New report highlights tourism's potential for mountain ecosystems and communities

27-04-23

While mountain tourism has become an increasingly relevant motivation for travel, data on its magnitude and impact remains scarce, a new report from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and the Mountain Partnership (MP) reveals.

Mountain tourism accounts for between 9 and 16% of international tourist arrivals worldwide, which translates to between 195 and 375 million tourists in 2019 alone. However, the paucity of national data related to mountain tourism makes it difficult or even impossible to assess the economic, social and environmental impact of this important segment. This new report aims to fill this data gap.

Mountain tourism for sustainability and inclusion

Mountains are home to some 1.1 billion people, some of whom are among the poorest and most isolated in the world. At the same time, mountains have long attracted tourists interested in nature and outdoor destinations and outdoor activities such as hiking, climbing and winter sports. They also attract visitors with their rich biodiversity and vibrant local cultures. Yet in 2019, the most recent year for which figures are available, the 10 most mountainous countries (in terms of average height above sea level) received only 8% of international tourist arrivals worldwide, the report "Understanding and Quantifying Mountain Tourism" shows.

Managed sustainably, mountain tourism has the potential to increase the income of local communities and help preserve their natural resources and culture. And, according to FAO, UNWTO and MP, measuring the volume of visitors to mountains represents the vital first step in unlocking the sector's potential.

"With the right data, we can better monitor the dispersion of visitor flows, support proper planning, improve knowledge about visitor patterns, create sustainable products in line with consumer needs, and develop appropriate policies that promote sustainable development and ensure that tourism activities benefit local communities," said FAO Director-General QU Dongyu and UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili.

Recommendations

The study, based on research in 46 countries, shows that generating economic benefits, creating opportunities for local communities and developing sustainable products are the main motivations for mountain tourism development. Sustainable mountain tourism development was also identified as a means to help spread tourism flows, address seasonality and complement the existing tourism offer.

Through the report, FAO, UNWTO and the MP highlight the importance of collective efforts, involving public and private stakeholders from across the value chain, to improve data collection, standardisation and delivery to obtain a more comprehensive assessment of mountain tourism in terms of volumes and impacts, so that it can be better understood and developed to align with the Sustainable Development Goals. The report also calls for concerted work to help raise awareness of the socio-economic importance of mountain tourism and for targeted policies to create jobs, support small and medium-sized enterprises and attract green investment in infrastructure and in the digitisation of tourism services.

Its publication coincides with the end of the International Year of Sustainable Mountain Development 2022.