Climate change threatens Alpine tourism: new challenges for the industry!

Climate change threatens Alpine tourism: new challenges for the industry!

The Alpine region is facing serious changes caused by climate change. A team of over 20 climate researchers, including from Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, published a position paper detailing the impact on winter sports and summer tourism. The average warming since pre-industrial times shows alarming values: in Germany it is +2.5 degrees Celsius, in Austria +3.1 degrees Celsius and in Switzerland +2.9 degrees Celsius.

The consequences of this warming are already noticeable: In the Alpine region, the duration of the natural snow cover is decreasing, which in turn means that winter sports activities have to move to higher altitudes. The time window for technical snow production is becoming shorter, which is accompanied by increasing water and energy requirements. This raises questions about maintaining a usable snowpack during the peak season, which has already become a serious problem for many ski resorts.

Broadened perspectives on climate change

In addition to the immediate impact on snow and winter sports, climate change also has far-reaching consequences for summer tourism. As temperatures rise in lower-lying regions, it is becoming increasingly important for the tourism industry to create cooler, higher-altitude refuges. In the higher altitudes of the Alps and low mountain ranges, the temperatures are milder, which enables mountain sports activities to be started earlier and ended later. These trends are reflected in the findings of the project Bavaria Central clearly visible.

The “Vitalpin” project offers a comprehensive overview of the effects of climate change on the Alpine habitat and Alpine tourism. In eight chapters, scientific studies are analyzed and climate protection strategies are discussed. Particularly valuable are the chapters on the specific changes in winter and summer tourism as well as the challenges facing the industry.

Need for action and adaptation strategies

According to the results of the study by Federal Environment Agency Only small changes in tourism demand can be directly attributed to climate change. However, extreme weather events such as river floods, droughts and storm surges have a noticeable impact on demand. It is therefore necessary to develop concrete climate adaptation measures for the tourism industry.

A central point here is the financing of these adaptation strategies. Various funding instruments at EU, federal and state levels offer support, but there is no uniform funding for climate change adaptation measures. Companies are recommended to develop concrete adaptation measures and intensify contact with potential guests in order to meet the changed requirements.

The challenges posed by climate change make it clear that long-term planning is essential in the tourism industry. It is important to take responsibility for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and to develop innovative solutions that sustainably secure the Alpine region and its tourist offerings.