The opportunity costs of worthless land: The nexus between national parks and glacier ski resorts in the Alps
This contrast has led to significant land-use conflicts, particularly in regions where both forms of land use share spatial requirements.. By focusing on the cases of Hohe Tauern National Park in Austria and Vanoise National Park in France, different approaches to resolving these tensions become evident. Over time, some conflicts have faded due to the decline of summer skiing, yet others remain, raising ongoing concerns about sustainable land management in high mountain environments.
Historically, high mountain landscapes were often recognized as economically insignificant, which facilitated their designation as protected areas under what is known as the "Worthless Land Hypothesis." However, perceptions of these landscapes changed with the rise of tourism, leading to a re-evaluation of opportunity costs, which in this context mean the economic trade-offs between preserving landscapes as protected NPs versus developing rather GSRs.
In this article, we can read about several cases of re-evaluations: in Austria, the Hohe Tauern National Park was officially designated in 1992 after decades of negotiations and conflicts over planned ski resort expansions. The Treaty of Heiligenblut in 1970 marked a turning point, as it halted the expansion of ski infrastructure to reinforce nature conservation. Some ski resorts, such as Kitzsteinhorn and Mölltal Glacier, managed to adapt to the changing landscape by shifting their focus towards summer tourism and environmental education instead of summer skiing. In France, the creation of Vanoise National Park in 1963 collided with the country’s enhanced ski development policies. A critical moment occurred during the "Affaire Vanoise" (1969-1971), when a large-scale ski resort project threatened the core of the park. Due to public backlash, the project was ultimately blocked, setting a precedent for conservation efforts.
In recent years, the decline of summer skiing has significantly reduced land-use conflicts. Rising temperatures and shrinking glaciers have made year-round skiing less available and affordable, leading to a natural reduction in ski resort operations. However, pressure still exists in certain areas. The impacts of climate change on glacier stability further complicate the balance between conservation and tourism.