This session advances knowledge on the social dimension of sustainable tourism development by analysing transformations to community-focused, accessible, and inclusive approaches in mountain destinations. Special emphasis is placed on small, spatially constrained communities, including analyses of tourism impacts on everyday life and local infrastructure, as well as its implications for destination planning under limited resources (e.g., space, housing, labour, and public services). Possible contributions may engage with (but are not limited to) the following research avenues: Governance and community voice: Analyses on how governance arrangements and co-design processes shape representation, legitimacy, and decision-making, particularly where external interests are at the core while local priorities are neglected. Accessibility and inclusion in tourism: Examinations on how mountain destination stakeholders address accessible tourism. This includes both social perceptions for- and self-perceptions of people with disability and the allocation of responsibilities across public/private actors throughout the implementation of accessible tourism. Responsibility for sustainable tourism development: Examining how different stakeholders in mountain destinations perceive and approach sustainable tourism development. Who is responsible for implementing sustainability, and how do various actors demonstrate responsible behavior? Managing concentrated pressures and social impacts: Investigations of stakeholder reactions to crowding in sensitive settings (e.g., thresholds and zoning, benefit-sharing, community-led initiatives, reinvestment in local infrastructure). This refers to social impacts of over-tourism on cohesion or residents’ everyday wellbeing, defining approaches to assess and address these. Resident – tourist interactions: Encounters between residents and tourists create reciprocal influences that shape how residents experience their community in different roles. These interactions form a core component of the overall experience for both groups, shaping tourists’ perceptions of the destination and fostering loyalty, while also determining residents’ support for tourism development.
By integrating these perspectives, the session will enhance discussions on stakeholder interests in the evolution of socially sustainable tourism in mountain regions.
Registered Abstracts
ID: 3.211
Stakeholder perspectives on destination resilience in rural mountain tourism
Sarah Schönherr Salukvadze, Gvantsa; Gugushvili, Temur; Graiff, Lukas
Abstract/Description
Rural mountain destinations that depend heavily on tourism face increasing pressures from climate change, economic instability, and public health crises. Despite the growing relevance of resilience in tourism research, destination-level resilience in rural mountain contexts remains underexplored. This study investigates how tourism stakeholders perceive resilience in two mountain tourism destinations: the Kaunertal region in Tyrol, Austria, and Mestia in Svaneti, Georgia.
Using a qualitative comparative case study design, data were collected through five focus group workshops with tourism stakeholders (n = 25). The discussions explored experiences with past crises and perceptions of resilience at the destination level. Data were analyzed following the flexible pattern matching approach.
The findings identify three key dimensions of destination resilience: community, vulnerability and health, and economy. Stakeholders in both regions emphasized the importance of social cohesion, informal cooperation, and volunteer engagement for effective crisis response. Hazard preparedness and emergency coordination were also highlighted, with Austrian stakeholders referring to established preventive infrastructure, while Georgian participants pointed to gaps in formal coordination and risk mapping. Economically, participants stressed diversification, local value creation, and reduced dependence on external markets as critical resilience strategies.
The study highlights the importance of combining local knowledge and informal practices with formal monitoring and indicators. It contributes to a contextual understanding of destination resilience and provides insights for developing measurement tools and governance strategies for rural mountain tourism destinations.
ID: 3.221
Participatory Rural Development, Tourism and Livelihood Transformation in Mountainous Georgia: The Case of Khulo Municipality
Natia Kekenadze Salukvadze, Joseph
Abstract/Description
This paper examines participatory rural development and livelihood transformation in mountainous regions of Georgia, focusing on the role of Local Action Groups (LAGs), municipal participatory mechanisms, and tourism-based economic diversification in Khulo Municipality. Mountain regions in Georgia face persistent challenges such as depopulation, limited infrastructure, economic vulnerability, and weak institutional capacity. In response, participatory rural development programs supported by national and international initiatives have aimed to diversify local economies and strengthen community participation in development processes.
The study is based on qualitative research conducted in Khulo Municipality, including semi-structured interviews with rural households participating in economic development programs funded by local and international initiatives. The research explores how participatory governance mechanisms influence livelihood transformation, particularly the shift from subsistence agriculture toward diversified income sources such as tourism services, small entrepreneurship, and commercial farming.
The findings show that participatory structures such as Local Action Groups and municipal initiatives play an important role in information dissemination, capacity building, and access to grants, which support the development of tourism and other local economic activities. However, the research also identifies significant challenges, including sectoral bias in funding programs, limited infrastructure, geographic accessibility issues, digital divide, and low trust in local governance institutions. These factors limit the effectiveness of participatory governance and rural development programs.
The paper argues that successful rural development in mountainous regions requires stronger institutional capacity, improved infrastructure, and more inclusive participatory mechanisms. Tourism development, when combined with participatory governance, can become an important driver of livelihood transformation and regional resilience in mountain areas.
ID: 3.230
Mountain Tourism Crises and Disasters: A Review and Future Research Agenda
Nurlena Nurlena Peters, Mike
Abstract/Description
Mountain regions are highly vulnerable to crises, disasters, and risks due to their geographical and environmental characteristics. Natural hazards such as landslides, earthquakes, avalanches, volcanic eruptions, floods, and climate-related events frequently affect mountain tourism destinations and pose challenges to tourism sustainability. As mountain tourism continues to expand globally, research related to crisis management and resilience in mountain destinations has received increasing scholarly attention. However, the existing tourism literature on mountain-related crises, disasters, risks, and hazards remains fragmented, with studies addressing diverse themes and perspectives and limited synthesis of the overall development and thematic structure of the field. Therefore, this study aims to: 1) review the development and major research themes of studies on mountain-related crises, disasters, risks, and hazards; 2) examine how these issues are discussed in tourism research; and 3) identify research gaps and future research directions.
A total of 140 tourism-related articles indexed in Web of Science and Scopus were reviewed. This study employs a systematic literature review approach combining bibliometric and thematic analyses. Bibliometric analysis was conducted to map publication trends, keyword co-occurrence, and thematic evolution, while thematic analysis was used to examine dominant discussions and identify research gaps.
The findings show recent studies increasingly emphasize environmental vulnerability and adaptation in mountain tourism contexts. However, governance, stakeholder coordination, and leadership dimensions remain relatively underexplored. This study contributes to mountain tourism crisis research by providing a comprehensive overview of the field and identifying future research directions related to governance, resilience, and crisis management in mountain tourism destinations.
ID: 3.9
Snowmaking and slope preparation: Cost structure, resource consumption and greenhouse gas emissions
Günther Aigner
Abstract/Description
Despite the decades of heated debate about the environmental sustainability of ski tourism and its significant economic importance in some regions of the world, scientific research has so far paid little attention to its resource requirements and greenhouse gas emissions. This study presents the largest sample ever collected in a scientific investigation into snowmaking and slope preparation—covering a total of 41 ski areas in 4 countries in the Alps. Snowmaking accounts for 21 percent of the total costs of ski operations. 1 m³ of machine-made snow costs about EUR 3.90 in a full-cost calculation and requires 3.7 kWh of electricity. 42 % of a ski area’s total electricity consumption is used for snowmaking. Per skier visit, it requires 5.8 kWh of electrical energy and 900 liters of water, while 0.6 liters of diesel are spent on slope preparation. In an ideal scenario (hydropower-based electricity mix and HVO as a diesel substitute), about 500 grams of CO2eq are emitted per skier visit for snowmaking, cable cars, lifts, buildings, and total fuel consumption. This paper aims to provide an objective framework for discussions regarding the ecological sustainability of skiing and to serve as a data foundation for future research.
ID: 3.12
Adaptive Capacity and Climate Adaptation in German Cross-Country Skiing Destinations
Cross-country skiing destinations in mountainous regions are socially and culturally significant yet face increasing pressure to adapt and sustainably develop their infrastructure and management practices under climate change. This two-study project assesses the adaptive capacity and climate adaptation practices of German cross-country skiing destinations. The first study examines adaptive capacity to understand how destinations can respond to climate impacts and risks. Using survey data of operators from German cross-country skiing destinations (N=42), cross-country skiing-specific indicators were developed to assess key determinants of adaptive capacity. The data were normalized and aggregated into a composite adaptive capacity index, enabling comparisons across destinations. Results show that, apart from a few highly adaptive destinations, most exhibit moderate to low adaptive capacity. Major challenges relate to technology (e.g., snowmaking and snow farming), physical conditions (e.g., elevation and operating days), and access to climate data. However, many destinations display strengths in social capital, such as local networks and value creation, as well as tourism infrastructure that could support transformation processes.
The second study combines a climate analysis with semi-structured interviews at ten German cross-country skiing destinations to gain deeper insights into adaptation processes at the destination level. The destinations varied in location, size, infrastructure, and operating structures. The climate analysis examined projected changes in temperature, wet-bulb temperature, snow depth, and snowfall up to 2060 relative to the reference period 1986–2005. Interviews with destination managers addressed observed climate impacts, adaptation types, barriers and enabling factors, and future perspectives. Results indicate that small, low-elevation, club-managed destinations are most strongly affected and face the greatest challenges, whereas larger destinations – often managed by DMOs or independently – can respond more effectively. Adaptation is mainly incremental and planned, though planned measures often enable autonomous adaptation at the operational level. While larger destinations increasingly pursue transformational strategies such as activity diversification, smaller destinations remain largely confined to coping or incremental adaptation. Financial constraints accompany all adaptations, regardless of the destination or adaptation type.
ID: 3.41
Climate change and (mal)adaptation in tourism-intensive Alpine regions
Valentina Ausserladscheider
Abstract/Description
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.
ID: 3.40
Nobody ever asked for it – Mansplaining and flow experience in alpine outdoor winter sports
Denise Fecker Bosio, Birgit; Nadegger, Monica
Abstract/Description
Problem statement/research question: Mansplaining, commonly described as unsolicited, gendered explanations, represents a form of interaction that may negatively influence psychological experiences in performance-related contexts. While such behaviors have been discussed in everyday and organizational settings such as the workplace, their potential relevance in sport contexts remains largely unexplored. This study investigates the prevalence and characteristics of mansplaining within alpine outdoor winter sports. It further examines whether experiences of mansplaining in these contexts are associated with participants’ perceived flow experiences during activity engagement, and whether these associations vary by gender.
Methodology: Data will be collected using an online survey amongactive outdoor winter sports participants in April 2026. The study will employ multiple inferential statistical techniques to assess the relationships between mansplaining, flow experiences, and gender.
Originality: By addressing an understudied social phenomenon in a sport-specific context, this study seeks to provide initial insights into how gendered interaction experiences may relate to psychological outcomes relevant for sport participation and performance. Such insights are crucial for developing strategies for outdoor sports providers and associations to address discrimination and facilitate inclusive outdoor sports structures.
ID: 3.38
The Sustainability Discourse in Tourism: An Ethico-Philosophical Critique
Matthias Fuchs
Abstract/Description
The presentation critically discusses sustainability concepts and frameworks currently employed in tourism, such as the “UNWTO Statistical Framework for Measuring Sustainable Tourism” (Dwyer, 2024). Limitations and blind spots of an ethical nature are identified. Hence, after highlighting that ethics is at the heart of sustainable tourism (e.g. hospitality, care, justice, social innovations, environmental protection), the presentation reflects on contemporary understandings of ethics in tourism (Fennell, 2019; Lüfter, 2025). The proposition is made that fundamental misconceptions of moral and ethics hinder sustainable tourism to unfold its true ethical potential. Following philosopher Brodbeck (2003), the presentation reflects on the very foundations of ethics and morality. By so doing, ethical deficiencies of the Cartesian thinking form and of Popper’s critical empiricism are stressed and shown to dominate contemporary (tourism) science (Fuchs, 2023). However, also promising research trajectories of major ethical frameworks in tourism are demonstrated (Akhoundoghli & Boluk 2025). Finally, the unique sustainability strategy of the South Tyrolean destination of St. Vigil in Enneberg, certified by the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC), is described. The distinctive feature of this sustainability strategy is that it is based on 16 ethical values identified and progressively refined through engagement in local participatory dialogue platforms. These ethical values are thus embraced and actively practiced by all stakeholder groups of the destination, including guests (Runggaldier, 2024).
Akhoundoghli, M & Boluk, K (2025). An examination of Degrowth Frameworks: Localizing, Socializing and Regenerative Tourism, Tourism Analysis, 30(1): 23-43.
Brodbeck, K-H. (2003). Ethik und Moral: Eine kritische Einführung, Verlag BWT, Würzburg.
Dwyer, L. (2024). Measuring the sustainability of tourism: New wine in an old bottle? Sustainability, 16, 5867.
Fennell, D.A. (2019). Sustainability Ethics in Tourism: The Imperative Next Imperative, Tourism Recreation Research, 44(1), 117-130.
Lüfter, R. (2025). Kritik der Nachhaltigkeit: Eine Übung, Eudia, 19(19), 1-16
Runggaldier, C. (2024). San Vigilio–Sustainable tourism destination expressed as a model of living-values, Free University of Bolzano-Bozen (26.11.2024).
ID: 3.35
Towards a better understanding of unskilled skiers’ attachments to ski destinations
Kinga Krzesiwo
Abstract/Description
Addressing the needs of unskilled skiers, i.e. those with low-to-medium proficiency, is becoming a critical challenge for the ski industry in emerging markets in Asia, Central and Eastern Europe, and due to socio-demographic changes in established markets in Western Europe and North America. Tourism studies have thus far lacked detailed analyses dedicated to this group of skiers. The research aimed to identify the motivational factors underlying ski resort choice among unskilled skiers and to evaluate the extent to which these factors serve as predictors of destination attachment within this segment of skiers. Empirical data were collected through a survey among a sample of 414 skiers. The obtained quantitative data were subjected to statistical procedures, including Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) and Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) based on Partial Least Squares (PLS) regression. The findings indicate that ski resort attributes such as ski infrastructure and ski services, complementary services, and the spatial context play a pivotal role in the choice-making process of ski destinations within the examined segment. An analysis of latent factors based on structural equation modelling unveiled that ski resort attributes imply its atmosphere and predict ski destination attachment among non-advanced skiers. The managerial implications of the study underscore the importance of place atmosphere and emotional attachment to ski resorts as factors that enhance the gravitational pull of unskilled skiers, promote their loyalty to the destination, and contribute to the sustainable development of ski resorts.
ID: 3.30
Rethinking Resident Support in Heritage Tourism: A Social Sustainability Perspective from a Chinese Mountain Destination
Tao Duan Coles, Tim; Shaw, Gareth
Abstract/Description
Resident support is widely recognised as a key condition for sustainable heritage tourism development, yet it is often conceptualised as a measurable and largely linear attitudinal outcome. Such simplification obscures the socially embedded, dynamic and historically situated nature of support, particularly in heritage mountain destinations where residents simultaneously act as heritage custodians, tourism workers and everyday hosts. When these multiple roles are overlooked, resident support becomes difficult to interpret, leading to governance and policy interventions based on fragile assumptions.
This study argues that resident support should be understood as a dynamic social process rather than a static evaluative position. Adopting a social sustainability perspective, the research rethinks resident support by introducing a temporal dimension that captures how attitudes are shaped by residents’ experiences of the past, evaluations of the present and expectations for the future. Rather than redefining the concept itself, the study focuses on identifying the social, economic and governance-related mechanisms through which differentiated forms of support are produced.
Empirically, the research draws on a large-scale quantitative survey conducted in Mt. Lu, a major Chinese mountain heritage destination characterised by strong tourism dependence and the close interweaving of cultural and natural heritage. Survey data from 501 residents reveal a structured attitudinal system comprising multiple latent dimensions across Place Attachment, Community Involvement and Resident Support. Cluster analysis further identifies three resident groups—Low-supporters, Qualified-supporters and High-supporters—each exhibiting distinct configurations of value orientations, behavioural engagement and evaluative judgements.
The findings demonstrate that resident support does not operate along a simple continuum from opposition to endorsement, but emerges through qualitatively different combinations of affective, behavioural and evaluative orientations. By reframing resident support through a social sustainability lens, the study contributes conceptually to debates on resident–destination relations, empirically to heritage mountain tourism research in China, and analytically to more socially attuned approaches to destination governance and transformation.
ID: 3.69
Frontiers in development and enhancement in the Alps: between planning, society and technology
In times of climate change and an ever-increasing influx of visitors to the Alps, the development of tourism is a topic of great importance, especially in protected areas.
Uncontrollable global phenomena, partly resulting from the effect of social media, are having negative and uncontrolled repercussions in some Alpine locations, with serious consequences for the consumption of the landscape, the environment and precious and non-renewable resources, not only environmental but also economic, social and cultural. At the same time, other areas of environmental value remain little visited and at risk of abandonment. Another aspect concerns the increasingly significant trend of “tourist migration” to mountain resorts, which is concentrated in periods of the year when the climate in the plains is less favourable due to high temperatures, taking the form of a sort of “tourist” climate migration dictated by the need for a more comfortable environment.
In addition to the above, which involves significant movements of people to areas that are delicate and unique in terms of quality and value, it is increasingly important to develop adequate awareness among tourists and those who frequent the mountains of their negative or positive role in relation to the environment they visit.
New technological applications and innovative experiences in the sector can be useful in addressing these phenomena and raising awareness, such as the “ALTe – Alpine Leisure Transformation” project and other development proposals aimed at more effective management policies and actions based on structured, harmonised and comparable data.
New technological applications and innovative experiences in this sector can be useful in addressing these phenomena and raising awareness for the development of effective management policies and actions based on structured and comparable data for a shared and fact-based approach, combining data harmonisation, user-centred digital demonstrations and structured adoption mechanisms to provide transferable and scalable solutions relevant to policy and practice.
ID: 3.82
Accessible agritourism in Alpine regions: Digital pathways to inclusive, socially responsible farm-based tourism
Alexander Plaikner Weiskopf, Katharina; Weiskopf, Barbara; Wieser, Verena E.; Quenderl, Erika; Haid, Marco
Abstract/Description
Demand for accessible farm services is increasing due to demographic change (Wydler & Picard, 2010). Accessible tourism appeals to the growing senior segment interested in farm vacations, enabling farm diversification and supporting regional development (Plaikner et al., 2024; Ferrara et al., 2023). The project conceptualises accessible agritourism as a socially responsible consumer choice contributing to socially sustainable mountain destinations (Wieser & Hemetsberger, 2024).
Activities such as herbalism or participative field walks should be accessible to all and accommodate diverse groups via digital platforms (e.g., interplay of UaB ProviderApp and myZillertal-App), reducing information barriers and supporting inclusive planning (Buhalis & Darcy, 2011; Sempik et al., 2010). Farmers should consider these groups’ needs to offer inclusive activities and assume social responsibility. This reaseach aims to create accessible agriculture for people with disabilities or older people and their families, enabling responsible tourism.
A completed mixed-methods study (49 interviews, 5 focus groups, n = 103 survey) of older adults’ views on agritourism in Tyrol/Vorarlberg (2022–23) identified digital platform barriers and explored business model innovations for farm continuity. Key barriers include infrastructural limitations, fragmented service chains, and provider knowledge gaps, reflecting broader “responsibility gaps” between intentions and practices (Falcão & Roseira, 2022; Wieser & Hemetsberger, 2024), while confirming accessible agritourism’s role in regional development, farm continuity, and rural preservation (Barbieri & Streifeneder, 2019).
The follow-up study addresses challenges in ageing societies (Eurostat, 2023; Patterson & Balderas-Cejudo, 2023), explores perceptions and preferences of older adults (65+), investigates agritourism business model innovations, and develops universal design principles for service redesign (Klaus et al., 2024; Persson et al., 2015). Mixed methods assess market potential, barriers, and strategies for inclusive services. Universal design emphasises equitable and flexible use to overcome physical and digital barriers in remote farms. The researcher propose an integrated framework linking community consideration, responsibility, and accessibility as core dimensions of socially sustainable destination transformation. This will offer strategies for policymakers, destination managers, and farm enterprises to strengthen regional resilience, prevent farm abandonment, and position accessible agritourism as a driver of sustainable Alpine development (Otoo & Kim, 2020; Wieser & Hemetsberger, 2024).
ID: 3.119
Real-World Laboratories for Socially Sustainable Mountain Destinations: Insights from a Real-World Laboratory in the Stubai Valley
Lukas Schmidt Ziehmann, Laszlo; Roth, Ralf; Uphoff, Julia
Abstract/Description
Mountain destinations increasingly face the challenge of balancing rising outdoor tourism demand with social responsibility, accessibility, community well-being and climate adaption. Innovative management pathways are required to ensure that destination development supports socially sustainable transformation rather than exacerbating spatial conflicts, exclusion or safety risks. Real-world laboratories offer a promising approach to address these challenges by embedding research directly within destination contexts and fostering continuous exchange between science, practice and local stakeholders.
Since 2016, the Institute for Outdoor Sport and Environmental Science (IOSU) has accompanied the sustainable development of the Stubai Valley (Tyrol, Austria) as an outdoor destination functioning as a real-world laboratory. Central to this long-term cooperation is the WildeWasserWeg, a core tourism product that combines barrier-free sections and viewing platforms with more demanding trail segments to address accessibility, inclusion and diverse user needs. On behalf of the Tourism Association Stubai Tirol, IOSU implemented a long-term visitor monitoring programme capturing spatial and temporal use patterns, visitor intensities, weather influences, and user behaviour and satisfaction. These data provide an empirical basis for responsible visitor management, infrastructure adaptation and socially sensitive product development that balances visitor experience with local capacity limits.
Building on this foundation, a series of student theses and a doctoral dissertation expanded the real-world laboratory by integrating GPS-based movement analysis, surveys and behavioural modelling. The research addressed spatial concentration, discrepancies between planned and actual walking times, and individual performance variability within hiking groups. Resulting recommendations focused on inclusive information and guidance systems, improved communication of route requirements and safety, and measures supporting both accessibility and accident prevention.
Across all projects, IOSU acted as a knowledge broker at the science–practice interface, translating empirical findings into decision-relevant insights while incorporating community, management and practitioner perspectives into research design. The Stubai Valley case illustrates how real-world laboratories can enable socially sustainable destination transformation through responsible knowledge brokerage in mountain regions.
ID: 3.142
Demographic changes in mountain communities versus intense visitation: the case of the Municipality of Tržič, Karavanke Mountains, Slovenia
Irena Mrak Klemen, Kotnik
Abstract/Description
Demographic development in Alpine mountain areas reflects broader socioeconomic transformations shaped by historical, economic, and environmental factors. In the studied area of the Alps, long-term demographic trends since the post–World War II period reveal population dynamics closely linked to employment opportunities during the era of former Yugoslavia and the subsequent decline of major employers following Slovenia’s independence. These structural changes led to significant shifts in population size and composition.
In recent decades, demographic change has been increasingly influenced by immigration, predominantly by foreign nationals, as well as domestic in-migration. New residents are attracted by the area’s favorable geographical setting, proximity to regional employment centers such as Kranj and Ljubljana, high quality of life, and access to diverse leisure opportunities in relatively well-preserved mountain environments.
At the same time, leisure activities in the Alpine landscape have expanded and diversified, resulting in a steady increase in visitor numbers. Mountain tourism and recreational use are becoming key drivers of local development but also pose growing challenges for environmental sustainability and the well-being of the local population. Various research and development projects have collected data on visitor flows and regular recreational use, providing valuable insights into the spatial and temporal patterns of leisure activities.
However, despite improved understanding of visitation dynamics, effective management measures to regulate tourism and recreational pressure in relation to demographic trends and local welfare remain insufficiently developed. The interaction between population change and expanding leisure activities highlights the need for integrated planning approaches that balance economic opportunities, environmental protection, and the quality of life for residents in Alpine mountain areas.
ID: 3.202
Anchoring climate futures : evaluating the Mountain Tourism Fresco as a serious game for alpine destination transitions
Ivan Minguez
Abstract/Description
Serious games are structured, rule-based devices designed to support learning and deliberation on complex issues by combining modelling, facilitation, and collective reflection. In mountain tourism, they can make interdependencies, responsibilities, and trade-offs discussable across heterogeneous actors, while remaining accessible to participants with diverse expertise. This paper examines the application and effects of a place-based serious game in a Swiss Alpine destination context through the Mountain Tourism Fresco, developed within the Swiss national research programme SWEET Lantern and implemented as a case study in a series of workshops organiced in Verbier–Val de Bagnes.
The Mountain Tourism Fresco is a three-hour workshop. The first phase combines a territorial map with a card system that structures causal chains linking tourism-related practices and drivers to climate change in the Alps, and to impacts on tourism. Participants then discuss mitigation and adaptation actions as “solutions” options to maintain tourism activities under changing conditions. A second phase mobilises narrative tourism personas (e.g., residents, workers, second-home owners, visitors, decision-makers) to explore differentiated constraints and leverage points in 2050-oriented scenarios.
Empirically, the study relies on a mixed-methods design combining three survey waves (pre, immediate post, follow-up), participant observation across four workshops, and semi-structured interviews with participants and local tourism stakeholders (e.g., destination and municipal actors, practitioners, business representatives). The analysis focuses on how the game operates as a mediation and boundary-object device in destination transition processes: how it supports territorialised problem framing, articulates responsibilities across roles, and sustains attention to climate-related transformation questions beyond the workshop setting. Findings are discussed with caution given voluntary participation and a limited number of respondents, which constrains statistical inference and the generalisability of quantitative patterns.
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