Private

WS 3.110

Transition processes of mountain resorts and tourism destinations

Details

Full Title
WS 3.110: Transition processes of mountain resorts and tourism destinations: state of the art, levers and barriers. An international perspective
Scheduled
TBA
Location
TBA
Convener
Emmanuelle George
Co-Conveners
Andrea Omizzolo, Philipp Corradini, Stefano Sala, Raffaella Balzarini,
Assigned to Synthesis Workshop
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Thematic Focus
Adaptation, Policy, Sustainable Development, Tourism
Keywords
mountain resorts, mountain tourism destination, transition pathways, climate adaptation, transformative change

Description

Currently, mountain resorts and tourism destinations are strongly challenged by global changes. Climate change, altering customer preferences and/or socio-economic dynamics of certain destinations have a strong impact on their operations, viability and profitability, making them increasingly vulnerable and representing oftentimes strong inflections in their existing model, especially in the absence of forward-looking references for territorial actors. In this context, and on the basis of some experiences/initiatives, the proposed workshop aims at discussing the ongoing transition experiences of mountain resorts and destinations, in particular those worked within the framework of the ongoing Interreg Alpine Space projects “BeyondSnow” and “TranStat”: which transitions, radical or more incremental? Planned or bottom-up transition? Tourism or territorial transition? Public-led or participatory transition? What approaches and experiments are currently undertaken?

Submitted Abstracts

ID: 3.8927

Low-Altitude Micro-Ski Resorts and Climate Change: Evidence from Two Case Studies in the Northwestern of the Italian Alps

Stefano Duglio
Beltramo, Riccardo; Gnesi, Ivan

Abstract/Description

This contribution aims at providing an insight into the consequences of climate change on low-altitude micro-ski resorts. In particular, the study focuses on two micro resorts in the Piedmont Region, in the Northwestern Italian Alps, namely Balme and Piamprato Soana.
The two locations have some common characteristics: Both the two ski facilities are owned by a public administration, the Municipalities of Balme and Valprato Soana, they are located at low altitude, respectively at 1,349 m and 1,550 m above sea level, and they have a ski lift serving a single slope of around 600 m.
Considering climatic datasets from 1993 to 2023 for Piamprato Soana and from 2006 to 2023 for Balme, we have estimated the time windows in which the average winter minimum temperature will be around 0 °C, with a potential of zero-natural snowfall. Our provisional results support previous research pointing out how low-altitude ski resorts are particularly suffering from higher temperatures, and opening concerns about the future of these installations. Indeed, the results report a time window of around 20-25 years to define the best strategy to be adopted for the future development of the local community, and to manage the end of life of the installations.
This study has been carried out as part of the project “Economic and environmental sustainability of micro-ski resorts in time of climate change (SciAlp),” funded by Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio (CRT) of Torino, Italy.

ID: 3.9785

Characterization of transition pathways in Alpine resorts: the case of St Pierre-de-Chartreuse

Emmanuelle George
Schoendoerffer, Mathieu; Balzarini, Raffaella; Reynier, Véronique

Abstract/Description

The TranStat project focuses on transitions in mountain areas, particularly those linked to the winter sports economy. It aims to better describe the transition processes at work in these areas, providing evidence of their nature as well as their governance. It also aims to support the stakeholders in such areas, particularly decision-makers, in managing these processes, in a context of global change and in a lack of transition reference frameworks. To achieve this, TranStat involves a network of 9 ski resorts, considered as Living Labs, located in 5 European countries. The French resort of St-Pierre-de-Chartreuse/Le Planolet, close to the Grenoble, Chambéry and Voiron urban areas in the French Alps, is one of the Living Labs of TranStat. This medium-sized ski resort, founded at the beginning of the 20th century on the initiative of a group of local associations, has enjoyed a steady development dynamic, with heavy investment in ski lifts, including a gondola, at the turn of the 1980s. More recently, the 2010s were marked by increasing deficits, and in 2020, in the midst of the Covid period, a collective reflection was launched on the future of the resort. It is this ongoing reflection that we propose to analyze. Through this analysis, deployed at different geographical scales (ski area, resort and municipality), we will present the characterization of an evolutive path for the territory, describing how the collective approach that has recently been put in place is a decisive step in the path, in terms of actors involved and in terms of articulation between shared short- and long-term objectives (visions). The experience of St Pierre-de-Chartreuse may serve to highlight the diversity of transition trajectories in ski resort territories.

ID: 3.10222

Prato Valentino 2050: A Sustainable Model for the Future of Alpine Tourism

Laura Pasinetti
Sala, Stefano; Nova, Federica; Giorgi, Annamaria; Bottini, Luca; Bernardi, Monica

Abstract/Description

Prato Valentino 2050 project, led by Associazione Val.Te.Mo. in collaboration with Ge.S.Di.Mont. Research Center at the University of Milan (UNIMONT) and the Department of Sociology at the University of Milan Bicocca, aims to develop a long-term strategy for the sustainable transition of Prato Valentino, a small ski resort in the Italian Alps, facing increasing challenges due to climate change. Historically dependent on winter tourism, the area is experiencing declining snowfall and rising temperatures, necessitating a shift towards a more diversified, year-round tourism model. The project’s objectives include fostering a participatory co-creation process with local stakeholders to define a shared territorial vision for 2050, promoting sustainable outdoor and slow tourism alternatives, enhancing local socio-economic resilience. The project is developed by integrating expertise and best practices from international initiatives such as the Alpine Space TranStat project. The methodology follows a multi-phase approach: (1) data collection and analysis of environmental, economic, and tourism dynamics, (2) stakeholder network analysis and community mapping, (3) participatory workshops to co-design future scenarios, (4) formulation of an integrated strategic roadmap, and (5) communication and knowledge transfer through webinars, local events, and transnational collaborations. By fostering a science-based and community-driven approach, the project seeks to provide a replicable model for Alpine regions adapting to climate-driven transformations in the tourism sector.

ID: 3.11152

Resilience in snow tourism destinations: examples from Northern British Columbia – Canada and South Island in New Zealand

Massimo Morellato

Abstract/Description

Snow tourism destinations are facing several challenges in navigating through the evolving trends and issues related to climate change, demographic patterns, falling demand and ways into which experiences are constructed and consumed (Morellato, 2008; Steiger, 2011; Unbehaun, Pröbstl, Haider, 2008). Several ski hills in Northern BC as well as club fields in New Zealand are providing examples of old and new approaches where the local community is involved in the factory of winter leisure following a more sustainable development (Milne, Bremner & Delpero, 2006). In certain instances, local identity and social relationships are also wrought around the winter leisure creating what locals and visitors perceived as “authentic and welcoming atmosphere”.

Small ski areas serve as essential recreational spaces for individuals residing and working a few hours away, playing a pivotal role in amenity retention policies for remote areas. They contribute significantly to the development of future generations of skiers and snowboarders. Furthermore, ski hills are attracting savvy tourist who are drifting away from big resorts form many reasons.

The analysis of six ski areas in Northern BC and seven in New Zealand encompasses a range of management models, including non-profit, for-profit, hybrid organizations, and family-owned ski hills. The findings highlight the importance of associative and co-operative management models in fostering high levels of engagement, which can ultimately facilitate effective and sustainable community ownership.

The “community service co-operative” model allows individual and corporate memberships as potential sources of funding as well as the opportunity to compete for public funds. Other places are recently watching to this management model with growing interest. However, the mere adoption of a specific management model is not sufficient to ensure long-term success. It is crucial to understand key factors such as talent recruitment, volunteer retention, resource accessibility among diverse stakeholders. This seems to be the key for ensuring long term resilience of a place and its community (Hudson, Ritchie & Timur, 2004; Reid, 2012). Research has a critical role to play in informing not only policy makers but also the actors in the mountain communities facing the transition process of winter recreation.

ID: 3.12977

How can mountain resorts’ transition pathways inform policy-making? The results from participatory research in Kranjska Gora, Slovenia

Maruša Goluža

Abstract/Description

Sustainability transitions are defined as involving interconnected changes in technology, consumer behaviour, business models, policies, and governance (Geels et al., 2016). These long-term changes reshape production and consumption patterns and lifestyle choices (Markard et al., 2012; Loorbach et al., 2017). Transition pathways provide a systemic perspective that guides policy-makers and industries towards a sustainable future (McNally, 2024). Pathways describe the scale and scope of the transition, integrating technological, economic and social factors. In the context of mountain resorts, they highlight challenges and opportunities, particularly in ski tourism, where climate change poses significant risks. Kranjska Gora, a year-round destination, relies heavily on winter tourism, but faces declining snowfall. This threatens the local economy and increases reliance on costly, resource-intensive artificial snowmaking. Meanwhile, summer tourism has led to overtourism, putting pressure on infrastructure and the environment, and reducing the quality of life. The town is also struggling with labour shortages. Increased property demand from tourism inflates house prices, forcing young residents to out-migrate, thus weakening local identity. Participatory research in Kranjska Gora shows that stakeholders are committed to maintaining ski tourism as long as it is economically viable. As there is no systematic funding for snowmaking in Slovenia, the municipality subsidises snowmaking. Efforts are also being made to diversify winter tourism and reduce dependence on skiing. Local stakeholders propose developing a new ski resort management model to reduce uncertainties related to private ownership of ski lifts. The development of alternative winter tourism products requires changes in land use and regulatory changes to allow outdoor activities in ski resorts. Tourism diversification and development also require new regulations of outdoor activities to define responsibilities and address safety issues. Stakeholders argue that government regulations should allow local communities to use tourism tax revenues to address key challenges and improve sustainability. Priorities include affordable housing, public mobility services, and wastewater infrastructure upgrades. A participatory approach to identifying transition processes and development visions is crucial, not only to raise awareness and promote ownership of local development but also to identify policy gaps and

ID: 3.13880

Ten transition strategies for ten snow tourism destinations: strengthening resilience regarding CC-induced ecologic & socioeconomic effects.

Andrea Omizzolo
Philipp, Corradini; Moroni, Agnese

Abstract/Description

Thanks to the support of the Interreg Alpine Space ‘BeyondSnow’ project, in the last two years a group of ten mountain winter destinations at low-medium altitude, conjointly devised new sustainable development paths and transition processes to increase their socio-ecological climate resilience. These are mainly small tourist destinations and communities, spatially distributed across six Alpine countries, differing in size, development level and criticalities, which are very dependent economically and socially on the presence of snow. They opted for these adaptation path because, due to Climate Change (CC), it is very likely that snow cover in the Alps will continue to decrease in the future. In addition to the ecological impacts, they must therefore also consider the socio-economic consequences of decreasing snow cover. They need to maintain or increase their attractiveness for inhabitants and tourists. Authors aim at presenting the summary of the ten strategies, one of the main outputs of the BeyondSnow project, including an overview of the CC adaptation measures developed in each of ten areas as well as a summary of the processes undertaken for their development. Indeed, authors believe that what emerged may stimulate further research steps and serve as blueprints for the initiation and continuation of transition processes in other winter destinations and mountain communities for decreasing the snow-dependency of their respective tourism system, strengthening their resilience regarding CC-induced ecologic & socioeconomic effects.

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#IMC: September 14 - 18 2025

WS 3.110

Transition processes of mountain resorts and tourism destinations

Details

Full Title

Scheduled

Location

Convener

Co-Conveners

Assigned to Synthesis Workshop

Thematic Focus

Keywords

Description

Submitted Abstracts

Abstract/Description

Abstract/Description

Abstract/Description

Abstract/Description

Abstract/Description

Abstract/Description

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