scholarly journals Snow flakes and fates: what hope is there for Alpine winter tourism?

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Fischer
Keyword(s):  
2009 ◽  
Vol 160 (10) ◽  
pp. 311-317 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pierre Mollet ◽  
Dominik Thiel

The present study investigated whether the flushing distance, the territorial use and the stress hormone physiology of the capercaillie (Tetrao urogallus) were influenced in the winter by the presence of a large number of people engaged in sporting activities. In most cases flushing distances were greater, and higher concentrations of stress hormone were found in the blood serum, in areas having a high intensity of sporting activities than in forest stands relatively undisturbed by tourists. During the ski season capercaillie avoided forest patches within their home ranges where there was a high level of recreational activity. The results lead to the conclusion that intensive winter tourism can be a serious threat to the remaining capercaillie populations in middle Europe. It is recommended that the construction of new recreational facilities and new developments should be avoided in the most important habitats for capercaillie. The important habitats which today already lie in the immediate vicinity of areas intensively used by tourists could clearly receive enhanced status, according to each situation, either as tranquility areas for wildlife where entrance is forbidden or with regulations requiring winter tourists to stay on trails.


Author(s):  
B. Abegg ◽  
L. J�nicke ◽  
M. Peters ◽  
A. Plaikner

2011 ◽  
Vol 73 (01) ◽  
pp. 215-228 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matej Ogrin ◽  
◽  
Darko Ogrin ◽  
Nastja Rodman ◽  
Matic Močnik ◽  
...  

2011 ◽  
Vol 31 (3) ◽  
pp. 229-236 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christian Rixen ◽  
Michaela Teich ◽  
Corina Lardelli ◽  
David Gallati ◽  
Mandy Pohl ◽  
...  

2008 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 91-100 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. Vanham ◽  
E. Fleischhacker ◽  
W. Rauch

Abstract. Alpine regions are particularly affected by seasonal variations in water demand and water availability. Especially the winter period is critical from an operational point of view, as being characterised by high water demands due to tourism and low water availability due to the temporal storage of precipitation as snow and ice. The clear definition of summer and winter periods is thus an essential prerequisite for water resource management in alpine regions. This paper presents a GIS-based multi criteria method to determine the winter season. A snow cover duration dataset serves as basis for this analysis. Different water demand stakeholders, the alpine hydrology and the present day water supply infrastructure are taken into account. Technical snow-making and (winter) tourism were identified as the two major seasonal water demand stakeholders in the study area, which is the Kitzbueheler region in the Austrian Alps. Based upon different geographical datasets winter was defined as the period from December to March, and summer as the period from April to November. By determining potential regional water balance deficits or surpluses in the present day situation and in future, important management decisions such as water storage and allocation can be made and transposed to the local level.


2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (15) ◽  
pp. 4233 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bausch ◽  
Humpe ◽  
Gössling

: Research has dealt extensively with different aspects of climate change and winter tourism such as the impact on ski resorts and ski lift operators, adaptation strategies, governance at destinations and reactions of winter sports guests to changing snow conditions. This paper goes deeper into the question of destination choice and examines the role of climate change among the many factors affecting guest loyalty at Alpine winter destinations. The study uses an established destination choice model with choice sets, destination image and dynamic feedback loop. A qualitative online forum identifies factors influencing winter destination choice, followed by a quantitative survey which compares Alpine winter holidaymakers categorised as “loyal”, “disloyal” and “undecided”. The results demonstrate that climate change clearly influences destination choice, but snow sports are not the only affected attractors. Enjoyment of the natural environment and value for money are just as high on the list of guest motivators. This indicates that climate change adaptation measures such as snowmaking can be counterproductive to guest loyalty because they spoil the natural scenery and raise prices. The paper concludes with a recommendation for winter destinations to prioritize conservation of the natural environment and integrate more environmental protection measures into their management strategies.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document