Guest Blog

Data on the size and impact of tourism in mountain regions remains scarce, and quantifying its volume is still a challenge. A new report, conducted by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), and the largest provider of tourism data, the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), highlights the importance of understanding and quantifying mountain tourism.   Mountains, home to about 1.1 billion people, attract people from all over the world for many reasons, including natural beauty, climate, biodiversity, local cultures, resource accessibility, and transportation options, to name a few. This year, it has been estimated that the mountain and snow tourism market will reach around $4.9 billion. By 2033, it is predicted to grow to $8 billion. If data suggests there will be an increase in visitor numbers to mountain regions in the future, without the vital information, local communities and policymakers may be unable to adapt...

Recently, news from the Pitztal and Ötztal valleys in Austria caused a stir among the mountain community. The plan to connect the two valleys and expand each ski resort - dubbed “Europe’s largest glacier ski resort” - was planned for many years. The expansion plans included Mittelberg in Pitztal, across Griestal and up to the Linker Fernerkogel, a mountain with not one, not two, but three glaciers. It was set to be the size of 116 soccer fields, mostly on glaciers.   Amongst the originally planned construction projects were three new ski lifts, restaurants and bars, a tunnel, an asphalted water reservoir, additional artificial snow systems, more than four kilometres of roads and paths, and much more. Despite this plan being rejected in 2022, revised plans have resurfaced.  In Austria, just 7% of the country’s national territory is still in a natural state and free from any technical infrastructure, but this “megaproject”...

Mountain ski resorts are all faced with the challenge of coping with the effects of climate change these days. As the IPCC concluded in its latest assessment reports, climate change affects 1.28 billion people who reside in and around mountain areas across the globe, and has impacted a wide range of human and natural systems, including tourism. With rising temperatures and more extreme weather impacting current and potentially future ski seasons, what can resorts do now to survive in the future? Some ways in which mountain regions can adapt are to educate and raise awareness, promote the conservation of native flora and fauna, or promote mountain products such as eco-tourism. A project created by the Interreg Alpine Space Programme, is aiming to facilitate the adoption of co-constructed transition processes in ski resorts. The challenge is to promote new models of economic, social, and environmental development that support a sustainable future in...