Seven tips for sustainable skiing holidays vacation in the Alps

Glittering snow, the sight of snow-capped mountains, and the anticipation of the next run… Do these images come to mind when you think of a winter vacation? Then you feel the same way we do. But that means you probably also face the same challenge we do: Can you enjoy a ski vacation with a clear conscience in the face of the climate and energy crisis? And what do sustainable skiing holidays even look like?

Winter Tourism and its Environmental Impact

Every year, millions of winter sports enthusiasts travel to ski resorts around the world. In Europe, the Alps are the destination of choice. Of course, the same is true for hikers and bikers in spring, summer, and fall. However, skiing in particular is not without environmental consequences. At peak times, such as New Year’s Eve and the winter holidays, too many people descend on the valleys, the preparation of the slopes has a massive impact on the natural ecosystem, and off-piste skiing and night skiing disturb wildlife. Then there are the effects of man-made climate change. Warmer winters with less snow are causing problems, especially for low-lying resorts.

Natural Winter Landscape in the Allgau

Artificial Snow for Profit

Snow cannons are often used to maintain the economic viability of ski resorts that depend on winter tourism. However, they have a serious impact on the environment. For one, they require a lot of water to produce artificial snow (which is often lacking in the surrounding natural environment): more than 4,700,000 liters per hectare can easily accumulate in a single season. In addition, artificial snow systems consume a lot of energy – the equivalent of 130,000 four-person households per year. On top of that, artificial snow has a different chemical composition than natural snow. It is less permeable to air, more compact, and less thermally insulating, which puts a strain on the soil and vegetation. The additional meltwater in spring is another problem.

Sustainability and Skiing: Can they go Hand in Hand?

After our brief summary, which really only shows a tiny part of the environmental impact of ski tourism, you may be wondering if a ski vacation can be sustainable at all. The short answer is no. You (we!) cannot have a fully sustainable ski vacation. Or any kind of travel for that matter.

But what we can do is minimize the negative impacts and increase the positive ones. Because not everything about ski tourism is bad. Many regions are dependent on (ski) tourism. And even though most tourist regions in the Alps and in the mountains, in general, are trying harder to make the other seasons attractive for vacationers, winter tourism remains an important pillar on which livelihoods are built.

We will now show you what eco-conscious skiing could look like, what you need to consider when planning and preparing your vacation, and which partners offer the right accommodations.

7 Tips for a More Sustainable Ski Vacation
1.Avoid mass tourism and travel during low season.

If you are not tied to school vacations, you can book your ski vacation off-season. Not only will you save a few dollars, but you will not be sharing the snowy mountains with as many people as you would during peak season. That’s not only better for your nerves, it’s also better for the environment. When many people crowd into (remote) resorts, it puts a lot of pressure on those areas. This is known as “overtourism“, which has particularly serious consequences for the fragile ecosystems of the Alps.

2.Make your journey eco-friendly.

Getting to your winter vacation is easy by train. Many partners have good public transport connections. If you’re driving, for example, because you don’t want to lug your equipment through the train, choose ski resorts that are close to you or as close as possible. For instance, Balderschwang in the Allg?u is among the most snow-sure regions in Germany, with up to twelve meters of snow per season.

3.Buy and maintain your ski equipment sustainably.

You can and should consider sustainability when purchasing your equipment. If you only ski once a season or are not sure if you want to continue the hobby, simply rent the equipment locally. Or, if you prefer, at a sporting goods store near where you live. If you want to own your own equipment, check out the ski sales in your area. They usually take place in late fall and you can buy well-maintained, often one-season equipment for a fraction of the original price. If you ski a lot and want to buy new equipment, choose sustainable companies. Examples include Atomic, Vaude, and St?ckli. If you then have your skis and board waxed with environmentally friendly, petroleum-free wax, you can make another small contribution to protecting the environment.

Ski Room

4.Local transportation

Once you arrive at your resort, you can usually just leave your car for the rest of your stay. Many resorts have ski buses that leave your accommodation and take you to the valley stations of the resorts. Or perhaps the first slopes and trails start right outside the hotel, as is the case at the Paradiso Pure.Living Vegan Hotel on the Seiser Alm, the HUBERTUS Mountain Refugio in Balderschwang in the Allg?u region, or at the Hotel Bella Vista in Zermatt, Switzerland. It’s best to check the local and logistical conditions in advance.

5.Protect plants and animals

For some skiers, there is nothing more exciting than skiing on fresh snow. But it is not great for nature. To avoid endangering wildlife and protect plants, it is important to stay on groomed slopes, trails, and paths. In the long run, all winter sports enthusiasts will benefit more if these marked boundaries are respected. This also applies to hiking and other activities in the mountains. Winter or summer.

6.Book a sustainable accommodation

If you want to be sure that your accommodation is doing all it can to make your vacation as sustainable and environmentally friendly as possible, then book with one of our partners. They do their best every day to conserve resources, strengthen the region, and keep their environmental footprint as small as possible. This way you can enjoy your winter vacation without a guilty conscience. In addition to the hotels mentioned above, we highly recommend The Peak in S?lden and Summit Lodges Pfunds in the Tyrolean Oberland. At both, you can take off your slippers, put on your ski boots, and hit the slopes.

Winter Wonderland in Austria

7.Choose sustainable ski destinations

When choosing a ski resort, try to find one that uses little or no artificial snow. The use of renewable energy and monitoring visitor numbers to prevent overcrowding on the mountain are also part of a sustainable resort. In South Tyrol, for example, almost all resorts have invested in renewable energy generation from the sun and water to power the facilities. Ski trails are designed to minimize the impact on nature, and free ski buses connect towns and resorts.

The climate-friendly resort of Carezza has even pledged to become carbon neutral by 2025. It already has intelligent control of its snow cannons, and the water it uses to make artificial snow comes from its own reservoirs, not the environment. If you are unsure about how the resort of your choice is addressing these issues, you can always check in advance with the local tourist office or lift operators.

In the Alps, for example, 19 destinations have joined forces under the banner of “Alpine Pearls” to promote environmentally friendly tourism. The destinations under the umbrella of this association focus on soft mobility in their diverse mobility offers. As a guest, you can travel through the region in an environmentally friendly way thanks to innovative and climate-friendly travel offers. The avoidance of artificially groomed slopes, the use of renewable energies, and the monitoring of visitor numbers in the mountains are further important and conscious measures taken by Alpine Pearls towards sustainable ski tourism.

Sustainable Ski Vacation

A more Sustainable Ski Vacation? It can be done!

Even if we can never have a 100% sustainable ski vacation, we hope these tips have shown you that we can at least travel more sustainably. And it doesn’t take much effort, does it?

As a winter sports enthusiast, how do you sustainably practice your beloved snow hobby? Do you take responsibility for the climate and our planet? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments.