Sustainable tourism
The USMB Foundation validated the creation of a new partnership chair on sustainable tourism in the mountains at its Management Board meeting on 24 February. In collaboration with the IREGE laboratory and headed by Boris Bourgel as scientific director, this chair aims to respond to the challenges of mountain tourism through the approach of sustainable business models.
In order to “collectively think and create new sustainable business models to serve the transitions of tomorrow’s mountain tourism”, the Savoie Mont Blanc University Foundation, together with IREGE and the Caisse des Dépôts Group, is holding this chair to design and experiment with a model that will make it possible to reconcile the sustainable transition of tourism with environmental preservation.
Mountain tourism is faced with challenges that question current economic models. The maturation of the ski market, the evolution of customer expectations and behaviour, and global competition are all economic challenges. In addition, the cohabitation between tourism and local communities and conflicts of use are pushing us to rethink these ways of life. Finally, with the consequences of global warming, the environmental impact of tourism, the preservation of resources and the protection of biodiversity are at the centre of new environmental issues.
IREGE is pleased to contribute its expertise to this scientific programme and to the complex and particular case of mountain resorts.
