Climate change can neither be denied or brought to a halt. It is happening already, and its impact can also be seen in our Dolomite region. The effects of climate change in both winter and summer tourism influences travel behaviour and alters the needs of our guests; tourism offers, infrastructure and heightened climate protection measures must, on an ever-increasing basis, be adapted to the inevitable consequences of climate change.

Possible scenarios
Forecasts indicate a constant rise in temperatures, thus making outdoor activities feasible earlier on in the year than was previously possible. A long spring hike, for example, can now be undertaken in early March rather than April, and a summer mountain summit hike in the early morning rather than late morning. Climate scenarios demonstrate that frosty days, a prerequisite for artificial snowmaking, are becoming fewer and fewer, which will bring greater challenges to the profitability of artificial snowmaking in the years to come. The beginning of winter, marked by temperatures below 0°C and snowfall, is now shifting towards the end of December/beginning of January, which will have a significant impact on the Seiser Alm ski resort seasons.

Challenges bring new opportunities
Local stakeholders analysed the situation in our region on the basis of climate change forecasts. Leading on from the results of interviews and workshops, they defined and prioritised a series of measures based on the concepts of exposure and vulnerability including, for example, biking & hiking, seasonal adjustments and winter sports tourism.