Abstract:

The aim of this article is to highlight the impact of mass ski tourism on the environment in the Dolomites (Italian Alps), where in winter the principal activities are snow sports. In implementing this development model the Dolomite region has achieved important results in terms of numbers of tourists and economic development for entire localities. Nonetheless, some weaknesses in this model have come to light in terms of environmental, economic, and social sustainability. The eTourism research group (University of Trento, Italy) has carried out two field projects with a view to understanding: 1) the importance of the variable “quality of environment” for the winter tourist when deciding on a destination, and similarly 2) how the major actors on the supply side approach local environmental issues. The results were used to formulate hypotheses regarding possible alternatives to the mass ski model of development for new or developing destinations within the region.

Keywords: Mass ski tourism; Sustainability; Community destination model; SMTEs; Dolomites; Italian Alps; Italy

Document Type: Research article

Affiliations: 1: *Department of Computer and Management Sciences, University of Trento, Italy 2: †Department of Economics, Business and Management, University ``Cá Foscari'' of Venice, Italy