Mt Buller's snow business

Abstract

Holidays in Australia are typically associated with sandy white tropical beaches, coral reefs, touring the Outback or enjoying aspects of Australian produce including the vineyards of Victoria and South Australia. Few people associate the winter sports of downhill and cross-country skiing with Australia;yet numerous Alpine resorts are located in the Victorian and NSW high country. Despite the brief snow season from July to September, and the relatively low altitude of Australian mountains compared to Northern Hemisphere Alps, the popularity of winter sports continues;yet it is subject to both economic and climatic challenges. This case study describes one of Australia’s largest ski resorts, the Victorian destination of Mt Buller some 230 kilometres north of the capital city of Melbourne. It presents information regarding the economic benefit of the winter sports industry and Mt Buller to the Victorian economy. It also addresses the challenges of global warming and the threat of rising temperatures leading to less reliable snow and shorter seasons. It describes the adaptation strategies employed by Mt Buller designed to mitigate these effects. It also includes the disastrous economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the industry and raises concerns regarding the potential recovery and continued adaptation strategies as a result of this unprecedented event. © (2022), (Taylor and Francis).