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Mountain Ecotourism in the Alps, Zermatt, Switzerland

Case study

• Highest Peak 4632 m
• Total Area 242,91 m2
• ISO 14001 - Certification
• Renewable Energy
• Renaturaion
• Forest and Wildlife Conservation

Geographical proffile

Zermatt is a mountaineering center and a well-known vacation resort in Switzerland, thanks to its position in the middle of an enormous hiking and ski region, winter sports and hiking area. Zermatt is situated in the Mattertal valley at an altitude of about 1610 m at the northeast foot of the Matterhorn. The ski region encompasses 54 mountain railways and lifts as well as 360 kilometers of pistes. [1]

Sustainable Infrastructure

This village of 6,000 inhabitants received up to 40,000 tourists a day and had 1.8 million of overnight stays before the pandemic. For this reason, sustainability is one of the main challenges in which Zermatt is a world leader. The first step (1930s) was the decision to ban the combustion engines and replace them by electric cars. The electricity the community needs is generated by turbines in several hydroelectric plants, and the local biogas plant recycles organic matter from sorted waste. The decision to build a cable car network that allows skiers and snowboarders to use 350 kilometers of slopes has proved crucial to the development of the village. Zermatt is constantly expanding its cable car connections with the Italian region of Aosta to offer visitors even more recreational opportunities. [2]

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Zermatt Bergbahnen AG reports information on costs of energy and disposal. Between the winter season 2015/2016 and 2019/2020, energy consumption along with the emissions have dropped significantly, which could be related to the use of eco-diesel-powered piste machines. Apart from that, Zermatt Bergbahnen AG has also implemented the ISO 14001 and ISO 9001 certification. [4]

Environment and Biodiversity

Zermatt has six protective forests and ten areas designated as wildlife sanctuaries. These are home to black grouse, chamois, deer, alpine hares, ptarmigan, and ibex. (conservation areas overview on the right)

All construction work carried out by Zermatt Bergbahnen AG, as well as renaturation and planting projects, are supervised by a qualified environmental expert. The aim of this is not only to ensure that environmental laws are observed, but also that all work is planned and carried out with the protection and long-term needs of the environment in mind. The monitor briefs the construction team, raises their awareness of ecological processes and also ensures that visitor information is provided. Zermatt Bergbahnen AG has been awarded the 2013 Revegetation Award in recognition of its work in the area of renaturation. [3]

Community

Sustainable management

Much of the local economy is based on tourism, with about half of the jobs in town in hotels or restaurants, and just under half of all apartments are vacation apartments. Zermatt provides an early example of a successful mountain resort community growth management strategy that identified the appropriate level of densification to maintain a sustainable tourism economy without impacting the quality of the experience—a program that was initiated and administered by the local government and involved residents and stakeholders. [5]

References: [1]: https://www.myswitzerland.com/en-us/destinations/zermatt/#InpageNavigation1_7[2]:Piteková, Jana & Daňková, Alena & Vrábliková, Mária (2020): Ecological transport infrastructure as a mitigation of the problem of over-tourism in the High Tatras, s. 21-30[3]: https://www.matterhornparadise.ch/en/About/Environment-and-sustainability[4]: Martin Falk et Eva Hagsten (2021): Disclosure of environmental sustainability activities by large ski lift firms, Géocarrefour, 95/2 [5]: Fiona Pia (2020): Urbanizing the Alps: Densification Strategies for Mountain Villages, in: Mountain Research and Development, Harry Measure, 40(1), M4-M5

Mountain Ecotourism in Ili-Alatau, Kazakhstan

Case study

• Highest Peak 4540 m
• Total Area 198 669 ha
• Forest and Wildlife Conservation
• Sustainability Education Provided by Local Volunteers

Country proffile

Kazakhstan, as the largest country of the post-Soviet Central Asia is endowed with immense natural and cultural riches that from far have not been explored and exploited. This fact reflects the minor role of the tourism industry in terms of the national income. Limiting factors such as the cultural and linguistic barriers and a lack of the local stakeholders’ and guides’ experience restrain the tourism expansion, primarily in the more distant rural regions with poor infrastructure and accommodation facilities. The few places visited on a regular basis are located close to the major cities. [1]

Geographical proffile

The main goals and objectives of the national park are to conserve and restore unique natural complexes and provide people with various recreational activities.

The Ile-Alatau State Natural Park was established following a decree by the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan dated February 22, 1996. The park is located on the northern slopes of the Zailiiski Alatau, close to the southern capital, Almaty. It is 120 km long from the Chemolgan River in the west to the Turgen River in the east, and 30 km in the cross direction.

Natural Ressources

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Natural Ressources

Ile-Alatau National Park has natural beauties, recreational facilities and tourism activities and thus has a great potential to be an ecotourism destination. Generally, ecotourism ensures sustainable development in terms of social, economic and environmentally in the study areas. There was also positive attitude of local communities towards ecotourism development for the dimensions of preservation of cultural tradition, sustainable community development and ecotourism planning and management. [2] The territory of IleAlatau national park has a great potential for mountain ecotourism and mountaineering. [3]Currently, there are approx. 20 routes for hiking and during the summer time, educational excursions are organized to introduce the sustainability and ecotourism concept to primarily local, but also international tourists.

Current State and Future Potential

References:[1]: Chlachula, J.; Zhensikbayeva, N.Z.; Yegorina, A.V.; Kabdrakhmanova, N.K.; Czerniawska, J.; Kumarbekuly, S. Territorial Assessment of the East Kazakhstan Geo/Ecotourism: Sustainable Travel Prospects in the Southern Altai Area. Geosciences 2021, 11, 156.[2]: Sh G Kairova et al 2018 IOP Conf. Ser.: Earth Environ. Sci. 204[3]: https://mmv.boku.ac.at/refbase/files/vukolov_vladimir_w-2010-ecotourism_expeditio.pdf

The flora in the national park has a lot of rare and endemic species. The Red Book lists 36 species of herbaceous plants, brushwood, and woody plants. They include ancient forms of flowering plants – two species of tulips, one species of iris, and one species of peony. The park’s wildlife is rich and diverse, with more than 1,500 species of invertebrates and 213 species of vertebrates, including 47 species of mammals, 148 species of birds, 8 species of reptiles, 2 species of amphibians, and 8 species of fish. Most frequent animals in forests and in open spaces include Siberian deer, roe deer, and Siberian ibex up in the rocks. Other common animals are the boar, wolf, fox, badger, and murine rodents.

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