ActivitiesThere is much more to a winter holiday than just skiing and it is important for resorts to offer a variety of activities for several reasons. People who do not ski are increasingly wanting winter holidays where they can enjoy the mountain environment to the full. Other people who perhaps have skied since the start of mass ski tourism are getting older and wanting other alternatives to downhill skiing. Also skiers are actually skiing less, and wanting more variety in their holiday and are wanting to try lower impact activities. Families want a variety of activities for children too.
There are many resorts that do not offer much besides downhill skiing, and they are at a disadvantage putting ‘all their eggs in one basket’. In times of low snowfall or poor conditions that force the lifts to close, the visitor’s holiday is marred rather than enhanced by the opportunity to try something else. Given the potential effects of climate change and erratic weather patterns it is really important for resorts to have a diversified offering. Snowshoeing and walking give visitors the chance to enjoy the peaceful mountain views – guided visits share the secrets of the wildlife and vegetation and engender respect for protected nature reserves. There are resorts such as the Kleinwalsertal in Austria or Grindlewald in Switzerland that have as many kilometres of cleared walking paths as they do kilometres of piste. They enable people to visit areas, hamlets, mountain huts and cultural attractions away from the main area and spread the tourism benefits. Ski touring and cross country skiing give as much exercise and exhilaration as downhill skiing but using only ones own energy to explore well away from the lifts and pistes - it’s exploring ‘how it used to be’! Not all accommodations have spa facilities and swimming pools and it is important for a resort to offer this particularly for families as some alternative acitvities are not appropriate for young children. A public leisure centre is a key amenity for the local population too. Ice skating, sleigh rides, dog sledding, ski joring, ice fishing and even ice diving give other new ways to experience the winter environment. There are also many cultural attractions close to a resort that are open throughout the winter season, such as museums, castles, churches, alpine dairies for example and also towns close by that can be visited that offer as much in winter as summer such as Annecy, Lucerne, Salzburg. Facilitating visits by public transport to all such places is essential. All these are low impact choices that will add enrich a holiday and provide alternatives to the over reliance on downhill skiing. It means resorts have a complete offering and it enables a variety of jobs for locals. Sometimes it is not easy to find information on all the activities on offer – resorts must not assume everyone wants to ski and place as much importance on these other activites as skiing. The way forward...1. Resorts should clear walking paths with as much priority as the pistes and provide detailed walking maps with suggested routes, times and stops for both mountain and valley walks
2. Provide guided walks and guided snowshoe outings to interpret the local flora and fauna 3. Ensure there is diversity in the range of activities offered catering for all clienteles and bearing in mind poor weather conditions. 4. Ensure the local public transport network also reaches local cultural attractions. 5. Provide detailed information on all activities on offer to visitors in all types of accommodation and at the tourist office 6. Provide transport information for reaching nearby towns of interest or facilitate a shuttle service. |  What do you think? Contribute to our discussion forum
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Resorts should address all these points in order to contribute to Responsible Skiing
