Emmanuel Salim (p), Jeanne Fournier, Emmanuel Fragnière, Ephraim Gerber, Leïla Kebir

Wadie Othmani

In Switzerland, high mountain areas have undergone extensive development for tourism, with mountain tourism primarily centered around outdoor activities such as hiking, mountaineering, and skiing. However, these activities are intricately tied to the environment, and the current impact of climate change is reshaping their foundational elements. Notably, reduced snow availability during winter poses a challenge to ski tourism, while glacier retreat raises concerns about the future of glacier tourism and alpinism during the summer season. Addressing these challenges necessitates a focus on destination adaptation to climate risks, particularly when the destination relies on vulnerable activities. This presentation shares initial findings from a research project aimed at comprehending the adaptations required to mitigate climate change impacts on summer glacier skiing in Saas-Fee and Zermatt, the last two remaining summer glacier ski resorts in Switzerland. Given the complexity of interactions between multiple stakeholders in these glacier summer ski resorts, the project aims to construct a systemic adaptation framework. The methodology involves conducting semi-structured interviews with tourism stakeholders (n=10) and skiers/ sports team managers (n=14), the primary customers of this activity. Preliminary results indicate that climate change affects both the demand and supply sides, resulting in increased operating costs, the risk of summer closures, and heightened uncertainty about operational viability. This, in turn, impacts the demand side, particularly professional skiers who face uncertainties in glacier availability for summer training, leading them to explore alternative options such as traveling to the southern hemisphere or utilizing artificial ski domes. The study expands and discusses these findings to uncover interrelationships among the diverse stakeholders involved.

Andrea Omizzolo (p), Philipp Corradini (p)

Emmanuel Salim

The proposal aims at exploring the cascading impacts of Climate Change on Snow Tourism Destinations and Communities in the Alps, focusing on the specific impacts of the potential general decrease of snow coverage. The authors analysis highlights how global warming affects the duration and consistency of snow, compromising the stability of winter sports-related activities. Decreases in snow cover directly impact ski-related activities and destinations, reducing the skiing season, the profitability of connected businesses, and potentially causing harm to the economy and society. Thus, many Alpine communities, which are traditionally reliant on winter tourism, face significant socio-economic challenges, including job losses and revenue reduction. Additionally, climate change can lead to extreme weather events, increasing the risk of avalanches and adverse climatic conditions. These events can damage tourist and community infrastructure and threaten the safety of visitors and local inhabitants.
Capitalising vulnerability and resilience data and first results of the ongoing EU Interreg Alpine Space Project “BeyondSnow”, authors emphasize the need for adaptation strategies to preserve winter tourism in the Alps, focusing on sustainability and economic diversification to reduce dependence on snow-related activities, especially skiing. Study results provide insights for policymakers, DMOs, businesses, and local Alpine communities, highlighting the urgency of addressing the challenges of climate change to protect the long-term vitality of these unique areas.

Wadie Othmani (p), Cyril Martin–Colonna, Olfa Ben Medien

Andrea Omizzolo

Tourism is frequently targeted by terrorism, yet few studies adopt a multi-scalar view of destination adaptation. This research addresses that gap by examining the interplay between macro-economic and socio-urban adaptation following the 2016 Nice and 2015 Sousse attacks. Using mixed methods, it first conducts a comparative analysis of macroeconomic impacts on tourism combined with a visual deep learning study of French and Tunisian tourism board social media profiles. It then ethnographically investigates urban tourist areas through visual content analysis, supplemented by semi-structured interviews with local stakeholders on recovery strategies. Findings contextualize tourism’s “panarchic adaptation” to terrorism via affected cities enabling national-level rebound. The granular local level shapes national outcomes, underlining a panarchic approach where multi-scalar coordination and strengthened urban features reinforce tourism’s adaptation to terrorism.