Unreliable snowfall - Abondance Flashcards
Where can tourists be transported to find better snow?
Higher resorts.
What is the problem with artificial snow?
It can damage the vegetation and uses valuable water.
What it the problem with building ski lifts between resorts?
Causes considerable damage to the environment and high costs.
How have resorts reinvented themselves?
Introduced cross country skiing, sledding or snowshoeing which all require less snow.
What happened in 2007?
Abondance closed the ski lifts for the last time, following 15 years of unreliable snowfall.
What options were considered in order to secure the future of the town and generate employment for the locals?
Options included developing other forms of winter sports, such as snow-mobiling and snowshoeing that are less dependent of heavy snowfall, or developing a summer programme of activities to include water sports, mountain biking and hiking. This would enable the town to become a year - round venue, not a seasonal one.
How can tourism developments harm the FRAGILE ALPINE ENVIRONMENT?
- Road construction and building of hotels can have a big impact on habitats.
- Trees are cut down. These have an important role to play in binding soil together and in helping to prevent avalanches.
- Increased noise and visual pollution may discourage some visitors who came for the natural beauty of the mountains.
- Overuse of ski slopes can destroy natural vegetation. Mountain biking creates gullies which scars the landscape. Both problems can take years to recover.
