Regional Mountain Conference

Tourism, especially in winter, accounts for a large share of economic income in Alpine regions. At the same time, these regions are more severely affected by climate change, leading to shorter winter seasons and reduced snow cover. This presents a pressing issue for areas reliant on income from winter tourism through activities such as skiing. In response, many regions are seeking to adapt to climate change by attracting tourists in summer. While efforts to draw tourists beyond the winter season certainly diversify regional growth opportunities, only a few regions have so far developed equally strong summer tourism seasons. This article focuses on the case of the Seiser Alm in Northern Italy, where summer and winter tourism are similarly intense. It critically reflects on extending the tourism season as a climate change adaptation strategy and argues that sole reliance on tourism-led growth may have unintended consequences as climate change accelerates.