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Promoting sustainable mountain tourism

08.09.2014

Destinations for skiing, climbing, hiking, taking in beautiful landscapes, discovering new cultures and exploring the past, mountains attract tourists for a multitude of reasons. Roughly 15 to 20 percent of total tourist flows visit mountains, according to a recent Mountain Partnership publication called “Tourism in Mountain Regions – Hopes, Fears and Realities”.

Written by Bernard Debarbieux (University of Geneva), Mari Oiry Varacca (University of Geneva), Gilles Rudaz (Federal Office of the Environment of Switzerland), Daniel Maselli (Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation), Thomas Kohler (Centre for Development and Environment of the University of Bern) and Matthias Jurek (United Nations Environment Programme), the book illustrates efforts to initiate more sustainable and equitable development in mountain areas around the globe.

The tourism industry brings important economic resources and jobs to many mountain regions. The economic success achieved in Europe, North America, Argentina, Australia, Chile, Japan and New Zealand has given rise to hopes and expectations in many other mountain regions of the world, such as the Pamirs, Tien Shan, the Sahel and the central Andes, where firstly western tourists, and then domestic tourists, have become increasingly interested in them, the book says. However, everywhere in major and emerging tourist regions, “the development of mountain tourism brings many challeng­es in terms of social equity, cultural transformation, the protec­tion of natural resources and ecosystems and governance.”

The 97-page publication, featuring 28 case studies from many mountain regions, describes innovative strategies that mountain communities have developed for tourism to cope with cultural, economic, environmental and political challenges. The lessons learned and recommendations can benefit associations, policy makers, development experts, business leaders and academics interested in the development of tourism in mountain areas. Mountain communities can also learn from each other’s experiences by reading the inspirational ways to promote sustainable forms of mountain tourism offered in the book.

The concluding pages underline two final considerations:

• “The building of a shared vision for the ob­jectives and modalities of tourism development, involving local stake­holders, governmental entities, and private and associative partners alike, is critical to the success of any such endeavour.”

• “Capacity building and skills development are crucial if tourism, espe­cially community-based tourism, is to succeed over the long term. These capacities and skills should be able to address socio-cultural concerns, economic change, and environmental management.”

Published by the Department of Geography and Environment of the University of Geneva, the Centre for Development and Environment of the University of Bern and the United Nations Environment Programme with support from Austrian Development Cooperation and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, the publication is available online in English and Spanish.

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