Although the industry represents ~2% of national GDP[1]<\/sup><\/a>, it is a vital source of economic activity and employment in many mountainous areas of the country, where its direct and indirect contribution to GDP and employment can be as high as 40%. In many areas faced with structural unemployment, jobs linked to tourism have been critical to retain young people who otherwise would have fled to lower, more urban areas, effectively condemning vast areas of the Alpine region to full abandonment2<\/sup>. Yet, the effect of climate change on the overall Alpine region, and specifically on Switzerland, are now threatening the long-term prospects of the winter tourism industry, and the livelihood of millions of people with it.<\/p>\n Switzerland\u2019s specific topography with mountain regions and lowlands on both sides of the Alpine ridge has made climate change particular evident[2]<\/sup><\/a>: if the world\u2019s average temperature has risen by 0.85\u00b0 C between 1864 and 2011, in Switzerland the increment has been twice as much[3]<\/sup><\/a>. The effects on the Alpine environment is alarming: glaciers, for instance, have been retreating 2-3% per year, while the ratio of snowfalls over precipitation has decreased by as much as 40% below 800m[4]<\/sup><\/a>. Crucially, this trend is expected to worsen, increasing the altitude where snowfalls are reliable enough to justify skiing operations from 1,200m to 1,800m: only 44% of Swiss ski resorts would thus remain viable[5]<\/sup><\/a>. Simultaneously, climate change is causing precipitations to be less frequent, yet more violent, leading to an increase in natural catastrophes such as flooding, avalanches and landslides, and thus making the Alpine areas more dangerous and costly for human activity.<\/p>\n Verbier: a case in point<\/b><\/strong><\/p>\n Verbier, a popular tourist destination in Western Switzerland with slopes between 1,500m and 3,330m[6]<\/sup><\/a>, is seen as one of the most reliable skiing areas in Europe. Yet even here, climate change has showed its impact: summer skiing on the Tortin glacier was closed in 1997 due to the glacier\u2019s reduction \u2013 more than 1km over the last century \u2013 and increasing instability[7]<\/sup><\/a>. Since then, the resort has tried to slow down the melting process by covering the snow in a protective textile[8]<\/sup><\/a>, but with limited results.<\/p>\n Like many other resorts in the area, Verbier has tried to fight back. Snowmaking, for instance, is now an critical feature of the Swiss resorts\u2019 strategy, with 36% of slopes[9]<\/sup><\/a> equipped to that end. Yet, this is a costly solution – a km costs more than CHF 600,000 per year – as well as energy and water intensive. For this reason, its use is restricted to cold days at the beginning of the season.<\/p>\n A second strategy has been to diversify the offer. Verbier and most resorts now offer a wide range of activities, including high-end spas, snowshoeing, and cross-country skiing. Summer activities represent an important opportunity, with mountain biking and hiking topping the list. However revenues from May to October can barely match what is made in one day in February.<\/p>\n What future for the industry?<\/b><\/strong><\/p>\n It is hence clear that the skiing industry will have to change to adapt to this new reality. If some say that over the short-term many Swiss resorts might actually benefit from climate change due to their higher altitude, the benefits might be short-lived: as skiing resorts become fewer, costlier and harder to access, the number of new skiers is likely to fall, thus slashing overall demand. From a climate change perspective, this could be a good thing: skiing itself is an important contributor to climate change, with millions of people flying or driving to the Alps to be shuttled to the mountaintops on power-hungry lifts.<\/p>\n Yet, the consequences on the local population and the environment would be disastrous: after a long and rich history of inhabiting these remote regions, millions would be left with no source of income and forced to flee, leaving the mountains in neglect and paving the way for future natural catastrophes.<\/p>\n For those who live in the Alps, skiing is much more than just a sport.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n [Word count: 698]<\/p>\n <\/p>\n [1]<\/sup><\/a> UBS, \u201cLa Suisse en chiffres, \u00e9dition 2016\/2017\u00a0\u00bb, p. 6<\/p>\n [2]<\/sup><\/a> Vielle & Gonseth, \u201cModeling climate change adaptation in a computable general equilibrium model: An application to tourism\u201d, Federal Reserve Bank of St Louis, 2011<\/p>\n [3]<\/sup><\/a> Swiss Federal Environment Office, \u201cLe r\u00e9chauffement climatique est d\u00e9j\u00e0 visible\u201d, August 20, 2015, [4]<\/sup><\/a> Serquet, Marty, Dulex, Rebetez, \u201cSeasonal trends and temperature dependence of the snowfall\/precipitation day ratio in Switzerland\u201d, Geophysical Research Letters<\/i><\/em>, vol. 38, 2011<\/p>\n [5]<\/sup><\/a> Elsasser & Buerki, \u201cClimate change as a threat to tourism in the alps\u201d, Climate Research<\/i><\/em>, 2002, pp. 20(3), 253-257,<\/p>\n [6]<\/sup><\/a> Verbier Official Website, https:\/\/www.verbinet.com\/maps, accessed November 3, 2016<\/p>\n [7]<\/sup><\/a> Xavier Lambiel, \u201cComment le r\u00e9chauffement climatique transforme les Alpes\u201d, Le Temps<\/i><\/em>, November 19, 2015<\/p>\n![\"glacier-du-rhone\"](\"https:\/\/d3.harvard.edu\/platform-rctom\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2016\/11\/Glacier-du-Rhone.jpg\")
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\nhttp:\/\/www.bafu.admin.ch\/klima\/13805\/15238\/15359 , accessed in November 2016<\/p>\n