HutObsTour
HutObsTour – Mountain Huts as Observatories for Tourist Transition
The HutObsTour project was developed based on a preliminary study conducted in 2019 as part of a seed funding initiative from CIRM and drawing on the experience of the French participatory program "Refuges Sentinelles." It is funded by the French National Research Agency (ANR) and the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF).
The effects of climate change are particularly pronounced in mountain regions (such as permafrost degradation and glacier retreat) and significantly impact tourism and recreational activities, including access to mountain huts. Furthermore, new forms of recreational and sporting activities are emerging that have not been sufficiently studied during the summer or outside traditional resort areas.
This project explores the role of mountain huts and related professions as key players and indicators of the rebalancing between "underdeveloped mountain areas" and "developed mountain areas" through three main avenues:
- Implementing observation systems tailored to the spatial and temporal distribution of visitors in less developed mountain areas.
- Transforming the professional cultures associated with mountain occupations.
- Understanding the structuring role of mountain huts in the governance of less developed mountain areas and in diversifying tourism.
Project website : https://www.unil.ch/hutobstour/
Contact : Prof. Christophe Clivaz, project leader
