• fr
  • en

Mountain tourism: do you know these good practices?

For many, the months of July and August are synonymous with holidays … in the mountains.

In Europe, there are more and more tourists who go to the mountains for their holidays; 150 million in the Alps only! Indeed, the influx of tourists is particularly important in the mountain communes and this has been intensifying for many years now. This raises the question of the environmental pressure of tourism as well as the accommodation and other infrastructures capacity of regions. In many European countries, such as France, Switzerland and Germany, there are more tourists going to the mountains in summer than in winter, according to the Report of the Alpine Convention on « Sustainable Tourism in the Alps » (2013).

To meet this increasing demand, mountains have to continue adapting and offering sustainable tourism activities while making themselves accessible to all.

  • Sustainable tourism activities in mountain

Providing sustainable tourism activities based on natural and environmental values ​​is fundamental for mountain areas seeking to attract tourists without negatively impacting the natural and cultural heritage. This is the case of the “Espubike” project in Spain which proposes a 146km cycling trail in the Regional Park of Sierra Espuña. The project had a direct and positive impact on the local economy, since the trail brought many visitors to the nearby villages.

  • The improvement of energy efficiciency in mountain hotels

It is very important that hotel and restaurants owners who welcome many tourists can implement initiatives to reduce their energy consumption, with taking a sustainable development approach. Mountain hotels can improve their energy efficiency. This is the case of the Cyprianerhof Hotel, located near the Rosengarten massif in South Tyrol in Italy, which has managed to reduce costs, minimize waste and save energy while providing a healthier environment and increased comfort for its guests. (Read the good practice)

  • Making mountain accessible for everyone

Making mountains accessible by all means to enable people with disabilities to travel in the mountains. Making the mountains accessible is a major challenge, but some destinations have already developed adapted infrastructure and services. This is the case of the “Trentino accessible” initiative, which aims at increasing the number of disabled tourists in the Trentino region to demonstrate that they are an economic opportunity at all levels and thus they shouldn’t be seen as a problem. For instance, the project developed a mobile application providing accessibility information for disabled people and an “Ibus voice” system for blind people to give them oral information on the bus stops. (Read the article here).

Besides, Euromontana is a partner of the European project Silver Tourism, which aims to train experts in senior tourism, to make mountains accessible also to senior people.

Other good practices exist, check them out:

For more information, you can visit the “Sustainable tourism” theme page and the tab “Docs & Links” that redirects to all articles and good practices written by Euromontana, as well as the events organised on this topic.

Share
21 August 2017

Euromontana sur Facebook

3 hours ago

Euromontana
We were today at the European Committee of the Regions too meet with regional policymakers from the Carpathians ⛰🤝 Thank you to Witold Kozłowski from the Małopolska region - also a new member of our Board of Directors - for our discussions!𝗪𝘀𝗽𝗼́𝗹𝗻𝗲 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗠𝗮ł𝗼𝗽𝗼𝗹𝘀𝗸𝗶 𝗶 𝘀𝗶𝗲𝗰𝗶 𝗘𝘂𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗮 𝗻𝗮 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟱 𝗿. 👍Obecność wicemarszałka Witold Kozłowski w Brukseli podczas 163. Sesji Plenarnej Europejskiego Komitetu Regionów dała okazję do spotkania z dyrektorem Europejskiego Stowarzyszenia Obszarów Górskich Euromontana Guillaume Corradino. | Więcej 👇 ... See MoreSee Less
View on Facebook

1 day ago

Euromontana
One month since the #mountainconvention2024 in Puigcerdà! 🏔️ What future for #mountaineconomies? Find all the key insights in the event report! 📝🙏 Thank you to all stakeholders who shared their ideas, projects and recommendations for a brighter future in the mountains!Report 🔗 www.euromontana.org/outcomes ... See MoreSee Less
View on Facebook

3 days ago

Euromontana
Explore the new guide on ‘rural proofing for the evaluation of the rural perspective in laws, policies, plans and strategies’: bit.ly/3O995FiPublished by the Red Española de Desarrollo Rural (REDR), it intends to support authorities in incorporating a rural angle when designing, implementing, and reviewing policies and regulations.Find more information here: bit.ly/4ev41FK #RuralPact #RuralVisionEUELARD aisbl EESC - European Economic and Social Committee European Rural Development Network ODRAZ-Održivi razvoj zajednice Prepare AISBL Luonnonvarakeskus Smeunited Euromontana Diesis Network Wallonie.be ECOLISE EU CAP Network Netzwerk Zukunftsraum Land Vlaams Ruraal Netwerk Réseau wallon PAC Ruralni razvoj RH Ministerstvo zemědělství Netwerk Platteland / Netherlands Rural Network Maaeluvõrgustik Maaseutu - Tilaa elämälle Réseau national Agricultures et Ruralités 2023 - 2027 Deutsche Vernetzungsstelle Ländliche Räume Εθνικό Αγροτικό Δίκτυο - Greek National Rural Network Magyar Nemzeti Vidéki Hálózat CAP Network Ireland Rete Rurale Nazionale Lauku tīkls Ministère de l'Agriculture, de l'Alimentation et de la Viticulture Fondi.eu Krajowa Sieć Obszarów Wiejskich+ Rede Rural Nacional Rețeaua Rurală Națională - RRN Mreža za podeželje ... See MoreSee Less
View on Facebook

2 weeks ago

Euromontana
Today, members of the Rural Pact Coordination Group (RPCG) meet online to discuss: • The forthcoming RPCG Declaration on the future of EU rural policy, which addresses the open questions in the @European Commission’s ‘key achievements and ways forward’ report;• RPCG members’ position papers on the future of Europe’s rural areas;• RPCG members’ role in the Rural Pact Conference of April 2025;• Members’ actions to date & the Rural Pact Support Office 2025 work programme.More information at: bit.ly/4fwtjnS#RuralPact #RuralVisionEU ... See MoreSee Less
View on Facebook

Euromontana sur Twitter