted in this master thesis, individual interviews are used. There are three different types of individual interviews: structured, semi-structured, and unstructured. The semi-structured version is used, which is the most used qualitative research method (Alvesson & Deetz, 2000). The semi-structured interview contains prepared questions that are guided by overarching issues and themes. This leads to more mature and precise answers from the respondents. The focus of the work is therefore on the development of the interview guide, which is divided into various broad topics followed by subordinate questions. Interview guidelines go from highly structured to relatively loose. However, all guidelines have the same purpose, which is to ensure that the same thematic approach is followed during the interview (Qu & Dumay, 2011). This research is based on a very rough interview guideline. The questions are kept very broad and there are only a few supporting follow-up questions. Furthermore, the the interviewee’s permissions to be audio-recorded for the subsequent analysis was acquired and they were assured that any personal information would be anonymized. For better understanding, the interview guideline is given below in the original languages. Subsequently the German interview guideline is situated for a better understanding of the interview structure.

Interview Guideline (German)

Introduction

Guten Tag XX, ich führe heute im Rahmen meiner Masterarbeit mit euch dieses Interview zum Thema Urlaubserfahrungen in Südtirol durch. Vielen Dank, dass ihr euch Zeit genommen habt, um mich im letzten Schritt meines Masterstudiengangs zu unterstützen. Ich werde euch einige Fragen stellen, auf die ihr mit eurer persönlichen Meinung und euren persönlichen Erfahrungen antworten dürft. Um euren Beitrag besser aufarbeiten zu können würde ich gerne das Interview aufzeichnen und später transkribieren. Dies erfolgt alles unter anonymen Bedingungen. Eure Aussagen werden später nicht auf eure Person zurückzuführen sein. Seid ihr damit einverstanden?

Visiting South Tyrol

Als erstes möchte ich euch fragen, warum ihr das Pustertal als euren Urlaubsort gewählt habt, und was ist euch von eurem Urlaub im Pustertal am meisten in Erinnerung geblieben?

Wie empfindet ihr die einheimische Kultur in Südtirol und insbesondere im Pustertal? Minority of Ladins

Nun möchte ich euch ein Video zeigen, das ihr nun bitte einfach nur auf euch wirken lassen sollt. Ich werde euch nachher einige Fragen dazu stellen.

Wie empfindet ihr dieses Video? Wie würdet ihr euch in dieser Situation direkten Kontaktes mit der ladinischen Kultur fühlen?

Hattet ihr schon einmal direkten Kontakt mit der ladinischen Sprache?

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The advantages of the semi-structured interview are flexibility, accessibility, intelligibility, and finally the ability to reveal important often hidden facets of human and organizational behavior (Kvale & Birkmann, 2009). Precisely because the interview is conducted in an everyday language form, it is possible to elicit whole answers from the respondents. They can express themselves in their own words and thus say exactly what they think. It is in the particular interest of the interviewer to find out how the interviewee perceives his or her social environment (Qu & Dumay, 2011).

Conducting a semi-structured interview requires great respect and planning before, during, and after the interview in terms of how the questions are asked and how the answers are interpreted (Qu & Dumay, 2011).

The definition of the questions is often difficult. If questions are not chosen correctly, an interview can quickly degenerate into a normal conversation, if not a chat, and this is a lost opportunity (Hannabuss, 1996). Access to interviewees can also be difficult, so this undertaking should not be taken lightly, but carefully planned (Qu & Dumay, 2011).

Four important interviewing skills should be followed. The first is the ability to connect with the interviewee. The second is to keep the discussion going and avoid questions that could weaken the discussion. An example of this would be one-word questions that can only be answered with yes or no. Thirdly, the interviewer should know when to interrupt the interviewee and at what pace. Finally, the interviewer should take a neutral position and not be judgmental and should be patient and wait in moments of silence until the interviewee starts talking again (Hannabuss, 1996).

Shensul, Shensul & LeCompte (1999) also suggest three principles to maintain the quality of an interview. The first principle is the ability to maintain the flow of the interviewee's story. Secondly, the relationship or rapport between interviewer and interviewee should always remain positive and thirdly, the interviewee should not be biased.

The interview can get misleading very quickly by the interviewer, for example by redirecting the narrative or interrupting it, rushing the interviewer, and prematurely interrupting the narrative. Positive relationships with the interviewee can be maintained by allowing them to tell the story completely freely, without even receiving non-verbal signals such as surprise or shock. It is also important that the hospitality of the interviewee is accepted (Kvale, 1996).

This means that the interviewer should not include leading questions or disregard topics that the interviewee has raised.There are different types of questions, all based on literature, such as this list on the typography of questions by Kvale (1996, pp.133-5).

Types of questions Purpose of questions Some examples 1. Introducing questions To kick start the conversation “Can you tell me about…” and move to the main “Do you remember an interview occasion when…” 2. Follow-up questions To direct questioning to what Nodding, “mm”, Repeating has just been said significant words 3. Probing questions To draw out more complete “Could you say something narratives more about that?” “Can you give a more detailed description of what happened?” 4. Specifying questions To develop more precise “What did you think then?” descriptions from general “How did your body react?” statements “What did you do when you felt like this?” 5. Direct questions To elicit direct responses “Have you ever received money for good grades?” 6. Indirect questions To pose projective questions “How do you believe other pupils regard the competition of grades?” 7. Structuring questions To refer to the use of key “I would now like to questions to finish off one introduce another topic…” part of the interview and open another, or to indicate when a theme is exhausted by breaking off long irrelevant answers 8. Silence To allow pauses, so that the interviewees have ample time to associate and reflect,

and break the silence themselves with significant information 9. Interpreting questions Similar to some forms of “You than mean that…?” probing questions, to “Is it correct that you feel that rephrase an interviewee’s …?” answer to clarify and interpret rather than to explore new information 10. Throw away questions To serve a variety of “Oh, I forgot to ask you…?” purposes, i.e., to relax the subject when sensitive areas have been breached.

Table 3: Types of interview questions with examples, adapted from Kvale (1996, pp. 133-5) After selecting the appropriate qualitative research method, one of the most important steps in any qualitative research project is the proper selection of the sample. This step is so important because it makes no sense to involve whole populations in a project, instead, a group is selected that best represents the given population (Marshall, 1996).

The most commonly used method for selecting a sample is random or probability samples. In a random sample, the nature of the population is defined, and all members of that population have the same chance of being selected for the sample. Stratified random sampling and area sampling are variants of random sampling that allow subgroups of a population to be studied in more detail (Marshall, 1996).

Random sampling allows the generalization of research results to an entire population, but it is not the most effective way to understand complex human behavior.

Therefore, there are three other sampling strategies (Marshall, 1996):

• Convenience sample: This method selects the most accessible subjects. This is the least costly method in terms of money, time, and effort. The disadvantage is that the research may prove to be of inferior quality.

• Judgment sample: This is the most widely used method. The researcher selects people who are best suited to answer the research question. The question to be asked here is what variables influence the individual's answers based on the interviewer's knowledge. This is a more intellectual method in which the researcher can categorize his subjects according to public attitudes or beliefs. • Theoretical sample: This method is about building interpretative theories from the data obtained. A new sample is then selected to further revise and test this theory. This method is mainly used for the grounded theory approach.

In this study, judgment sampling is used, as the subjects to be interviewed must meet certain criteria. For this research to yield significant results, the subjects must have the following characteristics: they need to have spent at least two holidays in South Tyrol/ Val Pusteria, they have to belong to either the German or Italian language group and they should already have been in contact with the local culture. The research question can only be answered with a certain prior knowledge of the subjects regarding the native culture of South Tyrol.

Therefore, I selected my interview partners very carefully and found 16 partners who supported me in the data collection. These are 10 German-speaking and 6 Italian-speaking tourists, most of whom have spent their holidays in South Tyrol since childhood. This table provides a better overview of the interview partners according to their country of origin, age, and gender.

Interview Partner Origin Age Gender Interview Partner 1 Germany (Dresden) 24 male Interview Partner 2 Germany (Euskirchen) 62 male Interview Partner 3 Germany (Euskirchen) 45 female Interview Partner 4 Germany (Odenthal) 60 male Interview Partner 5 Germany (Dresden) 21 female Interview Partner 6 Germany (Riesa) 56 male Interview Partner 7 Germany (Riesa) 55 female Interview Partner 8 Germany (München) 23 female Interview Partner 9 Italy (Tortona) 53 female Interview Partner 10 Italy (Tortona) 58 male Interview Partner 11 Germany (Tharandt) 56 female Interview Partner 12 Germany (Tharandt) 58 male

Interview Partner 13 Italy (Lonate) 52 female Interview Partner 14 Italy (Lonate) 24 male Interview Partner 15 Italy (Roma) 57 male Interview Partner 16 Italy (Roma) 56 female

Table 4: Demographics of interview partner Adequate sample size is particularly important to ensure that the research question is adequately answered. Normally, the number of subjects needed emerges during data collection, and it is noticeable that the data collection is saturated as soon as no new categories, themes or explanations emerge from the interviews. The whole process of qualitative data collection needs a lot of preparation. Be it in the understanding of the sample or the data collection as well as in the interpretation of the results. Therefore, it is very difficult to make predictions about the actual size of the sample (Pound et. al, 1995).

In qualitative data collection, the interviewer and the interviewee must be on the same level. It is especially important that the interviewed party feels comfortable and can open up. For this to succeed, the ethical guideline for research with human subjects must be followed (Lune & Berg, 2017). Four ethical issues should be given special attention in qualitative data collection:

• Impose no harm. This is about ensuring that the interviewee is not exposed to harm during data collection. This rule is usually supported by a governing body or research board. Accordingly, all boards follow similar ethical guidelines to protect the interviewee (Qu & Dumay, 2011). • Relationship-based ethics. This is about creating a friendly relationship with the interviewee. The interviewee should not feel exploited or used but should be given security and support. However, some rules must also be followed here. The interviewer must not take advantage of his position but must use his power carefully (Punch, 1986).

• Disclosure of research intent. There must be a certain balance between interviewer and interviewee. Especially in terms of how much of the research purpose is revealed to the interviewee. On the one hand, disclosing information about the research purpose can help build trust, but this information can also significantly influence the interviewee and steer the interview in a particular direction. Therefore, a debriefing should take place after the interview to educate the interviewee about the purpose of the research. This allows the interviewee to draw a line and conclude with the interview experience (Qu & Dumay, 2011). • Right to privacy and confidentiality. This right of the interviewee should remain unbroken in any case, especially when the interviewee talks about his or her private experiences. An interview should always be preceded by a consent form assuring the interviewee that his/her data will only be processed and disclosed in an anonymous way (Blumer, 1969).

A total of 16 people were contacted for this research, all of whom agreed to participate in the interviews. In most cases, it was very easy to make an appointment, usually the same day or the next day. Over three weeks, from 22nd February to 15th of March, all interviews were conducted and transcribed. The duration of the interviews was always between 15 and 40 minutes, depending on the talkativeness of the interviewees. Respondents from the Italian language group were more open and talkative than respondents from the German language group.

The Covid-19 crisis also put this research to the test. Since September 2020, there was no chance to accommodate any more guests in South Tyrol, hence, there was no way to conduct personal interviews. But with the available digital communication technologies, this problem could be solved. Most of the interviews were conducted via Zoom meetings, which worked very well. Three interviews were conducted via WhatsApp video calls because the respondents did not have the opportunity to participate in a Zoom meeting or because they preferred this method. The internet connection always kept stable, and the sound quality was always so good, that everything was understood. The video playback was also very good, all participants were able to receive it well. In addition, the guests were very happy to have contact again and to be able to talk a little about the holiday, which awakened certain anticipation in them.

In any research, at some point, the saturation point is reached where no new insights emerge from the interviews (Pound et. al, 1995). In this study, saturation was already achieved after the 14th interview. This was particularly noticeable in two interview questions: Firstly, the question about the motivation to travel to South Tyrol/Val Pusteria, and secondly, the tourists' attitude towards the culture and the traditional language. In terms of travel motivation, the feeling of home and the landscape/atmosphere were mentioned as the main motivators in the last 7 interviews. As far as culture and traditional language are concerned, the last 4 interviewees only repeated what the previous ones had mentioned. All of them said that tradition was very important and that as vacationists they had a lot of contact with it and appreciated the traditional language and found it authentic. In any case, it was very interesting to see how much the local culture of South Tyrol with its minority languages is appreciated and sought after. The early saturation underlined the importance of the results once again. To be on the safe side, two more interviews were conducted, which did not reveal any major news either, thus 16 interviews were reached.

3.2 Data Analysis

To analyze the data collected, a combination of qualitative content (Mayring, 2015) and thematic analysis was used. Thematic analysis is a method of identifying, analyzing, and reporting themes that emerge from the data collected (Braun & Clarke, 2006). This method organizes and structures the data and looks at the theme from different perspectives. This results in a wide range of interpretations (Boyatzis, 1998). However, the use of this method alone is often too little (Meehan, Vermeer & Windsor, 2000). Therefore, also qualitative content analysis was included in the evaluation. This is another method for recognizing patterns in qualitative data and is, overall, very similar to thematic analysis (Wilkinson, 2000). The qualitative content analysis allows researchers to analyze large amounts of data in a systematic and structured process to describe a certain phenomenon and to reduce the researched material to its most essential content. This means, that the interviews are analyzed step by step by elaborating categories and subcategories and coding the data (Mayring, 2015). Both include the process of coding and developing themes and sub-themes. The analysis aims to identify and report the patterns within the data by comparing codes and themes derived from the data (Braun & Clarke, 2006).

The main categories already emerged deductively before the data analysis; more precisely, the main categories correspond to the general structure of the interview guideline. After the transcription process, all transcripts were entered into MAXQDA and then coded through. The subcategories emerged when reviewing the empirical material. Keywords were used that were often mentioned by the interview partners and these were used to summarize various statements on the relevant topics. The subcategories are followed by a series of codes that serve to record and classify the quotes more precisely. These codes make it much easier to filter and interpret the results in the next step. Similarities become clearer from these codes. For this data analysis, both the deductive and inductive approaches were used to create categories (Kuckartz & Rädiker, 2019).

The following table is designed to make the structure of the coding process more visible:

Main Category Sub-categories Codes Quote Visiting South Tyrol Travel Motivation Traditional Food, “For us it is like a Homely feeling, second home. We Landscape and won't change Atmosphere, places for the Vacation as annual world.” (Interview ritual, Summer, 10, item 8) Winter, Price- Performance ratio

Memorable Summer Activities, “... that's why we Experiences Winter Activities, go there. We like Functionality of the traditions, the Infrastructures, language, the Traditional Food, people, we like it Local’s Attitude, all.” (Interview 1, Traditions, Weather item 26)

Culture Awareness Importance of “I always find the History, Visual cultures and Aspects, Importance traditions of other

of Traditions, Lack countries very of Contact, interesting and Characteristics of with you it is Locals, Connection really very to Nature present.” (Interview 3, item 6) Minority Languages Direct Contact No Contact, Contact, “So, it seems to Not Appealing, me that whoever Appealing, No speaks this Contact, Contact, language simply Positive Perception, has to be Negative Perception friendly.” (Interview 2, item 16) Cultural Involvement Importance of “...I thought that preservation, was good, because Connection with it's a tradition that destination, should be Negative Perception, preserved.” Positive Perception (Interview 4, item 23)

Table 5: Coding Structure To be able to code the statements properly after transcribing, the data processing program MAXQDA was used. This program allows to code the different transcripts in the same way and then eject all statements that refer to a code. It also minimizes errors in the coding process and makes the results easier to see.

In selecting the codes, mainly the categories of the interview guideline were followed. This made it easier to correctly assign the different statements. During the evaluation, further decisive codes emerged that were very useful in the interpretation of the results. The following figure better illustrates the different coding categories according to MAXQDA.

Figure 4: Screenshot Codes MAXQDA

4. Results

The research was prompted by a statement by Whitney-Squire (2016) that sees the need for future research into tourists' attitudes towards traditional language. This includes travelers' openness to and management of the value of this traditional language.

Interesting results emerge from the 16 interviews with German- and Italian-speaking visitors. Since all respondents are native German or Italian speakers, the interview excerpts that are quoted as this thesis commences, were translated into English. The results of the narrative interviews are divided into four different sections. The sections correspond to the categories that form the interview guideline. First, the voyagers' motivation for choosing the region of South Tyrol, and Val Pusteria in particular, as a holiday destination. This shows what motivates people to return. Secondly, the memories and experiences that the guests have remembered most over the years. These statements reveal what touches tourists emotionally and where their interests lie. Thirdly, the culture and traditional languages and how these are perceived by the travelers. This shows how much tourists in South Tyrol pick up from the local culture. Fourthly, the Ladin language in South Tyrol and how it is perceived by guests holidaying in the valley. What is important here is the perception of direct contact with the language by the tourist himself. The last section is the involvement of the guests in the local culture with all its languages and customs. Here it will be found out how involvement by the locals is perceived by the wayfarer.

4.1 Travel Motivation

The first issue was the subjects' motivation to travel and what made them choose Val Pusteria as their holiday destination. The motivation of people who choose South Tyrol, and in particular Val Pusteria, as a holiday destination lies in most cases in the landscape and the atmosphere of this region/valley. The mountain landscape, the meadows, and the clean air were mentioned most frequently. The atmosphere is meant to be down-to-earth, rural, which is conveyed by both the population and nature. The combination of beautiful weather, the vibrant colors of nature, and the almost unlimited possibilities to be active are described by tourists as "paradise".

“...when we came there for the first time it seemed like paradise...clearly the landscape is breathtaking and very, how to say, the first thing that amazes you is the beauty of this wonderful place...” (Interview 9, item 10)

The fact that the air in Val Pusteria is cleaner and fresher and that the temperature, especially in summer, is much more pleasant and invigorating than in the respondents' hometown was also mentioned.

“I really enjoyed it, from the first moment on. The air seemed much fresher and there wasn't the sultriness that we are used to in Milan. And then I also liked the landscapes a lot, because they are different from those in the mountains near here.” (Interview 14, item 8)

Some of the respondents felt that the colors of nature and the landscape were stronger and richer than in their hometown. Especially the meadows were perceived as far greener. It can be seen that special attention is given to colors.

“It's sunnier, to be sure. And greener. Even the meadow itself with the pinewoods, whereas here they have maybe more vegetation. In short, there is not only, yes, a bit of the Aosta Valley, but there is always something more than here. An extra gear.” (Interview 13, Pos. 8)

Another very interesting aspect is the feeling visitors feel when they travel to the region. A feeling of home and the feeling of being welcome and having arrived are mentioned particularly often and that is due to the locals. Because of the uncomplicated nature of the local people and their calm and harmonious manner, people feel comfortable and in good hands in South Tyrol. They appreciate the openness of the locals and the respect with which they treat travelers. Involving tourists in the daily traditional life of the locals makes them feel part of the valley and this gives them a feeling of belonging, therefore they come back regularly.

“The people are very pleasant and always give you the feeling that you belong to the family. You can feel that especially in your hotel, it's really wonderful.” (Interview 1, item 14)

“You always have the impression that you are welcomed in a friendly way, and that is a very important point why I always enjoy going to South Tyrol. It gives you the impression of arriving and also a bit of home.” (Interview 2, item 24)

“…you are not only welcomed as a guest; you are welcomed everywhere as a friend. Yes, whether it's in the hotel, on the buildings or even when shopping, it's always warm and friendly. That's actually why we chose Val Pusteria and why we always come back.” (Interview 6, Pos. 8)

It was very interesting to hear that some tourists of the Italian language group feel like something better when they spend their holidays in South Tyrol. The reason given is that in this region the infrastructures, the services, and the public utilities work. This is not the case especially in many places in Southern Italy. They admire the local people's respect for nature and the cleanliness of the towns, forests, and forests.

“When you come to Val Pusteria you adapt very well because everything is on a human scale. So, you adapt to beauty, to the beauty of all these things, to all these services. You feel better. It sounds silly, it sounds banal, but you feel like something better.” (Interview 15, Pos. 8)

Most of the respondents take their holidays in Val Pusteria on an annual basis and they are balanced between summer and winter stays. It is very interesting to see that summer and winter visitors are focused on very different things. Not the price or a specific offer, but very simple and down-to-earth things like the colors of the landscape and the weather. Guests who spend their holidays in South Tyrol in summer are particularly focused on the colors and smells that surround them. The colors of the landscape have a strong effect on them and evoke memories in them. Winter visitors, on the other hand, focus, particularly on the weather and snow conditions. Most winter visitors are immediately fascinated by the combination of beautiful weather and perfect snow conditions. This also has a high memory value.

“We went to a mountain hut somewhere and everything there was decorated with flowers, so there were lots of colors and it looked so beautiful.” (Interview 5, item 8)

“We mainly come in winter because Kronplatz is also a very beautiful skiing area. In my opinion, one of the most beautiful.” (Interview 1, item 10)

The financial side of the region was also mentioned, although only by one respondent. This person felt that the pre-performance ratio of Val Pusteria was a motivation to travel. The respondent said that such quality at such a price would be difficult to find anywhere else.

“You can't get better value for money anywhere else either, I think.” (Interview 1, item 10)

The following bar chart provides a better overview of the most important elements of the motivation to travel to South Tyrol. The four most frequently mentioned motivational elements were included in this diagram and listed separately according to the German and Italian language groups. This makes it possible to see which language group was driven the most by which motivational element. The German-language group is driven mostly by a sense of home and thus by the friendliness and attitude of the local population. The Italian language group, on the other hand, is particularly attracted by the landscape and atmosphere of the region. The chart also shows the seasons at which the different language groups visit the region. The Italian guests prefer the summer months, while the German guests take advantage of the winter months. This is mainly due to the mild summer climate and the almost perfect snow and weather conditions in winter.

Most valuable Aspects of Travel Motivation 8

0 Landscape/Atmosphere Homely Feeling Summer Winter

German Italian

Figure 5: Most valuable Aspects of Travel Motivation

4.2 Memorable Experiences

From their time in Val Pusteria, all guests take away memorable experiences that they will not forget that easily. These memorable experiences include summer as well as winter activities, experiences with local people, traditional food, traditions, and weather. The most frequently mentioned and most present memory of the interviewed guests is the experiences they had with locals. The attitude to life of the local population is highly appreciated by tourists and perceived as extremely positive. Especially the friendliness and hospitality are praised in high tones and seen as a trademark for this valley.

“And as I said, the people, they are just cuddly, they love you.” (Interview 7, item 8)

“The people. The people, the friendliness, the impression of being welcome. That's what always sticks with us and that's exactly why we come back.” (Interview 2, item 8)

Vacationists in South Tyrol are particularly active during the summer months. Many have fond memories of the activities they did on their summer holidays. These include hikes, tours by motorbike, but also visual and sensory aspects such as the colors of the flowers or the smell of freshly cut grass. And here again, you see the focus of summer visitors in terms of colors and smells.

“What I remember most are the beautiful autumn walks. The colors are so strong and the air so clear. It's really always a very beautiful experience.” (Interview 3, item 8)

“We went to a mountain hut somewhere and everything there was decorated with flowers, so there were lots of colors and it looked so beautiful.” (Interview 5, item 8)

The traditional food of the region is also often noted as a memorable experience. Many guests find South Tyrolean food to be a balanced mix between traditional and modern with a slight Italian touch. Some Interviewees even have a very specific dish in mind when they think of South Tyrolean food. For example, in interviews 9 and 10, the traditional fried apple cakes are mentioned several times, which even seem to have a strong connection with the feeling of home and the place itself. For this respondent, the traditional apple fritters have a very special meaning. Even just the smell of this dish is immediately associated with Val Pusteria. It was also very interesting to hear that the respondent associated a familiar voice with the apple fritters and thus also with the holiday resort itself.

“You know when I even hear your voice, I think of Riscone, the mountains, the fresh air, and the apple fritters.” (Interview 9, Pos. 6)

Another very important point in the tourists' memorable experiences is represented by the traditional language and traditions themselves. They like to hear the language and participate in traditional festivals.

“Yes, exactly, that's why we go there. We like the traditions, the language, the people, we like it all.” (Interview 1, item 26)

In addition to traditions, the weather was also mentioned relatively often. Some of the respondents feel that the weather in South Tyrol is nicer than in neighboring Austria and that this is a reason to spend their holidays in South Tyrol.

“Yes, we chose Val Pusteria because it is simply a sunny region. Compared to Austria or the Alpine region, there is a higher probability of good weather.” (Interview 6, item 8)

As can be seen in the following chart, tourists mentioned these four aspects most often in connection with their most memorable experiences: Summer and winter activities, the attitude of the locals and the weather conditions. Weather conditions are the most important memorable experience for the German language group, closely followed by winter activities and the attitude of the local people. Traditional food and summer activities were mentioned least as memorable experiences.

German

5 7

Summer Avtivities Winter Activities Local's Attitude Traditional Food Weather Conditions

Figure 6: Rating memorable Experiences German

In the case of the Italian language group, the most important memorable experiences are those related to summer activities, closely followed by the attitude of the local people and traditional food. However, the weather and winter activities were mentioned as memorable holiday experiences by only a few tourists.

Italian

Summer Activities Winter Activities Local's Attitude Traditional Food Weather Conditions

Figure 7: Rating memorable Experiences Italian

4.3 Culture Awareness

As far as culture awareness among South Tyrolean guests is concerned, some interesting aspects emerged. Only two of the respondents stated that they felt too little contact with the local culture to be able to say anything about it. The other respondents primarily stated that the traditions of this holiday destination are of great importance to them. Also, the characteristics of the local people in terms of their closeness to nature and their traditional occupations, such as farming. The traditional clothing of the farmers was also mentioned here. Guests especially like to visit the traditional festivals of the region and enjoy traditional food. Likewise, traditional crafts such as embroidery, bread baking, and sheep shearing were also found to be very interesting. Many guests enjoy visiting the traditional farmers' and craftsmen's markets that take place weekly in various villages during the summer.

“Your traditional costumes that you wear for occasions are also very beautiful. I think they are wonderful, but not only because, even there, there is a handing down of embroidery and things. In the Aurina valley, I have seen a lot of embroideries and I find this a wonderful thing because I find it very beautiful that even now, in 2021, there is still respect for these customs and these craft practices.” (Interview 9, item 14)

“I also really like it when I see how alive, how present the customs still are in your country.” (Interview 12, item 10)

“Another thing that's a bit trivial is to see these gentlemen sometimes walking around the village and sometimes even in Brunico wearing a blue apron, because they say, "I've finished my work in the country now, I've finished working with the animals, I'm going to go and have a beer now. It's not a problem to say, "I'll change first", because that's their dress, that's their way of being farmers. This is beautiful in my opinion.” (Interview 9, item 14)

“...of traditions for me in general throughout Italy is important, because every region, but also within your own region, every place has its own history.” (Interview 14, item 12)

Besides the traditions, the history of the region was also mentioned. Some of the interviewees were particularly knowledgeable about the history of the place and had also visited various historical sites. They particularly appreciated the care and maintenance of these places. Some respondents also mentioned the importance of the knowledge of the history of a holiday destination.

“So, it's only fair that when you go to visit a new place in terms of both food and festivals you get to know a bit of the history of the place.” (Interview 14, item 12)

“Also, from a historical point of view, places really where you can feel what people lived at that time. And you also had the very good idea to preserve them.” (Interview 9, item 18)

The visual characteristics also fascinated many of the interviewees: both the architecture and the craftsmanship. The mix of traditional and modern charm in the architecture was associated with the culture itself by some respondents. Likewise, the flair of the old farms and the ski huts are found very fascinating by many visitors. One respondent said that the farms and their inhabitants often look as if they had stood still 100 years ago, and this respondent finds this magical.

“I find the mix of traditional and modern very interesting.” (Interview 7, item 10)

“Everything is surrounded by a certain magic, the farms seem to have stopped a hundred years ago and even the old ladies who live there are as they were a century ago.” (Interview 13, item 10)

4.4 Traditional Language

Some of the respondents have stated that, apart from the culture, they also value the traditional language very much. However, most of the respondents referred to the German dialect, which is mainly spoken in Val Pusteria. To give the test persons a better connection to the traditional Ladin language, which is spoken in a neighboring valley of Val Pusteria, a video was shown to them in which Ladin was spoken. After the video in the Ladin language was shown to the respondents, they were asked to explain how they felt in contact with this language. Most of the respondents found the language itself very appealing and soft, even if they could understand almost no words.

“I think it is a very soft language and a very pleasant language.” (Interview 2, Item 16)

“So, for me, it would be an interesting experience. The language seems very friendly and bright. So, also very appealing, not so... so very soft.” (Interview 3, item 14)

As far as direct contact with the Ladin language at the holiday destination is concerned, about half of the respondents had direct contact once. This mainly took place in restaurants or public places, by listening to conversations between locals or by waiters in the restaurants.

All respondents who had direct contact with the Ladin language found it to be very positive, while only one respondent found it to be decidedly negative. The negative statement was justified by the fact that it was a stress factor if one could not understand anything on holiday. It was even taken so far that this would be a reason for the respondent not to choose this destination as a holiday destination.

“But I can’t do anything with Ladin itself. There is nothing at all that you can grasp.” (Interview 6, Item 14)

4.5 Involvement

The last issue was the involvement of the guests in the Ladin language. In this part of the interview, it was tried to put the test persons into a concrete situation of direct contact. They were asked to imagine themselves taking part in a cooking class held in Ladin. Such offers for guests are very common in Val Pusteria, the guests are supposed to establish a connection to the holiday destination. For most of the test persons, such an experience would be very interesting, and they would be willing to attend this course. In connection with the aspect of the involvement, interesting statements were made: Numerous respondents said that they consider the preservation of the traditional language and culture of a holiday destination to be particularly important.

“I always think it's nice how the population still cultivates this language. And that it is only a small grouping, but for me it simply has something to do with tradition and with the love of one's own country, to continue to preserve and maintain what the older generation has built up. That is the attachment to the country and the place.” (Interview 3, item 18)

“And this is something that I find really very beautiful and very essential because in any case, we should never forget where we come from, we should never forget the things that our grandparents, our great-grandparents passed down to us.” (Interview 9, item 14)

It also turned out that some respondents already feel very attached to Val Pusteria. The reason given for this is the traditional language. It is particularly impressive to hear that many guests already feel very connected to Val Pusteria holiday destination. Not only because of memories they have made with their family or friends, but also because of the traditional language. Some test persons said that just hearing the traditional languages of Val Pusteria catapulted them into a holiday and home feeling.

“Yes, these languages are also very much associated with the holiday destination itself.” (Interview 1, item 24)

“...just because the sound of the language gives me a holiday feeling and at the same time a homely feeling.” (Interviewee 8, Item 12)

5. Discussion

In this section, the results of the study conducted are discussed and compared with existing literature in the field of culture and traditional language in tourism. The aim is to develop a deeper understanding of how important tradition and traditional language are for tourists' experiences in a holiday destination. It has emerged, that many of the results of the study are in line with findings in the literature and have been confirmed by many authors.

According to Pizam (2010), the most important task of a holiday destination is to create a memorable tourist experience to ensure the return of the wayfarer. In this recent study, exactly this statement was confirmed. The memorable experiences of the interviewed tourists are strongly connected to the way of life and the attitude of the local population in South Tyrol. All interviewees stated that the open and friendly nature of the locals always made them feel welcome and as friends, not just as visitors. This kind of relationship with the local population is perceived as particularly positive by visitors and thus contributes significantly to the annual return of many vacationists. This aspect again confirms Pizam's (2010) finding that positive experiences in a holiday destination encourage tourists to visit it again.

According to Donnelly (2009), it can be concluded that the management of individual tourist experiences in South Tyrol works because good customer loyalty has been built up.

However, it is not that easy to satisfy a tourist, who is not impressed by banalities but is looking for an authentic holiday experience (MacCannell, 1976). The study also shows this statement to be true. Especially concerning the traditional Ladin language, the respondents feel that it is in their interest to preserve this language to maintain the authenticity of this destination. According to Cohen (1979), the authenticity of a holiday destination is not a stable variable, as society is constantly changing. Therefore, following the respondents' statements, the right mix of modern and traditional elements is what makes Val Pusteria and South Tyrol authentic in general. Traditions are preserved and combined with modern elements, as can often be seen in architecture, for example.

"I find the mix of traditional and modern very interesting." (Interview 7, item 10)

In addition to the authenticity of a destination, the different interests of the visitors must also be considered. Each person has different interests and therefore perceives each product and service differently (Ooi, 2005). The same applies to the experiences tourists make in a holiday destination. When the interviewees were asked to put themselves in a concrete situation of direct contact with the traditional Ladin language, this experience was perceived differently by every individual. Most of them were open to it, but some were deterred by the language barrier. It is easy to see that the individual cultural and social background of a person contributes significantly to how certain products and, in this case, services are perceived. Not without reason tourist experiences are described as the relationship between people and their view of the world concerning the society to which they feel they belong (Cohen, 1979).

The study also showed that memorable experiences are triggered by specific factors. Emotions, events, and cognitive evaluations are particularly often responsible for this, as Kim, Ritchie & McCormick (2012) also state in their paper. In this study, emotions are certainly most strongly present in the formation of memorable experiences. These emotions in turn stem from the feeling of home that traveler associate with Val Pusteria and its inhabitants (McCormick, 2012).

They associate voices, smells, and things they perceived on holiday with emotions and thus with the destination itself. A very good example of this is the statement of a test person who was able to put herself into her holiday experience just by listening to a familiar voice.

She also mentioned that by simply remembering a traditional South Tyrolean dish, she immediately felt teleported to Val Pusteria. This shows that things or experiences that are associated with emotions are much easier to remember than others (Brewer, 1988). This aspect is of great benefit to the tourist destination (Hollenbeck, Peters & Zinkham, 2008), as tourists are constantly sharing their positive experiences with their peers (Moscardo, 2010). Many of the interviewees got the idea to visit South Tyrol and Val Pusteria through stories told by friends and relatives. For this reason, good management of the destination itself and efforts to create consistent tourist experiences are particularly important, as Pine & Gilmore (1998) also stated in their paper.

Additionally, the results showed that visitors in South Tyrol and especially in Val Pusteria have a lot of contact with the local culture. Already through the traditional cuisine and the folk festivals they gain insight into the way of life and the history of the locals and the region. This contact with the culture is very important to the guests and contributes to their return to the holiday destination, as Chang, Backman & Huang (2014) also state in their paper. In connection with culture, tourists feel that the history of a holiday destination is very important. They want to know the historical events and visit historical places. As Kelly-Holmes & Pietikäinen (2014) also found in their study, the history of a holiday destination has a lasting effect on voyagers. They are particularly interested in historical places that have been made accessible to tourists and enriched with information. They want these places to be preserved so that the history of the region is not forgotten.

The series of interviews also revealed that it is not only the culture that has a lasting effect on tourists' experiences but also the traditional language of the place. As explained by Whitney- Squire (2016), vacationists have a great interest in the traditional language of a place because it is an essential part of the culture. Visitors find the traditional language of a place not only interesting but even attractive. This also has the advantage that the use of traditional language in tourism creates a cultural basis for the preservation of the language (Whitney-Squire, 2016).

The traditional language is a kind of guarantee of authenticity for tourists and, as Kelly-Homes & Pietikäinen (2016) have already found, this leads to a revival not only of the language but also of the culture itself.

The following chart lists the most important touchpoints of culture and traditional language towards wayfarer. These touchpoints were named by the respondents themselves and are thus taken from real encounters with culture and traditional language. Most of the contact situations happened in connection with traditional food and festivals, as well as the daily life of the local population.

Traditional Food

Traditional Ropeways Festivals

Culture and Language Daily life Inns of locals

Historic Media Places and Museums

Figure 8: Touchpoints of Culture and traditional Language

The tourists' interest in traditional language and culture is also beneficial for the local population. The strong attachment and pride that the local population in South Tyrol feels towards their own culture and language have a great value for visitors.

As Lonardi, Martini & Hull (2020) found out, this interest of traveler in the local culture arouses a certain pride in the local population. This pride also causes the local population to feel joy in bringing their own culture closer to the visitors and this is what tourists in South Tyrol value so much.

"...just because the sound of the language gives me a holiday feeling and at the same time a homely feeling". (Interviewee 8, Item 12)

After listing all the interesting results of this research, it is time to answer the research question. The research question refers to the role of the traditional language of a holiday destination for the experience of vacationists, using the example of the Ladin community in South Tyrol. In the inn, on the marketplace, or in the shops, tourists have constant contact with the traditional language of a holiday destination. Even if they do not understand a word or very little of what is spoken, travelers feel comfortable with it. This is also the reason why they find direct contact with traditional languages very positive. They like this side of South Tyrol and this, in turn, leaves a positive feeling in their memories, which, according to Kim, Ritchie & McCormick (2012), in turn, leads to the tourist's return.

It is not only the local population that feels a strong attachment to their homeland, but also the tourists. Some of them have already established a connection to Val Pusteria through tastes, smells, or the traditional language itself. In these cases, simply hearing the traditional language of Val Pusteria sparks a feeling of home. It is the same with the Ladin language. Visitors like it very much when they are involved in the local culture and can participate in events, courses, or workshops in which a traditional language is spoken. Especially in the example of the traditional cooking course in Ladin, most tourists reacted with great interest and openness. This also stems from the fact that they want this language and this culture to be preserved. The Ladin community has also noticed this and has put a lot of effort into preserving their language. Museums and cultural associations have also been created for wayfarer (Walter, 2020).

After extensive analysis of the results, it turns out that the traditional language of a holiday destination plays a major role for tourists. They appreciate these old languages and feel that they are an irreplaceable part of the local culture.

Visitors perceive the direct contact with the Ladin language as positive and interesting and find their involvement, which Val Pusteria always strives for, very appealing and important. The interviewees feel that it is also in their interest that the Ladin language and culture are preserved because this is a part of this land, and it could be related to the authenticity of this valley.

As already mentioned, the most present memories of many guests' holidays are the experiences they have had with the local people. This testifies that the holiday experiences of the interviewees are significantly shaped by the attitude, character, and way of life of the local people. The friendliness and openness of the locals were often praised as one of the reasons why this holiday destination is so popular. The people in South Tyrol, and especially in Val Pusteria, give guests a feeling of home and security. As many respondents mentioned, one immediately feels welcome and at home.

Guests feel connected to this piece of land through the traditional languages, be it Ladin or German dialect, and this realization speaks for itself. This means that the traditional language of a holiday destination also makes a significant contribution to guests returning again and again. Thus, the traditional language plays a major role not only for the experience of the guests but also for the holiday destination itself.

For a better overview, all-important quotations on the respective topics are listed in the following table.

Theme Quote Travel Motivation “...when we came there for the first time it seemed like paradise...clearly the landscape is breathtaking and very, how to say, the first thing that amazes you is the beauty of this wonderful place...” (Interview 9, item 10)

“The people are very pleasant and always give you the feeling that you belong to the family. You can feel that especially in your hotel, it's really wonderful.” (Interview 1, item 14)

Memorable Experiences “The people. The people, the friendliness, the impression of being welcome. That's what always sticks with us and that's exactly why we come back.” (Interview 2, item 8)

“What I remember most are the beautiful autumn walks. The colors are so strong and the air so clear. It's really always a very beautiful experience.” (Interview 3, item 8)

“You know when I even hear your voice, I think of Riscone, the mountains, the fresh air and the apple fritters.” (Interview 9, Pos. 6)

“Yes, exactly, that's why we go there. We like the traditions, the language, the people, we like it all.” (Interview 1, item 26) Culture Awareness “Your traditional costumes that you wear for occasions are also very beautiful. I think they are wonderful, but not only because, even there, there is a handing down of embroidery and things. In the Aurina valley I have seen a lot of embroidery and I find this a wonderful thing, because I find it very beautiful that even now, in 2021, there is still respect for these customs and these craft practices.” (Interview 9, item 14)

“I also really like it when I see how alive, how present the customs still are in your country.” (Interview 12, item 10)

“Also, from a historical point of view, places really where you can feel what people lived at that time. And you also had the very good idea to preserve them.” (Interview 9, item 18)

“Everything is surrounded by a certain magic; the farms seem to have stopped a hundred years ago and even the old ladies

who live there are as they were a century ago.” (Interview 13, item 10) Traditional Language “I think it is a very soft language and a very pleasant language.” (Interview 2, Item 16)

“So, for me it would be an interesting experience. The language seems very friendly and bright. So, also very appealing, not so... so very soft.” (Interview 3, item 14)

“But I can’t do anything with Ladin itself. There is nothing at all that you can grasp.” (Interview 6, Item 14) Involvement “I always think it's nice how the population still cultivates this language. And that it is only a small grouping, but for me it simply has something to do with tradition and with the love of one's own country, to continue to preserve and maintain what the older generation has built up. That is the attachment to the country and the place.” (Interview 3, item 18)

“And this is something that I find really very beautiful and very essential, because in any case we should never forget where we come from, we should never forget the things that our grandparents, our great-grandparents passed down to us.” (Interview 9, item 14)

“Yes, these languages are also very much associated with the holiday destination itself.” (Interview 1, item 24)

“...just because the sound of the language gives me a holiday feeling and at the same time a homely feeling.” (Interviewee 8, Item 12) Table 6: Main Topics and important Quotations

6. Conclusion

This master’s thesis aims to create a better understanding of the relationship between tourists, the traditional language, and the culture of a holiday destination. It is important to know what visitors expect from their holidays, what motivated them to come and what made them choose this destination again. Within the framework of the study, which was conducted with test persons from Italian and German language groups, it was possible to shed light on these aspects. As already mentioned by Whitney-Squire (2016) and Moriarty (2014), the results of this study also showed that travelers are very interested in the linguistic and cultural characteristics of a holiday destination and regard them as a feature of its authenticity.

The role of emotions in the various experiences tourists make on holiday is also very interesting. The experiences that are the most emotionally charged are the most memorable and the most vivid for vacationists (Brewer, 1988). From the study conducted within the framework of this thesis it emerged, that contact with the local population is particularly important, as their friendliness and helpfulness give visitors a sense of home. This sense of home is very strong and plays a very important role in the destination itself. Through this feeling and the positive experiences, guests recommend the destination to their friends, family, and acquaintances and this is incredibly valuable for the holiday destination. In this way, the holiday destination creates certain customer loyalty and can thus secure the return of many and even more guests (Woodside, Caldwell & Albers-Miller, 2004).

The aspect of customer loyalty leads directly to the answer to the research question, which deals with the role of the traditional language of a holiday destination for the experience of tourists. The research was conducted on the example of the Ladin language in South Tyrol and thus real- life experiences of voyagers who have visited this place could be used. It is a fact that the traditional language of a holiday destination plays a major role in the tourist experience. They feel they belong to the local culture and find the traditional customs, festivals, and languages highly interesting. For tourists, these languages and traditions must be preserved so that many more people can get to know them in the future. Many of the test persons found it very fascinating that the culture and traditions in South Tyrol have been so well preserved and that they are still so well maintained by the locals. They can see this through the way the locals handle the culture towards the guests. The pride of the locals in their culture makes them want to share it with visitors, which is very important for this tourist area.

6.1 Limitations

The most cogent limitation encountered in this work is certainly the global COVID-19 pandemic. There was no chance to conduct personal interviews with the guests at the hotel as it was planned. All the data collection had to be done in digital form and at first, there were great doubts about finding subjects who would agree to take part in virtual interviews as well. Since they were all locked up in their houses for months, and this is frustrating enough, the thought was there that they did not want to take part in a series of interviews. But things turned out differently than expected: During the interview phase, it became clear how much the guests love and miss South Tyrol and Val Pusteria in particular. This long absence of guests has certainly contributed to them seeing their experiences and thoughts even more clearly in front of them. On one hand, this was an advantage for the research. Since accommodation facilities were unable to host guests in South Tyrol last season, all interviews had to be conducted virtually via Zoom. Many of the test persons were in their home offices and find some time to support this research, but for others, it was often difficult to find a suitable appointment time. In general, however, the data collection went very well and very quickly. On the other hand, the tourists, due to their long absence, were certainly too positive about the past holiday experiences, as they miss this time very much. This has undoubtedly pushed the research in a very positive direction. Another shortcoming was that some subjects had no relation to the Ladin language. They never paid much attention to this language and thus could not remember concrete situations of direct contact. The subjects' contact with this language was generally very limited and resulted in repetitions. Besides the content limitations, the qualitative research method did not allow to give percentages that would indicate exactly how much traditional language contributes to a tourist's customer satisfaction.

6.2 Further Research Implications

The purpose of this master’s thesis is to give a better understanding of tourists' attitudes towards the culture and language of a minority in a holiday destination. From the results of this study, implications for the holiday destination can be derived to use the traditional aspects of the region in a more targeted and sustainable way.

Future research should explore the implementation of a language-based tourism program that reflects the multidimensional linguistic relationships at work in the community. This should examine visitors' attitudes to language: the meaning and value of language and their openness to broader forms of linguistic interpretation (Whitney-Squire, 2016).

Moreover, further research should be done on memorable experiences. It is known that memorable experiences are mainly caused by emotions (Brewer, 1988), but there is certainly more to it than that. The elements that make an experience special, spectacular, and memorable are not fully known (Wing Sun Tun & Ritchie, 2011). In addition, research should be conducted into what enables us to anchor these memorable experiences so deeply in our memory. It would also be interesting to see how it would be possible to make tourists' experiences even more memorable and what are methodological challenges there in this field (Wing Sun Tun & Ritchie, 2011).

In connection with this, more research should be done on the interaction between intangible heritage and visitors. This refers to the elements that make intangible heritage attractive and authentic in the eyes of vacationists and how this aspect relates to the modernity of some holiday destinations (Gonzalez, 2008).

Furthermore, more research should be done to gain a better understanding of local communities and tourist preferences. This research should provide insight into the cause of conflicts between locals and travelers. Tourists must not disturb or change the socio-cultural balance of the local population. This is only possible if traditional practices and cultural heritage remain intact and familiar to the local people and are not merely degraded into tourist entertainment (Lonardi, Martini & Hull, 2020).

It would also be interesting to get a deeper insight into the evaluation criteria of guests towards the competencies of a holiday destination. It is known that core competencies have a high evaluation value from wayfarer, yet further research is needed to evaluate the quality of the value-determining variables by voyager (Pechlaner & Fischer, 2006).

Finally, it would be interesting to know, if there is too much traditional language available in some tourism destinations. To understand what happens to the tourist experience when they get in touch with too much traditional language.

6.3 Theoretical Contribution

In this master’s thesis, the mainly focus was set on the experiences of visitors to the region of South Tyrol and Val Pusteria in particular. This thesis has contributed to a better understanding of tourists' perceptions of tradition and culture. Important theoretical concepts were mentioned (see theoretical part) and based on these concepts, results were derived from the interviews that can be considered for future research.

6.4 Implications for Tourist Destinations

Cultural tourism in South Tyrol is constantly expanding and there are two sides to the coin, on the one hand, this means that South Tyrol as a holiday destination has taken a high position in the worldwide tourism market (ASTAT, 2019), on the other hand, the constantly growing tourism causes some problems (Dyer, Aberdeen & Schuler, 2003).

For one, the main problem is that many visitors threaten to destroy nature and the monuments and thus an important part of the region's heritage can be lost. This can be seen in South Tyrol, especially in the forests and in nature in general. Some tourists very often disperse their rubbish in nature, a thing a local would not do. In addition, many monuments, and in South Tyrol often also nature, generate income. This can lead to the construction of too many tourist infrastructures such as hotels and holiday resorts and thus the cultural significance of a place risks getting lost (Dyer, Aberdeen & Schuler, 2003).

It depends on the holiday destination to find solutions to these problems. In this sense, the destination could be represented by the business service provider IDM Südtirol. This company deals extensively with the destination marketing of South Tyrol and has extensive knowledge of the figures and statistics of South Tyrolean tourism (IDM Südtirol, n.d.). They could raise a discussion on this topic and make the accommodation providers aware of the disadvantages of too much tourism, for nature as well as for the locals. Roughly speaking, these problems can be avoided with good planning and sufficient investment for the protection and preservation of this culture and language by the destination itself. Preserving the authenticity of the destination, which is shaped by culture and language, is of high interest for the destination. The loss of authenticity would lead to a decline in the number of tourists spending their holidays there. This would have disastrous consequences, especially for South Tyrol, as tourism is one of the biggest sources of income for the region (Tschurtschenthaler & Magreiter, 2001).

However, tourists should not be deterred by too hard restrictions, but educated by the destination itself to treat the cultural heritage around them with respect. This is also the reason why the holiday destination should involve visitors more, both in cultural and linguistic everyday life. This is already being done to some extent in the Ladin valleys of South Tyrol, where expressions in Ladin are used in information leaflets for tourists or other cultural infrastructures like museums. This makes the information more attractive for visitors (Fusari, 2009). In this area, the holiday destination South Tyrol is already on a very good path. Vacationists are introduced to traditional practices and everyday lifestyles (e.g., the use of medicinal herbs) through workshops and courses held by the locals. However, it would be important to create a protected meeting space for locals and visitors so that locals are not overrun by tourism. A good kind of meeting space would be the weekly farmers' and craftsmen's markets. On these occasions, tourists can learn about traditional practices and culture in an atmosphere where both parties feel comfortable. Another action would be to show traditional practices in the folklore museums, e.g., how to grind grain in the traditional way or how to shear sheep by hand. This would also contribute to the education of travelers without forgetting the interests of the local people. With a wide range of courses and educational facilities such as museums and historical sites, tourists can develop their holiday product and thus their holiday experience. The customer is free to choose from the offer and pick out what is most in his interest. Optimally, as is already happening to a certain extent, the accommodation provider should book the desired course for the visitors so that it all happens without any stress because this interferes with the customer experience.

A destination as well visited as South Tyrol should not miss the chance to present its linguistic peculiarities. These have the potential to give guests a richer, more valuable experience that goes far beyond the typical cultural heritage. This is about transforming the cultural language, which is non-communicative for tourists, into a functional one (Pujolar, 2013). Destination marketing plays a decisive role here, as traditional language can be used to good effect. A lot is already being done in this area in South Tyrol and they are trying to use the traditional language as much as possible. In the following, some ideas are listed on how the embedding of the traditional language in destination marketing can look like.

One idea would be to use isolated expressions in the traditional language in flyers or on posters advertising a traditional festival, the "Kirschta", for example. Similarly, in folklore museums, rural life could be presented with videos in which farmers explain their lives in traditional language, providing subtitles for the visitors. Another possibility to use the traditional language is the website of the destination. Here, expressions in traditional language can be used to present the local culture. This can be seen clearly on the website of the Plan de Corones holiday area (see figure 10). It would also be interesting to utilize the traditional geographical terms used by the locals. These could be listed on the signposts with the respective translation. A good example of this is the signposts in the Ladin valleys of South Tyrol. As can be seen in figure 11, these are always indicated in three languages, German, Italian, and Ladin. Similarly, traditional food can bring the destination closer to the traditional language. Traditional dishes always have a name in the traditional language and are often called so on the menus of restaurants and hotels. This goes down particularly well with guests, as they can build up a connection with the associated translation and recognize this dish by its traditional name also in a second moment.

Figure 9: Use of traditional language in destination Figure 10: Traditional geographic expression (Rennradreisen von websites (Kronplatz, 2021) quäldich.de- Würzjoch., 2021)

In fact, besides the tourists' interest in the culture, it is also important to create memorable experiences to ensure their return (Pizam, 2010). In the ever-changing environment and perception of culture, it is particularly important for the marketing and development of a holiday destination to understand that creating memorable experiences is more important than the content itself. Marketing activities that coexist with the emerging experiences because of their flexibility enrich the cultural narrative of a destination (Santos, 2004). This flexibility allows the destination to exploit some of the effects of the commodification of culture. This phenomenon is often used by people to identify with the destination and weave their own story (Cole, 2007). Thus, the focus of a holiday destination should always be on creating memorable experiences.

Having established the importance of the tourist experience, it is also important to highlight the problems of "touristification". Ethical enclaves such as small historic villages, linguistic minorities, or spectacular natural scenery in South Tyrol are increasingly being turned into a tourist product (Santos, Belhassen & Caton, 2008). This is because they are seen as a source of diversity and creativity. However, it is often the case that these enclaves are deprived of their reality and are based on stereotypes of the local population. Therefore, it is important that the needs of the local population are respected more and that cultural places are made accessible to tourists based on the local’s needs (Collins & Kunz, 2007).

In this context, it is important to mention that language is much more than just a means of communication. This is often forgotten by the tourism industry in areas hosting minority language groups. Therefore, the use of traditional language in tourism must be done in cooperation with the local population. Only in this way is it possible to preserve the authenticity of these languages and to support the local people themselves (Whitney-Squire, 2016).

Cooperation with the local population is crucial to be able to use the traditional language and culture as a competitive advantage. The perception of the locals should be improved, i.e., a positive energy flow between locals and visitors should be created, which brings both groups closer to the potential and the specificity of the minority language group of the destination. The tourists' awareness of the Ladin language is still very low, which is because this minority is not held in particularly high esteem by the destination. In this respect, there is still a lot of room for improvement in cooperation with the locals (Pechlaner, Lange & Raich, 2011).

According to Wang et al. (2010), the following steps should be taken in the context of cooperation with the local population:

• The local population should be involved in tourism planning. During the development phase, tourism developers and the government should communicate with the local people. In this way, the ideas and interests of the residents can be included in the decision-making process. This involvement has the advantage that tourism development goes hand in hand with the community development of the local people. The local population can thus see the implementation of tourism planning as their task and thus feel part of the tourism management of the destination. • There is an urgent need to incentivize community participation in tourism to align its development with the longer-term interests of all residents. For the system to realize its potential, the relevant management departments need to work on establishing and improving the distribution of tourism revenues to community members. • Another important step would be to strengthen ecological education and tourism training. The level of education of the local population can influence their level of participation in tourism. This kind of education of the local people could improve the knowledge about tourism, boost environmental protection and increase the motivation of the local people to participate in planning that directly affects the environment and tourism and to standardize a high level of service.

To keep this competitive advantage, more attention needs to be paid to presenting and communicating the added value of the destination's specific cultural situation. The destination needs to better communicate these specificities to the guests, this increases the added value for tourists who are very interested in culture and the competitiveness for the destination itself. However, a prerequisite for this is that the cultural differentiation by the locals is improved. This can create trust in a tourist destination on the part of visitors. To improve the communication of these values, special instruments such as guided tours in museums can be used (Pechlaner, Lange & Raich, 2011).

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7. Appendix

Operationalization Table

Main Category Underlying Literature Basis Quotes/Theses Guideline German Guideline Italian Category Introduction Guten Tag XX, ich führe Buongiorno XX, come heute im Rahmen meiner parte della mia tesi sono Masterarbeit mit Ihnen dieses lieta di poter condurre con Interview zum Thema Lei questa intervista sulle Urlaubserfahrungen in esperienze di vacanza in Südtirol durch. Vielen Dank, Alto Adige. La ringrazio dass Sie sich Zeit genommen molto per aver trovato il haben, um mich im letzten tempo di sostenermi Schritt meines nell'ultimo passo verso la Masterstudiengangs zu mia laurea. Le farò alcune unterstützen. Ich werde Ihnen domande alle quali potrá einige Fragen stellen, auf die rispondere con la Sua Sie mit Ihrer persönlichen opinione e le Sue Meinung und Ihren esperienze personali. Per persönlichen Erfahrungen elaborare meglio il Suo antworten dürfen. Um Ihren contributo, vorrei registrare Beitrag besser aufarbeiten zu l'intervista e trascriverla in können würde ich gerne das seguito. Tutto questo sarà Interview aufzeichnen und fatto in condizioni anonime. später transkribieren. Dies Le Sue dichiarazioni non erfolgt alles unter anonymen saranno riconducibili alla Bedingungen. Ihre Aussagen Sua persona. É d'accordo?

werden später nicht auf Ihre Person zurückzuführen sein. Sind Sie damit einverstanden? Visiting South Motivation Chang, L. L., The motivation of Als erstes möchte ich Sie Prima di tutto, vorrei Tyrol Backman, K. F., cultural tourism is often fragen, warum Sie das chiederLe perché ha scelto & Huang, Y. C. linked to satisfaction and Pustertal als Ihren Urlaubsort la Val Pusteria come meta (2014). Creative the intention to return to gewählt haben und was ist per la Sua vacanza e cosa Tourism: A the holiday destination. Ihnen von Ihrem Urlaub im Le é rimasto più impresso Preliminary After a study on creative Pustertal am meisten in del tempo trascorso qui in Examination of tourism in Taiwan, it was Erinnerung geblieben? Val Pusteria? Creative Tourists’ found that culture is the Motivation, most influential reason Experience, for returning to a holiday Perceived Value destination (Chang et al, and Their Revisit 2014). Intention. Scientific Committee, 359. Culture Pechlaner, H., The study shows that Wie empfinden Sie die osa ne pensa della cultura Awareness Lange, S., & minority populations can einheimische Kultur in locale dell' Alto Adige e Raich, F. (2011). offer added value for Südtirol und insbesondere im specialmente della Val Enhancing tourists in holiday Pustertal? Pusteria? tourism destinations. The special destinations interest and attraction of through these types of holiday promoting the stay for guests is variety and explained, by the varied uniqueness of cuisine and the locals’ attractions offered proficiency in languages by minority as well as the specific populations: an architecture and the more

exploratory study extensive cultural towards a new offerings (Pechlaner et research al, 2011). field. Tourism review. Minority of Nun möchte ich Ihnen ein Ora Le mostrerò un video. Ladins Video zeigen, das Sie nun La prego di guardarlo bitte einfach nur auf sich attentamente. Più tardi Le wirken lassen. Ich werde farò delle domande in Ihnen nachher einige Fragen proposito. dazu stellen. Direct Venzl, A. (2020). ...they try to introduce Wie empfinden Sie dieses Cosa ha provato guardando Contact Auf den Spuren their own culture and Video? Wie würden Sie sich questo video? Come si der Ladiner: Tim language to the guests in dieser Situation direkten sentirebbe Lei in questa Walter untersucht (Süddeutsche Zeitung, Kontaktes mit der ladinischen situazione di contatto eine fast 2020). Kultur fühlen? diretto con la cultura vergessene Ladina? Sprache. Süddeutsche Zeitung, Ausgabe Nr. 241, Montag 19. Oktober 2020. Hatten Sie schon einmal Ha mai fatto l'esperienza di direkten Kontakt mit der essere a contatto diretto con ladinischen Sprache? la lingua ladina? Back-Up Was wissen Sie über die Cosa mi sa dire sulla lingua ladinische Sprache? ladina? Involvement Wu, T. C. E., Xie, It also shows that direct Wie ist es für Sie, wenn Sie Come si sentirebbe se Le P. F., & Tsai, M. involvement in salt auf Ladinisch angesprochen venisse rivolta la parola in C. (2015). production correlates werden? Empfinden Sie dies ladino? Lo percepisce come Perceptions of with a growing number als positive oder als negativ? positivo o negativo? attractiveness for of tourists who express

salt heritage interest in revisiting the tourism : A tourist salt fields and learning perspective more about them (Wu et Tourism al, 2015). Management 51 , Accordingly, many 201 209. tourist texts and audio Fusari, S. (2009). materials include isolated Multilingual terms in Ladin. This tourist videos as makes the materials more specialized authentic and more discourse: the attractive for tourists. case study of Val However, this is done in Gardena. such a way that there are no comprehension problems (Fusari, 2009). Wir sind jetzt am Ende Siamo giunti alla fine unseres Interviews dell'intervista. Da parte mia, angekommen. Von meiner abbiamo affrontato tutte le Seite aus haben wir alle domande. Fragen besprochen. C'è qualcosa di cui non ho Gibt es etwas, das ich nicht parlato e di cui vorrebbe erwähnt habe, über das Sie ancora parlare? noch gerne sprechen möchten?

Affidavit

I hereby declare that this master’s thesis has been written only by the undersigned and without any assistance from third parties. I confirm that no sources have been used in the preparation of this thesis other than those indicated in the thesis itself.

This master’s thesis has heretofore not been submitted or published elsewhere, neither in its present form, nor in a similar version.

Place, Date Signature