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The impact of climate change on demand of ski tourism - a simulation study based on stated preferences

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  • Steiger, Robert
  • Posch, Eva
  • Tappeiner, Gottfried
  • Walde, Janette

Abstract

Climate change will affect tourism as one of the sectors most dependent on natural resources. Due to the strong dependency of many peripheral areas on tourism, climate change has the potential to destabilize regional economies. The objective of this paper is to assess the impacts of climate change on ski tourism demand. A tourist survey (n = 1957) with a choice experiment conducted in 53 ski areas in Austria provides the data for our analyses. Results show that snow is the most important factor for destination choice. Nevertheless, preferences of respondents are heterogeneous. Measures that enhance price-performance ratio, i.e. lowering lift ticket prices and avoiding crowding, turn out to be the most suitable compensation for suboptimal snow conditions. As long as substitute ski areas with better snow conditions exist, destinations with marginal snow conditions are likely to face severe demand losses (up to 60%). Nevertheless, dynamic pricing has the potential to compensate medium snow reliability. If all destinations are affected by deteriorating snow conditions, total demand reduces by 64% if snow reliability is low. If these conditions and effects are limited to the beginning and the end of the ski season, demand is projected to decline by 18%.

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  • Steiger, Robert & Posch, Eva & Tappeiner, Gottfried & Walde, Janette, 2020. "The impact of climate change on demand of ski tourism - a simulation study based on stated preferences," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 170(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:ecolec:v:170:y:2020:i:c:s0921800919315344
    DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolecon.2019.106589
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    2. Parthum, Bryan & Christensen, Peter, 2022. "A market for snow: Modeling winter recreation patterns under current and future climate," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 113(C).
    3. Diallo, Mbaye Fall & Diop-Sall, Fatou & Leroux, Erick & Vachon, Marc-Antoine, 2022. "How do tourism sustainability and nature affinity affect social engagement propensity? The central roles of nature conservation attitude and personal tourist experience," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 200(C).
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    5. Anna Burton & Oliver Fritz & Robert Steiger, 2024. "Herausforderungen des alpinen Wintertourismus in Österreich," WIFO Monatsberichte (monthly reports), WIFO, vol. 97(4), pages 165-176, April.
    6. Daniel Scott & Robert Steiger & Michelle Rutty & Marc Pons & Peter Johnson, 2020. "Climate Change and Ski Tourism Sustainability: An Integrated Model of the Adaptive Dynamics between Ski Area Operations and Skier Demand," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(24), pages 1-16, December.
    7. Yang Yang & Xiaodong Sun & Lingli Hu & Yuzhu Ma & He Bu, 2023. "How Ski Tourism Involvement Promotes Tourists’ Low-Carbon Behavior?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(13), pages 1-16, June.
    8. Robert Steiger & Eva Posch & Gottfried Tappeiner & Janette Walde, 2020. "Effects of climate change on tourism demand considering individual seasonal preferences," Working Papers 2020-08, Faculty of Economics and Statistics, University of Innsbruck.
    9. Li, Yuxin & Yao, Zili & Guo, Zhanfeng, 2023. "Willingness to pay and preferences for rural tourism attributes among urban residents: A discrete choice experiment in China," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 77(C), pages 460-471.
    10. Jinkui Wu & Tian Jin & Yancong Wu & Yongjian Ding & Yaqiong Mu & Di Zeng, 2022. "The Variation of UTCI with the Background of Climate Change and Its Implications for Tourism in a Complicated Climate Region in Western China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(22), pages 1-22, November.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Winter tourism; Climate change; Regional impact; Choice experiment; Alpine region; Demand simulation;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • R11 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - General Regional Economics - - - Regional Economic Activity: Growth, Development, Environmental Issues, and Changes
    • D9 - Microeconomics - - Micro-Based Behavioral Economics
    • Q56 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Environment and Development; Environment and Trade; Sustainability; Environmental Accounts and Accounting; Environmental Equity; Population Growth
    • Z3 - Other Special Topics - - Tourism Economics

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