Tourism diversification paths in ski mid-mountain territories: any transformations?

ABSTRACTIn the context of adapting to global changes, the diversification of the tourist offer seems to be a solution for the mid-mountain areas, which are structured around and dependent on ski tourism. However, it remains unclear how tourism diversification occurs, what forms it can take and what it produces at a territorial scale. In this study, we apply a theory of regional diversification to the case of tourism in order to examine tourism diversification paths. We base our analysis on qualitative data collected on two French study areas: the intercommunities of the massif du Sancy and of the Haut-Chablais. Our results show a pattern in tourism diversification paths, following three steps that can lead to the abandonment of the perimeter of the ski resort. However, among the different types of tourism diversification trajectories, only a saltation form of tourism diversification can lead to the establishment of a larger and more diversified tourism system. Our findings also show that several types of tourism diversification paths can coexist at a territorial scale.KEYWORDS: Diversification trajectorymountain tourismski tourism transformationterritorial approachevolutionary economic geography AcknowledgementsLaura Rouch authored the paper, produced the figures, collected and analyzed the data with the help of Emmanuelle George who designed the research. This article is derived from a more global thesis elaborated by Laura Rouch, Tourism diversification trajectories in mid-mountain territories: stakeholder networks and learning dynamics. We thank Laurent Rieutort for the co-supervision of this thesis.Disclosure statementNo potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).Additional informationFundingThis work was supported by the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, in its Pack AMI Ambition Recherche.