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

Climate change is a global challenge that also for glacier tourism. In the European Alps, glacial volume has decreased to one half since the end of the Little Ice Age. To confront with this evolution, local stakeholders are slowing adapting diversification on their tourism products and services. One...

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Main Authors: Kalpana Nesur, Emmanuel Salim, Camille Girault, Ludovic Ravanel
Format: Article
Language:deu
Published: Institut de Géographie Alpine 2022-05-01
Series:Revue de Géographie Alpine
Subjects:
Online Access:https://journals.openedition.org/rga/10143
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author Kalpana Nesur
Emmanuel Salim
Camille Girault
Ludovic Ravanel
author_facet Kalpana Nesur
Emmanuel Salim
Camille Girault
Ludovic Ravanel
author_sort Kalpana Nesur
collection DOAJ
description Climate change is a global challenge that also for glacier tourism. In the European Alps, glacial volume has decreased to one half since the end of the Little Ice Age. To confront with this evolution, local stakeholders are slowing adapting diversification on their tourism products and services. One of these adaptations concerns highlighting the scientific value of the glacier landscapes. Several Glacier Interpretation Centres (GIC) have been developed with the dual aim of spreading scientific knowledge and promoting glacier tourism destinations. Based on a qualitative approach and built in a historical and geographical perspective, this article aims to examine the territorial dynamics and the interaction of stakeholders which led to the creation of three of these centres: the Espace Glacialis (Champagny-le-Haut, France), the Glaciorium (Chamonix, France) and the World Nature Forum (Naters, Switzerland). Through a comparative analysis of these three GICs, the objective is to understand how the valorization of scientific knowledge contributes to the diversification of tourism in mountain areas. Although glacier tourism destinations are profoundly affected by climate change, the results show that local authorities have a strong will to continue to promote their glacier heritages through the creation and management of GICs, these centres undeniably contribute to the diversification of the tourism market and to the dynamisation of the tourism activity in their territories by relying on scientific knowledge and its mediation.
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publishDate 2022-05-01
publisher Institut de Géographie Alpine
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spelling doaj-art-2dc9de0c187940dab288cefeababb54e2025-08-20T02:24:07ZdeuInstitut de Géographie AlpineRevue de Géographie Alpine0035-11211760-74262022-05-01110110.4000/rga.10143Sharing Scientific Knowledge on Glaciers to the General Public: The Role of Glacier Interpretation Centres in Mountain Tourism Diversification StrategiesKalpana NesurEmmanuel SalimCamille GiraultLudovic RavanelClimate change is a global challenge that also for glacier tourism. In the European Alps, glacial volume has decreased to one half since the end of the Little Ice Age. To confront with this evolution, local stakeholders are slowing adapting diversification on their tourism products and services. One of these adaptations concerns highlighting the scientific value of the glacier landscapes. Several Glacier Interpretation Centres (GIC) have been developed with the dual aim of spreading scientific knowledge and promoting glacier tourism destinations. Based on a qualitative approach and built in a historical and geographical perspective, this article aims to examine the territorial dynamics and the interaction of stakeholders which led to the creation of three of these centres: the Espace Glacialis (Champagny-le-Haut, France), the Glaciorium (Chamonix, France) and the World Nature Forum (Naters, Switzerland). Through a comparative analysis of these three GICs, the objective is to understand how the valorization of scientific knowledge contributes to the diversification of tourism in mountain areas. Although glacier tourism destinations are profoundly affected by climate change, the results show that local authorities have a strong will to continue to promote their glacier heritages through the creation and management of GICs, these centres undeniably contribute to the diversification of the tourism market and to the dynamisation of the tourism activity in their territories by relying on scientific knowledge and its mediation.https://journals.openedition.org/rga/10143innovationclimate changescientific mediationglacierstourism diversification
spellingShingle Kalpana Nesur
Emmanuel Salim
Camille Girault
Ludovic Ravanel
Sharing Scientific Knowledge on Glaciers to the General Public: The Role of Glacier Interpretation Centres in Mountain Tourism Diversification Strategies
Revue de Géographie Alpine
innovation
climate change
scientific mediation
glaciers
tourism diversification
title Sharing Scientific Knowledge on Glaciers to the General Public: The Role of Glacier Interpretation Centres in Mountain Tourism Diversification Strategies
title_full Sharing Scientific Knowledge on Glaciers to the General Public: The Role of Glacier Interpretation Centres in Mountain Tourism Diversification Strategies
title_fullStr Sharing Scientific Knowledge on Glaciers to the General Public: The Role of Glacier Interpretation Centres in Mountain Tourism Diversification Strategies
title_full_unstemmed Sharing Scientific Knowledge on Glaciers to the General Public: The Role of Glacier Interpretation Centres in Mountain Tourism Diversification Strategies
title_short Sharing Scientific Knowledge on Glaciers to the General Public: The Role of Glacier Interpretation Centres in Mountain Tourism Diversification Strategies
title_sort sharing scientific knowledge on glaciers to the general public the role of glacier interpretation centres in mountain tourism diversification strategies
topic innovation
climate change
scientific mediation
glaciers
tourism diversification
url https://journals.openedition.org/rga/10143
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AT emmanuelsalim sharingscientificknowledgeonglacierstothegeneralpublictheroleofglacierinterpretationcentresinmountaintourismdiversificationstrategies
AT camillegirault sharingscientificknowledgeonglacierstothegeneralpublictheroleofglacierinterpretationcentresinmountaintourismdiversificationstrategies
AT ludovicravanel sharingscientificknowledgeonglacierstothegeneralpublictheroleofglacierinterpretationcentresinmountaintourismdiversificationstrategies