Travelling companions

A Touriseum special exhibition

01/06/2023 Special exhibition

At ten different locations in South Tyrol

To celebrate its 20th anniversary, the Touriseum was venturing from its home in Trauttmansdorff Castle with the aim of telling the story of tourism in South Tyrol at non-museum locations, where visitors could get to know people who have seen the region’s development into a holiday destination.

These contemporary witnesses were portrayed both by historical images and with podcasts. The characters included leading figures such as Theodor Christomannos and lesser-known individuals such as Lidia Arvai, who worked for 20 years as a cook in the kitchens of the Meran Kurhaus; also depicted are those passing through, like the journalist Otto Julius Bierbaum, or living legends like Emilio Comici, the “Angel of the Dolomites”. The public could gain an impression of how these differing personalities experienced tourism during their time and what were their expectations for the future. The overall picture that emerged allows us to view the current position of tourism in South Tyrol with new eyes. The ten portraits of these “travelling companions” could be found at railway stations, bus stops and other places where people gather to wait; they were marked by a blue suitcase, the emblem of the Touriseum.