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Gletscher sind seit fast zwei Jahrhunderten beliebte Touristenattraktionen. Doch der aktuelle Klimawandel stellt sogar die Existenz von Gletschern in Frage. In diesem Zusammenhang soll in diesem Artikel die Frage gestellt werden, welche Formen des Tourismus heute in allen alpinen Gletschertourismusorten zu erkennen sind. Eine Bestandsaufnahme im Maßstab des Alpenbogens zeigt, dass verschiedene touristische Praktiken (Betrachten, Besuch von Eishöhlen, Freizeitaktivitäten, Umweltbildung und Luxus) nebeneinander bestehen. Die Analyse der Funktionsweise der verschiedenen Standorte zeigt, dass diese Praktiken mit den verschiedenen in der Literatur beschriebenen Formen des Tourismus in Verbindung gebracht werden können: moderner, postmoderner und hypermoderner Tourismus. Die Koexistenz dieser Formen auf der Ebene der Gletscherstandorte offenbart sechs mögliche Kombinationen, d.h. sechs Standorttypen: betrachtend, erlebnisorientiert, erholsam, interpretativ, hochwertig und unverwechselbar. Ihre räumliche Analyse zeigt auch, dass die Orte mit der höchsten Qualität (Premium und distinktiv) sich hauptsächlich um die Höhepunkte des Alpentourismus (Chamonix, Zermatt und Grindelwald) befinden, während die anderen gleichmäßiger verteilt sind. Diese Ergebnisse stellen die Frage nach den Entwicklungsverläufen der Standorte und der Rolle des Klimawandels, mögliche Objekte zukünftiger Forschung.

Glaciers have been popular tourist attractions for almost two centuries. However, current climate change is now posing a new threat. In this context, this paper aims to question the tourism forms which are currently identifiable within Alpine glacier tourism sites. An inventory carried out on an Alpine scale shows that different tourist practices (contemplation, visit of ice caves, recreational activities, environmental education, and luxury) can coexist. The analysis of the way various sites function demonstrates that these practices can be related to the different forms of tourism that exist in the scientific literature: modern, post-modern and hyper-modern tourism. The coexistence of these forms of tourism at glacier sites reveals six possible combinations, i.e. six types of sites: contemplative, experiential, recreational, interpretative, premium and distinctive. Spatial analysis also shows that the premium and distinctive sites are mainly located around the major Alpine tourist destinations (Chamonix, Zermatt and Grindelwald), while the others are more homogeneously distributed. These results raise questions about the way in which these sites was and will develop and the role climate change plays, both of which constitute potential research topics for the future.

In the Alps — as with the rest of Europe — renewed interest in geoheritage sites has grown since the late nineteen-nineties. Inventory, conservation and promotional (didactic, tourist) projects for geosites have blossomed at every scale — local, national and international – articulated around the central concept of geodiversity. The present article will demonstrate that far from being an entirely new tendency, this constitutes rather a specific stage in a number of different threads of the history of landscape heritage, on-going since the nineteenth century. What is new, however, is the movement that consists in basing the selection of heritage sites on their intrinsic scientific value with regard to their pertinence to the history of the Earth, rather than for any merely picturesque or aesthetic qualities. This tendency towards the implementation of geoheritage contributes to the general drive for the sustainable development of alpine territories, particularly by means of the establishment of territorial development tools such as Geoparks.

In the Alps — as with the rest of Europe — renewed interest in geoheritage sites has grown since the late nineteen-nineties. Inventory, conservation and promotional (didactic, tourist) projects for geosites have blossomed at every scale — local, national and international – articulated around the central concept of geodiversity. The present article will demonstrate that far from being an entirely new tendency, this constitutes rather a specific stage in a number of different threads of the history of landscape heritage, on-going since the nineteenth century. What is new, however, is the movement that consists in basing the selection of heritage sites on their intrinsic scientific value with regard to their pertinence to the history of the Earth, rather than for any merely picturesque or aesthetic qualities. This tendency towards the implementation of geoheritage contributes to the general drive for the sustainable development of alpine territories, particularly by means of the establishment of territorial development tools such as Geoparks.

Glaciers have been popular tourist attractions for almost two centuries. However, current climate change is now posing a new threat. In this context, this paper aims to question the tourism forms which are currently identifiable within Alpine glacier tourism sites. An inventory carried out on an Alpine scale shows that different tourist practices (contemplation, visit of ice caves, recreational activities, environmental education, and luxury) can coexist. The analysis of the way various sites function demonstrates that these practices can be related to the different forms of tourism that exist in the scientific literature: modern, post-modern and hyper-modern tourism. The coexistence of these forms of tourism at glacier sites reveals six possible combinations, i.e. six types of sites: contemplative, experiential, recreational, interpretative, premium and distinctive. Spatial analysis also shows that the premium and distinctive sites are mainly located around the major Alpine tourist destinations (Chamonix, Zermatt and Grindelwald), while the others are more homogeneously distributed. These results raise questions about the way in which these sites was and will develop and the role climate change plays, both of which constitute potential research topics for the future.

The evolution of the high Alpine mountain environment, especially the cryosphere that faces climate change, deeply modifies the human activities that take place there. The mountaineering routes are directly impacted and they sometimes become inaccessible. In order to recover a good balance, adaptation is necessary. Mountain guides are among the most dependent professionals on the field on which they practice. As a result, they are probably the most impacted professionals but, at the same time, they are also those who can produce a lot of adaptation strategies. The aim of this paper is therefore to identify how mountain guides from Chamonix and Courmayeur are impacted and the different adaptation strategies they developed to face climate change. By this cross-border study, using quantitative and qualitative methods, this paper is also showing that the adaptation strategies are controlled by the territory dynamics.

The evolution of the high Alpine mountain environment, especially the cryosphere that faces climate change, deeply modifies the human activities that take place there. The mountaineering routes are directly impacted and they sometimes become inaccessible. In order to recover a good balance, adaptation is necessary. Mountain guides are among the most dependent professionals on the field on which they practice. As a result, they are probably some of the most impacted professionals but, at the same time, they are also those who can create a lot of adaptation strategies. The aim of this paper is therefore to identify how mountain guides from Chamonix and Courmayeur are impacted and the different adaptation strategies they developed to face climate change. By this cross-border study, using quantitative and qualitative methods, this paper is also showing that the adaptation strategies are controlled by the territory dynamics.