Sustainable tourism perspectives for Alpine destinations

The Alps are an important living and economic space, extending on a surface of more than 190.000 km² and counting more than 14.2 million inhabitants, with an overall growing population, especially in the valleys and most accessible areas as well as in the peri-alpine zones (Permanent Secretariat of the Alpine Convention, 2015). Besides being a living space, the Alps are also attractors of tourism; this sector has strongly developed from the end of the 19th century and, despite the current global competition from other holiday destinations worldwide, still plays a relevant role in the contribution to the overall Alpine economy. Nevertheless, beyond its positive economic impacts, which need to be ensured in the long term, tourism in the Alps can also have negative environmental and social consequences.