A South–North research agenda for cryotourism in a warming world

Cryotourism is a distinct form of tourism which is based on ice and snow cover and is thus highly determined by climatic conditions. While a considerable body of literature addresses the tourism-climate change nexus in (sub-)Arctic and European Alpine regions, little is known about the situation in...

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Main Authors: Pamela Bachmann-Vargas, O. Cenk Demiroglu, Sebastián Ruiz Pereira, Dorothee Bohn, Marisol Vereda, Trace Gale, José Barrena
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2025-05-01
Series:Frontiers in Human Dynamics
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Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fhumd.2025.1520622/full
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author Pamela Bachmann-Vargas
O. Cenk Demiroglu
Sebastián Ruiz Pereira
Sebastián Ruiz Pereira
Dorothee Bohn
Dorothee Bohn
Marisol Vereda
Trace Gale
Trace Gale
José Barrena
José Barrena
author_facet Pamela Bachmann-Vargas
O. Cenk Demiroglu
Sebastián Ruiz Pereira
Sebastián Ruiz Pereira
Dorothee Bohn
Dorothee Bohn
Marisol Vereda
Trace Gale
Trace Gale
José Barrena
José Barrena
author_sort Pamela Bachmann-Vargas
collection DOAJ
description Cryotourism is a distinct form of tourism which is based on ice and snow cover and is thus highly determined by climatic conditions. While a considerable body of literature addresses the tourism-climate change nexus in (sub-)Arctic and European Alpine regions, little is known about the situation in South American high mountain and sub-Antarctic areas. Against this background, this perspective article presents a research agenda for cryotourism-climate change nexus from a South–North perspective. The initial step toward this objective was an 18-days research visit in Chile and Argentina during January and February 2024. Drawing upon our field notes, current literature and the latest developments in ice and snow-based tourism, we propose three key dimensions for a research agenda, namely: (a) tourism mobilities and southward spatial substitution, (b) socio-ecological implications of cryotourism for local communities, and (c) governance challenges for tourism stakeholders and policymakers. We contend that interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary approaches to tourism and climate change research are key aspects to account for the global nature of tourism mobility flows, and the interlinks between local and global processes and impacts of climatic environmental transformations.
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publisher Frontiers Media S.A.
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spelling doaj-art-7ba9e43103de42c6911a0c63ef3ac7bc2025-08-20T02:34:50ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Human Dynamics2673-27262025-05-01710.3389/fhumd.2025.15206221520622A South–North research agenda for cryotourism in a warming worldPamela Bachmann-Vargas0O. Cenk Demiroglu1Sebastián Ruiz Pereira2Sebastián Ruiz Pereira3Dorothee Bohn4Dorothee Bohn5Marisol Vereda6Trace Gale7Trace Gale8José Barrena9José Barrena10Department of Geography, Umeå University, Umeå, SwedenDepartment of Geography, Umeå University, Umeå, SwedenDIHA, Pontifical Catholic University, Santiago, ChilePermaChile Network, Földgömb Foundation, Budapest, HungaryDepartment of Geography, Umeå University, Umeå, SwedenArctic Centre, University of Lapland, Rovaniemi, FinlandInstituto de Desarrollo Económico e Innovación (IDEI), Universidad Nacional de Tierra del Fuego, Ushuaia, ArgentinaCentro de Investigación en Ecosistemas de la Patagonia (CIEP), Coyhaique, ChileCape Horn International Center (CHIC), Puerto Williams, ChileCentro de Investigación Dinámica de Ecosistemas Marinos de Altas Latitudes (IDEAL), Punta Arenas, ChileCentro Transdisciplinario de Estudios Ambientales y Desarrollo Humano Sostenible, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia, ChileCryotourism is a distinct form of tourism which is based on ice and snow cover and is thus highly determined by climatic conditions. While a considerable body of literature addresses the tourism-climate change nexus in (sub-)Arctic and European Alpine regions, little is known about the situation in South American high mountain and sub-Antarctic areas. Against this background, this perspective article presents a research agenda for cryotourism-climate change nexus from a South–North perspective. The initial step toward this objective was an 18-days research visit in Chile and Argentina during January and February 2024. Drawing upon our field notes, current literature and the latest developments in ice and snow-based tourism, we propose three key dimensions for a research agenda, namely: (a) tourism mobilities and southward spatial substitution, (b) socio-ecological implications of cryotourism for local communities, and (c) governance challenges for tourism stakeholders and policymakers. We contend that interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary approaches to tourism and climate change research are key aspects to account for the global nature of tourism mobility flows, and the interlinks between local and global processes and impacts of climatic environmental transformations.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fhumd.2025.1520622/fullicesnowglaciersnature-based tourismcryotourismclimate change
spellingShingle Pamela Bachmann-Vargas
O. Cenk Demiroglu
Sebastián Ruiz Pereira
Sebastián Ruiz Pereira
Dorothee Bohn
Dorothee Bohn
Marisol Vereda
Trace Gale
Trace Gale
José Barrena
José Barrena
A South–North research agenda for cryotourism in a warming world
Frontiers in Human Dynamics
ice
snow
glaciers
nature-based tourism
cryotourism
climate change
title A South–North research agenda for cryotourism in a warming world
title_full A South–North research agenda for cryotourism in a warming world
title_fullStr A South–North research agenda for cryotourism in a warming world
title_full_unstemmed A South–North research agenda for cryotourism in a warming world
title_short A South–North research agenda for cryotourism in a warming world
title_sort south north research agenda for cryotourism in a warming world
topic ice
snow
glaciers
nature-based tourism
cryotourism
climate change
url https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fhumd.2025.1520622/full
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