Sharing Scientific Knowledge on Glaciers to the General Public: The Role of Glacier Interpretation Centres in Mountain Tourism Diversification Strategies

Nesur, Kalpana; Salim, Emmanuel; Girault, Camille; Ravanel, Ludovic

doi:10.4000/rga.10143

Cited by 4 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 30 publications

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“…Indeed, glacial retreat and related peri-and paraglacial processes provide remarkable, very visible examples of the impacts of ongoing climate change on mountain environments. The development of geo-interpretation products that allow visitors to understand the scientific interest of glacial landscapes and their evolution is therefore fundamental to renewing their tourist value (Nesur, Salim, Girault, & Ravanel, 2022), but only half of the 33 existing offers in the Swiss Alps Jungfrau-Aletsch property succeed in demonstrating the geoscientific interest of the sites presented (Bussard & Reynard, 2022b).…”

Section: Aesthetic Valuementioning

confidence: 99%

Conservation of World Heritage glacial landscapes in a changing climate: The Swiss Alps Jungfrau-Aletsch case

Bussard,

Reynard

2024

Preprint

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Many glacial landscapes on all continents are inscribed on the World Heritage List. Due to climate change, most of the glaciers are retreating rapidly, thus questioning their Outstanding Universal Value (OUV). Ice loss could indeed reduce or modify the heritage values of the UNESCO World Heritage properties where glaciers are the core of the OUV and even question their inscription on the World Heritage List. In a future with fewer or without glaciers, at least two components of the OUV of World Heritage glacial landscapes could be affected: the aesthetic value (criterion vii), which could be reduced if glaciers disappear, and the geoheritage value (criterion viii), which is partly based on current glaciological processes that would no longer exist without ice. This presentation aims to clarify what constitute the heritage values of glacial landscapes and outlines how they could evolve in a future with less (or without) ice. For two sites in the UNESCO Swiss Alps Jungfrau-Aletsch property (the Great Aletsch Glacier and the Upper Lauterbrunnen Valley), we describe the evolution of the glacial landscape using a Past-Present-Future framework. We then evaluate the present and post-glacial heritage values according to criteria used in the literature on geomorphosites. We outline two main issues: 1. The two sites are characterized by a very high palaeogeographical interest: the inherited glacial landforms around the Great Aletsch Glacier and Lake Oberhorn have allowed the reconstruction of Holocene glacial stages. In the future, the inherited landforms of high palaeogeographical interest and the para- and periglacial processes that develop in post-glacier conditions are likely to gain interest, while the dynamics of the glacier itself, which is an important part of the current geoscientific value, will decline and even be lost when the glacier disappears. As glaciers retreat, the geoscientific value will therefore depend more and more on the inherited glacial landforms, which allow the understanding of the Earth and climate history, and less and less on the glacier itself and its dynamics. As the inherited landforms can be fragile, are non-renewable and will become more central to the heritage value, their protection is an issue. 2. The aesthetic value of glacial landscapes could decrease because of the disappearance of the glacier (landscape greying). One possible adaptation could be a shift from glacier tourism, which is mainly oriented towards the contemplation of an aesthetic landscape, to geotourism, where the understanding of landscape evolution is proposed to the public.

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Section: Aesthetic Valuementioning

confidence: 99%

Conservation of World Heritage glacial landscapes in a changing climate: The Swiss Alps Jungfrau-Aletsch case

Bussard,

Reynard

2024

Preprint

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“…Diversification activities include the development of museums and exhibition/interpretation centres, as in Norway and the Alps [70,72,[168][169][170][171]; boat tours in Iceland and boat tours and fixed-wing and helicopter scenic flights and glacier landings in New Zealand [66,67,69]; rafting and canyoning [172]; e-bike tours [162]; and the use of digital tools and virtual tours [173][174][175][176]. There are also opportunities to diversify as new destinations emerge (e.g., as the extent of sea ice recedes in the Arctic and Antarctic), but these may present ecological and environmental risks [177,178], and some adaptations may not be sustainable such as the increasing use of fixed-wing and helicopter flights over New Zealand glaciers [179].…”

Section: Adaptation Strategiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Climate Change and Geotourism: Impacts, Challenges, and Opportunities

Gordon

2023

Tourism and Hospitality

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Climate change and rising sea levels present significant challenges for geotourism destinations and activities. Accelerated changes in geomorphological processes threaten or diminish both the physical existence and aesthetic qualities of geoheritage assets, and hence the visitor experience, as well as presenting increased or new risks from natural hazards. This is particularly a concern in mountain and coastal areas, and also where greater extremes of temperature and precipitation affect visitor comfort. A literature review was conducted to assess the extent to which the consequences of climate change have been recognised in geotourism research. With the exception of glacier-based geotourism, few studies have considered the impacts of climate change and reported the planning or development of adaptation measures. However, the didactic potential of geotourism in raising awareness of climate change has been commonly recognised. A review of the wider tourism literature identified additional destination-supply and visitor-demand issues that will affect the sustainability of geotourism in the face of climate change. These include changes in visitor motivations, travel behaviour, perceptions of destination image, and reactions to local, national, and international mitigation and adaptation responses, as well as geoethical considerations around carbon footprints and sustainable modes of travel. Situating geotourism within a broader body of multidisciplinary tourism research should help inform adaptation strategies in conjunction with measures to adapt to the physical impacts of climate change on geotourism sites.

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“…This Swiss nature conservation organization has been active at the site for many years and offers numerous glaciology, geology, and biodiversity tours. As Nesur et al (2022) suggested, strengthening interpretation activities through the reinforcement of territorial geo-resources could serve as a form of tourism diversification. Examples of post-glacial geotourism already exist, including tours that explore the Pyramides d'Euseigne, the traces of the ancient Herens Glacier (Wallis, Switzerland), and geotraces of past glaciation in Norway (e.g., Jamorska et al, 2020).…”

Section: From Glacier Tourism To Geotourism: Aletsch Glaciermentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, transformative adaptation strategies (c.f. Fedele et al, 2019) that involve the development of glacier interpretation centers have transformed glacier sites, which formerly attracted visitors based on their beautiful landscapes, into sites that enable visitors to engage in geotourism and landscape interpretation (Nesur et al, 2022).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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

Salim

2023

Front. Hum. Dyn.

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Climate change is causing profound changes in high mountain environments, including the rapid retreat of glaciers. The retreat and potential disappearance of Alpine glaciers during the twenty-first century raises questions about the future of glacier tourism sites. This perspective article reflects on these changes with a desk-based approach to suggest three possible ways glacier tourism can adapt to anticipated glacier loss. These three strategies include further developing geotourism, transforming last-chance tourism into “dark tourism,” and using virtual reality to “virtually” reconstruct disappearing glaciers. This paper draws on three cases to discuss the potential of these strategies. The first is the Aletsch Glacier, the largest in the Alps, which is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It has also been the subject of recent work on geotourism. The second case is Mer de Glace, the largest glacier at the Montenvers site in France. This glacier has been studied in the context of last-chance tourism. The final case is the Mortaretsch Glacier in Switzerland, which can be reached from Diavolezza and has not been the subject of many studies. However, this site is one of the first to incorporate virtual reality technology into the tourist experience of the glacier.

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Sharing Scientific Knowledge on Glaciers to the General Public: The Role of Glacier Interpretation Centres in Mountain Tourism Diversification Strategies

Cited by 4 publications

References 30 publications

Conservation of World Heritage glacial landscapes in a changing climate: The Swiss Alps Jungfrau-Aletsch case

Conservation of World Heritage glacial landscapes in a changing climate: The Swiss Alps Jungfrau-Aletsch case

Climate Change and Geotourism: Impacts, Challenges, and Opportunities

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

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