Can skiing be sustainable
Responsible skiing conference held in London
Over 90 people from 10 different countries attended the first conference on Responsible Skiing at Earls Court in London on 19th October.
An impressive line-up of speakers including resorts, tour operators and ski organisations brought their case studies from around the world demonstrating what Responsible Skiing meant to them.
Veronica Tonge of Responsible Skiing suggested "it’s about engaging with the mountain destination, enjoying a range of winter activities in beautiful surroundings, and having a fun and memorable stay, but not at the cost of the environment or the local population. And we all want that."
The conference was a great success with participants getting ideas and inspiration for the future of the industry and how to protect snowsports, and the mountains and the communities in which it takes place.
Said Veronica: “Responsible Skiing is about engaging with the mountain destination, enjoying a range of winter activities in beautiful surroundings, and having a fun and memorable stay, but not at the cost of the environment or the local population. And we all want that.”
What makes skiing different?
Tourism in ski resorts faces the same issues as tourism elsewhere; concerns about development, the social impacts on the community, pressures on transport, infrastructure and the environment and the greater consumption of energy and water and the resulting increases in waste.
In addition though, there are four key areas that set ski tourism apart from other forms of tourism and they are; the artificial snowmaking, the pistes – both preparation and maintenance, the ski lifts and skiing off piste…
- Artificial snow: Water and energy guzzlers – or guaranteeing the season?
- Ski lifts: Eyesores or enabling enjoyment of the mountains?
- Off piste: Disturbing the wildlife or skiing in a more natural way?
- On piste: Damaging the mountains and biodiversity or keeping you safe?
All the presentations and audio files are now available to download from http://www.responsibleskiing.com/conference-files.html
Valere Tjolle
Valere is editor of the Sustainable Tourism Report Suite 2011 Get your copy at a special offer price: HERE
Valere
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