Social and Local CultureThe social aspects of the ski industry are harder to assess, but most importantly though is the need for local communities to retain ownership and thus control over their own destiny. This is arguably the most certain way for the community to maintain their cultural identity and develop in the manner they see fit. Guests can outnumber locals by 6:1 for a large part of the year and there is a risk of the local culture being lost amongst a holiday culture of skiers partying hard.
Après ski has become an intrinsic part of a ski holiday, particularly in European resorts. Having a few drinks after the day’s activity, perhaps listening and dancing to a local band, is the perfect way to end the day. Resorts actively encourage this and set up après ski bars around the base of the slopes and in the village centre. Most après ski starts around 4pm and tends to finish around 7pm by which time people have returned to their accommodation. It is noisy and often out on the street – however it is an accepted part of the ski season. Evening entertainment, however, varies enormously with some resorts home to a number of nightclubs – rivalling those in central London, some with more dubious shows more akin to red light districts and others with the music pumping out loud – late into the night. It is of course the local authorities who take the decisions on these sorts of entertainments and their hours – local people though must be able to have a say in such situations. Music pumping late into the night is not everyone’s idea of alpine peace and relaxation - it can become out of control with negative impacts for the resort image and the local residents. Back in the 1980’s, the small Austrian village of Söll offered too much in the way of après ski and cheap prices and the village soon attracted a ‘lager lout, rowdy’ clientele, which cost the resort revenue in years to come as the families stayed away. More recently, the Austrian village of Kitzbühel, one of Europe's leading ski resorts, is to restrict Russian tourists from visiting the slopes. The village decided to cap the number of Russians to 10% of visitors after complaints from hoteliers. Wealthy Russians have flooded into the resort to buy properties but locals have complained that they are too noisy and drink too much. In contrast, skiers also seek out the local cultural elements, particularly the food and local music whilst on a ski holiday; such as fondue evenings and Tyrolean evenings and it is arguable that many traditions are being upheld strongly in resorts in order to differentiate the ski experience from other countries. Without this, many young people might not take up and learn the local instruments, music and dance. In Austria, they are particularly proud of their national dress and it is common for hotel and restaurant staff to wear the traditional costume. Promoting local delicacies and regional specialities stops food becoming ‘international’. Resorts can promote and support other local traditions and craftsmen through the interior design of accommodations and the souvenirs on sale. Local woodcarvings for example can be both popular as a gift to take home and give a hotel or guesthouse a local unique feel. It is often the case that people do not want to ski all the time or there are people who are just visiting the mountains resorts for a winter holiday. It is important that villages promote and make it just as easy to visit cultural attractions such as local museums, churches, nearby towns or dairies as it is to reach the ski slopes. Communicating the local culture and the history of the region add experiences and enrich a holiday year round. The nature of alpine tourism is often very seasonal; there are few resorts in Europe that promote themselves as four season resorts. This is more successful in North America where there are, for example, golf packages in spring and ‘fall’ colour walking packages in autumn. The seasonality may have implications for the stability of employment since a resort can only employ staff on a seasonal, short term basis. However, in many resorts the off season is the time when they get the village back to themselves, take a holiday, and revive their traditional way of life. As identified above, there are key employment and economic benefits from the ski industry; however it is important that there is diversity in the employment offered. It can be the case that the entire village is dependent on tourism and this makes the village very susceptible to vagaries in demand; the local community needs to obtain as varied an employment base as possible. |  What do you think? Contribute to our discussion forum
For more great examples of what resorts are doing - check out the case studies
Accommodation & FacilitiesLocally owned and distinctive – find out more
Architecture
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The way forward...
1. Resorts should consult with locals to determine acceptable noise limits and hours.
2. Consult with locals and consider carefully the type of entertainment on offer and the image / clientele it attracts.
3. Maintain and encourage local music and entertainments to keep cultural traditions alive.
4. Promote and enjoy regional specialities and local produced food – to provide uniqueness and support farmers.
5. Ensure souvenirs on sale are from the region to promote local handicrafts and traditions and maintain diversity in employment.
6. Accommodations and facilities should seek to fit out and decorate using local craftsmen and local artwork.
7. Decide what are acceptable length seasons (accounting for time for the locals to have the village to themselves) and seek to maximise occupancies to provide stability in employment.
2. Consult with locals and consider carefully the type of entertainment on offer and the image / clientele it attracts.
3. Maintain and encourage local music and entertainments to keep cultural traditions alive.
4. Promote and enjoy regional specialities and local produced food – to provide uniqueness and support farmers.
5. Ensure souvenirs on sale are from the region to promote local handicrafts and traditions and maintain diversity in employment.
6. Accommodations and facilities should seek to fit out and decorate using local craftsmen and local artwork.
7. Decide what are acceptable length seasons (accounting for time for the locals to have the village to themselves) and seek to maximise occupancies to provide stability in employment.
Resorts need to address all of the above points in order to contribute to Responsible Skiing
