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Lessons from the Past: A Swiss Case Study on Ski Resorts and Degrowth in the Face of Climate Change

Luise Biere
Cet article est une traduction de :
Lehren aus der Vergangenheit: Eine Schweizer Fallstudie über Skigebiete und Degrowth im Angesicht des Klimawandels [de]

Résumé

Ski tourism is severely threatened by climate change, primarily due to reduced snowfall, shorter ski seasons, and an anticipated shrinkage of the market. These changes are increasingly dividing ski resorts into so-called “winners” and “losers”. Artificial snowmaking, although still widely used as the main adaptation strategy to climate-related impacts, faces growing challenges due to resource limitations and rising costs. Additionally, diversification, which is often promoted as the most sustainable solution, appears insufficient to compensate for the substantial losses resulting from disappearing ski seasons. In this context, fostering resilient and sustainable development in climate-impacted ski resorts calls for alternative approaches, with degrowth emerging as a potential pathway. This research attempts to investigate how and if degrowth is a desirable solution to address ski resorts struggling with severe climate change impacts, using the Swiss municipality of Lungern as a case study. Semi-structured interviews with key municipal stakeholders were conducted to explore the destination’s transformation. Following the bankruptcy of its ski resort, Lungern transitioned toward a downsized, more sustainable, and niche tourism offering, which has prompted a redistribution of ecological, social, and economic value, predominantly positive for the population. The municipality has demonstrated its ability to mitigate climate-related impacts and has strengthened its resilience in the face of broader crises, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Although Lungern may be classified as a typical “loser” in the context of climate impacted ski tourism, it is perceived both by local stakeholders and through this analysis as a “winner” in achieving a sustainable transformation. This study further provides a practical example of a grassroots movement, contributing to the predominantly theoretical discussions in degrowth literature and offering an alternative narrative to what is often framed as a hopeless situation.

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Introduction

1Ski tourism is both severely endangered by and contributes to climate change, primarily through emissions from transport, accommodation, and the increasing reliance on artificial snowmaking (Knowles and Scott, 2024). Meanwhile, the changing climate is projected to cause widespread reductions in snow cover and depth, fewer snowfall events, and shifts in seasonality, including delayed snowfall and earlier snowmelt in spring (Beniston, 2012). Together, these trends indicate predominantly negative impacts on ski tourism, creating an increasingly challenging business environment (Steiger et al., 2019).

2Ski season lengths are expected to decrease across all regions and resort types, intensifying financial pressures, particularly during critical periods like Christmas (Steiger et al., 2019). Small and low-altitude ski resorts are particularly vulnerable to these changes (Marke et al., 2015). Furthermore, climate change poses multiple challenges to snow production, including changes in air temperature and humidity, which may reduce the number of hours suitable for snowmaking (Damm et al., 2014). High-altitude resorts may continue to benefit from snowmaking in the short- and medium-term, but low-altitude resorts are unlikely to find it effective (Falk and Vanat, 2016). Thus, adapting to climate change will require resorts to invest heavily in snowmaking despite declining opportunities for its use (Rice et al., 2022). Although often seen as the main adaptation strategy, snowmaking is increasingly considered an unviable solution in the long term (Willibald et al., 2021).

3Moreover, climate change is expected to decrease skier demand, although this decline may not occur at the same pace as the reduction in ski resort supply (Dawson and Scott, 2013). In the short-term, high-altitude resorts could experience increased visitation due to poor snow conditions at low-altitude resorts, exacerbating crowding and congestion at less vulnerable destinations (Prettenthaler et al., 2022). This spillover effect divides the industry into “winners” and “losers”, placing additional strain on infrastructure such as water, energy, and transportation systems, particularly in alpine regions already struggling with overtourism (Soboll and Schmude, 2011; François et al., 2023).

4The economic implications of ski resort closures are becoming increasingly evident, with expanding literature on issues such as indebtedness, bankruptcies, and market stagnation; suggesting that the contraction of the industry is already underway (Gonseth and Vielle, 2019; Falk, 2013). In the U.S., the ski industry is projected to incur annual losses of $252 million, rising to $1.35 billion by 2050 and $2.57 billion by 2080 (Scott and Steiger, 2024). Diversification into non-skiing activities and year-round tourism, while a common adaptation strategy, cannot compensate for the extensive economic losses from reduced ski tourism (Berghammer and Schmude, 2014). Research on climate change mitigation efforts, such as carbon footprint calculation, green energy, and water consumption is growing but remains small compared to impact and adaptation literature (Falk and Hagsten, 2021).

5Although ski tourism is unlikely to cease abruptly, the industry’s growing sensitivity to external factors necessitates more proactive and long-term adaptation strategies (Scott and Steiger, 2024). Without timely interventions, mountainous and especially rural communities may face significant economic and social challenges (Soboll and Schmude, 2011; Tranos and Davoudi, 2014). The industry must prioritize sustainable transitions to avoid exceeding critical thresholds (Knowles and Scott, 2024). Many small and low-altitude resorts now find themselves in a particularly fragile position: lacking financial resources for artificial snowmaking, and with diversification strategies unable to offset declining ski demand, they appear to have maneuvered themselves into a structural dead-end. This situation mirrors broader adaptation and mitigation challenges affecting winter tourism across the Alps. Against this backdrop, this study connects the paradigm of degrowth, ski tourism and climate change, previously rarely discussed in the literature, offering a transformative lens for fostering sustainable transitions and strengthening the resilience of mountain communities. It seeks to assess a possible real-world example of degrowth: the closure of a ski resort several years ago. Specifically, this research examines why and in what ways this transformation has been realized, adopting an in-depth single-case study design (see Yin, 2013).

Theoretical Framework on Degrowth and Ski Tourism

An Outlook on Degrowth and Tourism

6Degrowth is not a singular theory but rather an umbrella term encompassing societal ideas that challenge the prioritization of economic growth as a central objective. As such, it is better understood as a social and political movement rather than a theoretical framework (Parrique, 2020). It is defined as “an equitable downscaling of production and consumption that increases human well-being and enhances ecological conditions […]” (Schneider et al., 2010, p. 511). Despite its importance, much of the academic discourse on degrowth has remained theoretical, with limited focus on actionable pathways for implementation (Murray et al., 2023) and a lack of consensus on suitable indicators (Nyblom et al., 2019). As government-led strategies appear unlikely in the near future, grassroots initiatives led by civil society and individual businesses are increasingly providing meaningful examples and laying important groundwork for systemic change toward degrowth futures (Buch-Hansen and Nesterova, 2023).

7A common misconception about degrowth is its equation with economic recession (Fletcher et al., 2019). Economic recessions occur when growth-dependent economies stagnate, whereas degrowth envisions a fundamentally different system: an economy that thrives without reliance on perpetual growth. Instead, degrowth advocates for intentionally planned policies to mitigate harmful impacts by downsizing ecologically and socially destructive industries while expanding sectors that enhance well-being and reduce inequality (Hickel, 2021). Although envisioned as a voluntary transition (Bonaiuti, 2018), crises such as economic recessions may often act as catalysts, achieving more resilient and sustainable transformations in the future (Schneider et al., 2010).

8Degrowth-oriented tourism seeks to reduce high-impact activities, such as long-haul and fossil fuel-intensive travel, while promoting alternatives like slow, local and community-oriented tourism. Reducing tourism consumption, diversifying local economies, and the redistribution of values are key strategies for sustainable downsizing (Fletcher et al., 2019). Research on degrowth has predominantly focused on urban destinations, where overtourism exacerbates social and environmental pressures (Cañada, 2021). Non-urban and nature-based contexts remain underexplored (Butler, 2019). The degrowth perspective gained further momentum during the COVID-19 pandemic, which was widely seen as an opportunity to reimagine tourism along degrowth and regenerative lines (Langer and Schmude, 2023). Crises, such as pandemics or climate change, can thus act as catalysts for new forms of tourism, ultimately increasing the tourism system’s resilience (Schneider et al., 2010).

A Recipe for Degrowth in the Ski Industry

9Although scholarship on ski tourism and climate change increasingly engages with sustainable transitions (Bourdeau, 2019; Bonnemains and Claeys, 2023; Knowles and Scott, 2024), the degrowth paradigm has not yet been integrated holistically. This gap persists partly due to degrowth often being perceived as abstract and overly theoretical (Murray et al., 2023), and because practical applications remain limited (Zango-Palau et al., 2024). In response, the following “recipe” draws on both degrowth principles and ski tourism literature, outlining the essential “ingredients” of trigger, taper, and transition. As illustrated in Figure 1, trigger refers to involuntary degrowth caused by an external crisis, in this case the climate crisis, destabilizing the tourism system. Taper describes the subsequent downsizing process, such as reducing tourism supply and demand, along with diversification into other industries, contributing to climate change mitigation efforts. Transition signifies the systemic shift and adaptation toward sustainable values. Together, trigger, taper, and transition drive the transformation toward a degrowth-oriented future. This approach aims to analyze why the (sustainable) transition was triggered through involuntary degrowth and how the destinations’ resilience was strengthened through an in-depth case study (see Yin, 2013).

Figure 1: Theoretical framework in the context of degrowth, ski tourism and climate change

Figure 1: Theoretical framework in the context of degrowth, ski tourism and climate change

Own illustration

10Trigger: Degrowth initiatives may emerge voluntarily, as part of a planned transition, or involuntarily, as a result of crises or economic recessions (Métral, 2021). In ski tourism, climate change produces significant environmental, social, and economic disruptions, including shorter seasons, unreliable snow conditions, and increasing financial vulnerability, which collectively contribute to market contraction (Steiger et al., 2019). This study examines a case of involuntary degrowth triggered by climatic pressures, including reduced season length, constraints on artificial snowmaking, and eventual bankruptcy.

11Taper: Degrowth entails the downsizing of tourism production and consumption (Murray et al., 2023). Earlier research already introduced the idea of a “healthy shrinkage” of the ski industry (Elsasser and Bürki, 2002), which involves dismantling unprofitable ski lifts and ceasing operations on low-altitude slopes, particularly during seasons with unfavorable climatic conditions. Furthermore, scholars have argued that ski resorts in lower regions should actively plan to cancel ski tourism (Behringer et al., 2000). This goes in line with researchers encouraging destinations to reduce the reliance on ski tourism to be less vulnerable as a form of climate change adaptation (Dawson and Scott, 2013). Furthermore, the local economy needs diversification strategies, going beyond tourism (Achin and George-Marcelpoil, 2019).

12Transition: Transition denotes a deeper systemic transformation in values, governance, and development priorities. It emphasizes well-being, education, ecological conservation, collaboration, and quality of life for local communities (Knowles and Scott, 2024), while supporting climate change mitigation. Successfully transitioning to a degrowth-oriented model requires redistribution of ecological, social, and economic values; strategic long-term planning, and the active participation of diverse stakeholders in inclusive decision-making processes (Fontanari et al., 2021).

Methodology

Case study: Lungern, Switzerland

13When choosing a case, particular attention was given to small, low-altitude resorts, which the literature indicates are most at risk to climate change, and also represent examples of grassroots movements. The objective was to identify a ski resort that had closed several years ago, allowing for a comprehensive analysis of its collapse and subsequent (sustainable) development. Therefore, the municipality of Lungern, located in the canton of Obwalden in Central Switzerland with 2,000 inhabitants, was selected. Situated at an altitude of 1,562 to 2,011 meters above sea level, the ski resort Panoramawelt Lungern Schönbüel (PLS) featured a gondola, a chairlift, and two T-bar lifts, with a total of 24 km of predominantly easy slopes (see Figure 2; Skiresort Service International GmbH, n.d.). The resort faced persistent financial struggles leading to multiple bankruptcies before ski operations ultimately ceased in 2012, when an exceptionally warm winter caused gliding snow to tip over a chairlift support tower (LTB Lungern-Turren-Bahn AG, n.d.; Ancey and Bain, 2015). Investors later acquired the infrastructure and established the Lungern-Turren-Bahn AG (LTB), discontinuing classic ski operation and shifting toward a sustainable tourism offer (Schweizer Rundfunk, 2023).

Figure 2: Trail map of PLS until 2012 (left) and LTB as of 2018 (right)

Figure 2: Trail map of PLS until 2012 (left) and LTB as of 2018 (right)

Skiresort Service International GmbH, n.d.; Obwalden Tourismus, 2018

14This study follows Yin’s (2013) single-case study design and addresses their four tests of research quality. First, construct validity was strengthened by triangulating multiple data sources to establish a robust case description prior to data collection. For example, the analysis included various newspaper articles prior, during, and after bankruptcy, as well as several municipal documents of the local tourism association from 2012 until today. Second, internal validity was addressed through explanation building and pattern matching. Interview data were systematically compared with the triangulated data, allowing emerging explanations to be refined during the analysis process. Third, external validity was ensured through analytic generalization. Rather than aiming for statistical representativeness, the case is used to develop conceptual insights into how small ski resorts may experience degrowth under climate change, consistent with the theoretical propositions outlined in the framework. Finally, reliability was enhanced through the use of a case-study protocol and a structured database containing interview transcripts, notes, and documentary material, enabling transparency and allowing for potential replication or auditing by other researchers.

Semi-Structured Interviews With Community Stakeholders

15The study is based on six semi-structured interviews with municipal stakeholders, e.g., policymakers, business representatives, and association members; selected via snowball sampling for their involvement in the municipality’s tourism development before, during, and after the resorts’ bankruptcy. Based on the triangulated data, we concluded that between 15 and 20 people were employed at the PLS during the years in question. Most of these positions were part-time or seasonal, meaning that operational staff had limited involvement in strategic matters, and day-to-day decision-making was typically concentrated in one to three individuals. In addition, approximately seven to nine actors formed Lungern’s broader tourism stakeholder network, including representatives from the municipality, tourism association, resort, and key private-sector partners. Comparable studies of Alpine destination governance certify the small size of such strategic networks. Beritelli et al. (2007) for instance, report an average of seven individuals involved in governance structures in destinations similar to Lungern in terms of size, tourism profile, and market positioning. Taken together, these figures indicate that the six interviewees in the present study represent roughly 50–75% of the relevant strategic actors. This proportion is appropriate for an in-depth case study design, which prioritizes analytical depth and theoretical insight over quantitative representativeness (Yin, 2013).

16The interviews were conducted and recorded in January and February 2025 using Microsoft Teams and lasted 52 minutes on average. All interviews were held in German, the native language of both interviewer and interviewees. Anonymity was ensured throughout the whole interview process and consent about the use of data was given verbally and in written form. The interview guideline followed a deductive approach, applying the degrowth “recipe” in ski tourism presented previously, addressing topics such as causes of bankruptcy, its impacts, the subsequent (sustainable) transition, and recommendations for other vulnerable ski resorts. All interviews were transcribed, and the data was analyzed with MAXQDA Analytics Pro 24.8.0. Thematic coding was conducted based on Braun and Clarke (2006), with themes and codes derived primarily from predefined theoretical concepts rather than emerging solely from the data. However, the qualitative data in this study may be subject to biases, such as social desirability and the influence of personal beliefs on how participants interpreted and presented information.

Results: Assessing Degrowth in Ski Tourism Under Climate Change

Trigger: Climate Change and Bankruptcy

17The bankruptcy of the ski resort was caused by a combination of internal and external factors. Impacts of climate change, namely reduced snowfall at lower altitudes and the lack of water resources prevented the use of artificial snowmaking and limited the resort’s ability to operate. During an unusually warm winter, gliding snow tipped over a tower supporting a chairlift, likely acting as a critical tipping point, ultimately terminating ski operations. Furthermore, the resort was too small to compete with other larger ski resorts, for example, Engelberg-Titlis and Grindelwald. Considering internal factors, most interviewees identified poor management and liquidity problems despite financial support from the municipality as the main reasons for the bankruptcy. Several interviewees also pointed to an ineffective business strategy, leadership style, and violations of safety regulations. One interviewee referred to a “forward strategy” aimed at meeting higher comfort standards and increasing visitor expectations, leading to the loss of the resort’s regional customer base.

Taper: The Collapse of Lungern’s (Ski) Tourism Industry

18The bankruptcy and eventual market exit of the ski resort came as a surprise to many, given its long-standing connection to Lungern’s community. Following the closure of the ski resort, the PLS no longer received any visitors. Although this resulted in the loss of some part-time positions, according to the interviewees, the overall economic impact was limited. This is largely due to the municipality’s diverse economy, which extends beyond tourism, particularly in the industrial sector. The tourism sector itself also remained varied, with attractions such as a shooting range and a fishery continuing to draw day visitors, summarized by one interviewee:

We have built up other pillars alongside the sustainable tourism offer. This has resulted in a different balance. We are therefore no longer dependent on the LTB being the key tourism driver for the municipality. It is part of the whole, but it’s not as if our survival in tourism depends on it. (Interviewee 4)

19Tourism in Lungern has steadily declined over recent decades. The closure of the ski resort, along with the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, has left only a small number of hotels operating in the area. This decline may also be related to changes in tourism governance, with a regional destination management organization now responsible for tourism administration instead of the municipality. After the resort’s bankruptcy, local investors acquired the lower section of the cable car infrastructure but decided against continuing classic ski operations. Instead, they focused on developing a sustainable tourism model. The old cable car was replaced with a lower-capacity version, while the upper-section lifts were dismantled. In 2020, a renovated mountain restaurant and a newly constructed seminar hotel were opened near the cable car’s mountain station. The resort now emphasizes activities such as snowshoe hiking, ski touring, and tobogganing. One winter hiking trail is groomed when snowfall permits, though hiking and walking remain available year-round. Compared to traditional alpine skiing, snowshoeing and ski touring target a smaller market, resulting in a decline in total visitor numbers compared to the PLS period. While the former PLS mainly served budget-conscious guests seeking affordable ski holidays, the new LTB model caters to a clientele that values quality and tranquility. A large share of current visitors are pensioners, and the scale of operations is smaller with fewer staff than before.

Transition: Exploring Sustainability Values

20When asked whether the bankruptcy of the ski resort contributed to sustainable development in Lungern, all interviewees responded positively. However, two expressed concerns about the sustainability of the new seminar hotel, noting that it is currently struggling to fill its capacity. Reduced tourism activity has led to lower consumption and a smaller carbon footprint, which, as a result, contributes to climate change mitigation efforts. The LTB has also implemented several sustainability measures, including reduced energy use and renewable energy sources. Many interviewees perceived the removal of ski infrastructure as restoring nature and creating a more peaceful environment. The most frequently mentioned social benefit was the broad acceptance and satisfaction among residents. The new tourism model has improved recreational opportunities for both locals and visitors, leading to increased quality of life and well-being. The COVID-19 pandemic presented a major challenge for tourism in Lungern. However, most interviewees said the industry adapted well to the circumstances. Financial support from public institutions helped sustain remaining local hospitality businesses. The crisis also encouraged a shift in values, with increased visitation in nature-based and physical activities in Lungern, some interviewees even reported that they gained loyal visitors during this time:

Our tourism offers, sustainability and hiking, became the number one popular activity. [...] Skiing was not possible for a long time, but everyone was allowed to go hiking. That was a stroke of luck for us, it was our key area of expertise. The guests came and it worked. We really are winners of the pandemic, I could almost say. (Interviewee 3)

21While activity providers like the LTB benefited from this crisis, the accommodation sector faced ongoing challenges as a result of a long-term developments, leaving only a few remaining providers in the municipality. The increase in day visitors, further fueled by fans of a popular Korean drama visiting filming locations in Lungern, generates minimal economic impact and adds pressure on local infrastructure, which might even be perceived as a form of overtourism.

22When asked whether they view Lungern as a winner or loser in the context of climate change, all interviewees considered Lungern a winner, though for different reasons. Interviewees emphasized the benefits of the sustainable transition, the development of snow-independent tourism, the ability to innovate in response to crisis, and the improvement in quality of life. Despite the LTB not producing a significant economic impact, the interviewees expressed contentment with the current situation:

The question is also how to define winners and losers. These days, everything revolves around money. [...] The winners include the regions that generate more turnover. Those with the lowest turnover are the losers. But money is not everything. The question is also what you ultimately leave behind in nature. (Interviewee 1)
Obviously, jobs were lost that were valuable to many of us. That was certainly negative, but a new solution was subsequently found. New opportunities arise from every crisis. (Interviewee 5)

Learnings: Lessons from the Past

23To conclude, interviewees were asked what other vulnerable ski resorts could learn from Lungern and the LTB. A central takeaway shared by all was the importance of developing tourism products beyond traditional downhill skiing, particularly year-round and snow-independent activities. Additionally, several interviewees highlighted the benefits of downsizing in contrast to the industry’s prevailing trend toward the expansion of snowmaking facilities:

In ski destinations, there is often talk of ‘upscaling’. They create artificial reservoirs in order to have enough water for snowmaking. Millions are invested to guarantee snow reliability. There is a huge amount of upscaling. I ask myself, does that really make sense? Should certain destinations not be asking themselves whether they should downsize? (Interviewee 1)

24Interviewees emphasized that such transitions require courage and strategic foresight. Importantly, decisions should be made in close collaboration with local stakeholders, ensuring alignment with regional values, community interests, and the natural environment. However, interviewees rarely specified how these collaborative processes should be operationalized, aside from emphasizing that initiatives should originate from the business side and involve close cooperation with the municipal council. Furthermore, acting proactively was considered essential. Several interviewees criticized resorts that continue investing in snowmaking and infrastructure without clear evidence of long-term viability or profitability. Yet, they stressed the importance of maintaining a profit-oriented mindset, even when pursuing downsizing, in order to achieve a successful transition. One interviewee concludes:

You have to have the courage to position yourself in a niche, adapt your offering to your customers and the mountain, and perhaps healthily shrink as well. The steps have to be taken in the right time before the business faces the difficulties in the form of bankruptcy and then no longer has the ability to act. (Interviewee 3)

25Finally, some interviewees suggested volunteer-based operational models for small resorts to reduce costs and stressed the importance of attracting and educating young skiers, who may later become customers of larger resorts.

Discussion

26Lungern has proven to be a case study where degrowth was triggered involuntarily by the bankruptcy of the local ski resort (see Métral, 2021; Schneider et al., 2010). Climate change likely acted as a critical tipping point when a snow slab tipped over a chairlift support tower, ultimately accelerating the termination of ski operations in a system already stressed by poor management, suboptimal strategic decisions, and evolving visitor behaviors. However, unlike other alpine destinations, the municipality of Lungern did not suffer severe economic hardships, largely due to its economy, which is diverse beyond tourism (see Achin and George-Marcelpoil, 2019) and already well established prior to the bankruptcy. This suggests that a well-established diversified economy will contribute to successful ski tourism degrowth and should be considered prior to the downsizing process.

27Degrowth, understood as a tapering of tourism supply and demand (see Murray et al., 2023), was subsequently achieved through a transition to sustainable and niche tourism activities that now attract fewer visitors. This transition was initiated by investors via a business-driven initiative, serving as an example of a grassroots movement (see Buch-Hansen and Nesterova, 2023), coupled with the decision to discontinue classic ski operation. As the resort had long been perceived as vulnerable to climate change, its closure may have contributed to a “healthy shrinkage” within the ski industry (see Elsasser and Bürki, 2002). Nevertheless, given that the bankruptcy was involuntary, other vulnerable resorts should rather actively than reactively downsize ski tourism (see Behringer et al., 2000).

28Although initially perceived as a shock, the bankruptcy has since been widely viewed as a catalyst for sustainable transformation, marked by a redistribution of ecological, social, and economic benefits, as reported by interviewees. Ecologically, the end of lift operations resulted in measurable reductions in emissions through decreased tourism-related consumption (see Murray et al., 2023). The dismantling of the ski infrastructure further relieved pressure on the mountain environment. Socially, several interviewees emphasized greater local involvement in decision-making processes and improvements in well-being and perceived quality of life (see Knowles and Scott, 2024). Economically, the municipality became less financially dependent on ski tourism: public subsidies previously used to cover operational deficits were eliminated, and local providers were no longer bound to the fluctuating demands of ski tourists (see Achin and George-Marcelpoil, 2019).

29While the term “degrowth” was not explicitly used during interviews, many participants expressed related ideas, referencing concepts such as “downscaling”, “healthy shrinkage,” and questioning the primacy of economic growth. Interviewees consistently advocated for long-term, proactive planning based on regional values rather than short-term, reactive measures: values that align with the degrowth paradigm (see Fontanari et al., 2021). Thus, although Lungern was categorized as a typical climate-vulnerable ski resort (see Marke et al., 2015; Steiger et al., 2019), it is not perceived as a “loser”. Instead, the case study narrates how crisis, in this case climate change and bankruptcy, can trigger a transition toward a more sustainable and resilient future. Being a diversified economy beyond tourism and not reliant on (ski) tourism (see Achin and George-Marcelpoil, 2019; Dawson and Scott, 2013), the LTB experienced minimal negative impacts during the COVID-19 pandemic crisis, confirming its economic resilience (see Schneider et al., 2010). However, the pandemic, combined with the earlier collapse of the ski resort, led to a near-total disappearance of overnight stays. As a result, tourism in Lungern became relatively insignificant, and both stakeholder collaboration and tourism networks appear to remain ineffective (see Sekulova et al., 2013). Although central to degrowth, these unresolved issues suggest important areas for further research. Other negative implications of this shift include an increase in day visitor traffic, which may shift rather than reduce overtourism pressures. Additionally, the underutilization of the seminar hotel is widely perceived as a maladaptive outcome of the transition, and the desirability of this development remains a subject of debate.

30Although not all dimensions of degrowth were fully realized, e.g., by being triggered involuntarily, this case study illustrates how economic collapses can act as a catalyst for resilience and sustainable transformation. Furthermore, the “recipe” of degrowth with trigger, taper, and transition as “ingredients”, has proven applicable in the context of terminating ski operations in Lungern. The framework’s main value lies in providing a clear structure to analyze and plan degrowth processes, linking crises to downsizing and broader systemic change. However, it has limits by assuming linear progression and providing limited guidance on complex aspects such as stakeholder collaboration or long-term governance. This highlights important areas for future research and validation in other settings. By illustrating how Lungern reflects degrowth principles, this paper offers a possible roadmap for both at-risk ski destinations and degrowth-oriented communities. While the primary focus remains on ski destinations adversely affected by climate change, the insights presented here may also be relevant to vulnerable regions or economies that are dependent on single sectors. Furthermore, even destinations currently less vulnerable to climate change may benefit from these findings, using them to foster long-term sustainability. Finally, degrowth literature would be strengthened by additional empirical examples in other geographic, governance, and cultural settings, that demonstrate the framework’s practical viability.

Conclusion

31This paper enriches the growing literature on climate change and ski tourism, predominantly focusing on impact and adaptation studies, by demonstrating how a degrowth approach has resulted in a sustainable and resilient transformation, using the municipality of Lungern as a case study. The research shows that climate-related market contraction and bankruptcy can act as a trigger for degrowth, initiating a downsizing and restructuring of tourism supply and demand. These developments have further enabled a transition by strengthening sustainable values, such as well-being and integrative decision-making processes, as well as creating predominantly positive ecological, social, and economic effects on the municipality. Yet, although collaboration was consistently emphasized, interviewees offered limited insight into its practical implementation, highlighting the need for further research in this area.

32Through this transformation, Lungern has shown an ability to mitigate negative climate-related impacts and has fostered resilience in the face of crises, as demonstrated during the COVID-19 pandemic. Furthermore, the findings suggest that degrowth does not need to be voluntary to produce transformative outcomes, highlighting the importance of crisis as a catalyst for systemic changes, as well as challenging prevailing assumptions of “winners” and “losers” within the literature. From a practical perspective, the results underline the risks of reactive processes to climate change and emphasize proactive downsizing and economic diversification for small and low-altitude ski resorts. Although these outcomes are shaped by local conditions, the case shows that continued investments in growth-focused measures can increase vulnerability, while managed downsizing can create opportunities for more sustainable pathways.

33By providing an empirical example of degrowth in practice, this paper contributes to bridging the gap between degrowth theory and real-world tourism transformations. The presented framework proved useful for structuring these insights, linking crises to adaptive and transformative outcomes, though its linear assumptions and limited guidance on collaboration and governance indicate that further testing and refinement in other regions and sectors are needed. Although the study is based on a single case, its insights are relevant beyond the Alpine context, offering lessons for vulnerable tourism regions and economies dependent on single sectors. Future research should test the applicability of the framework and further explore how degrowth processes reshape governance, society, and the (re-)distribution of values over time.

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Table des illustrations

Titre Figure 1: Theoretical framework in the context of degrowth, ski tourism and climate change
Crédits Own illustration
URL http://journals.openedition.org/rga/docannexe/image/17020/img-1.png
Fichier image/png, 118k
Titre Figure 2: Trail map of PLS until 2012 (left) and LTB as of 2018 (right)
Crédits Skiresort Service International GmbH, n.d.; Obwalden Tourismus, 2018
URL http://journals.openedition.org/rga/docannexe/image/17020/img-2.jpg
Fichier image/jpeg, 596k
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Luise Biere, « Lessons from the Past: A Swiss Case Study on Ski Resorts and Degrowth in the Face of Climate Change »Journal of Alpine Research | Revue de géographie alpine [En ligne], 114-1 | 2026, mis en ligne le 15 avril 2026, consulté le 13 mai 2026. URL : http://journals.openedition.org/rga/17020 ; DOI : https://doi.org/10.4000/165gc

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Auteur

Luise Biere

German Sport University Cologne, Institute of Outdoor Sports and Environmental Science, Am Sportpark Muengersdorf 6, 50933 Cologne, Germany

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