Glacier tourism without ice: Envisioning future adaptations in a melting world

Climate change is dramatically reshaping high mountain environments, with Alpine glaciers retreating at unprecedented rates. A new perspective proposes three adaptive strategies for glacier tourism to mitigate the impact of ice loss: expanding geotourism, transitioning last-chance tourism into 'dark tourism,' and leveraging virtual reality to recreate disappearing glaciers. These strategies were explored through case studies of the UNESCO-listed Aletsch Glacier (Switzerland), Mer de Glace (France), and Mortaretsch Glacier (Switzerland). The study suggests that by embracing these approaches, glacier tourism can evolve to sustain visitor engagement even as physical ice diminishes.

Salim, E. (2023). Glacier tourism without ice: Envisioning future adaptations in a melting world. Frontiers in Human Dynamics, 5. https://doi.org/10.3389/fhumd.2023.1137551