As a result of climate change, low- and medium altitude ski resorts are becoming less attractive in winter. With the help of ten pilot areas, BeyondSnow is preparing them for ‘after the snow’.
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00:00With climate change, snow is becoming increasingly rare,
00:05which is threatening low- and medium-altitude ski stations.
00:10We had, like, 35% of all tourism in wintertime,
00:1410 years ago, 15 years ago.
00:16Nowadays, we're speaking about 18% to 20% tourism in wintertime.
00:22European project Beyond Snow aims to help alpine regions
00:25to overcome their dependence on snow.
00:28Our main objective is actually to provide them
00:31with the necessary tools and data
00:34in order to develop their own community-based transition strategies
00:40for climate change adaptation.
00:45Lake Bohinj in Slovenia attracts 250,000 tourists per year,
00:50most of whom now visit in summer.
00:53Overlooking this stunning view,
00:55Bohinj is a 22-piece for skiers between 1,500 and 1,800 metres of altitude,
01:00but for how long?
01:02We need to find how we will develop the hiking trails,
01:05the cycling trails, not to damage the pastures.
01:08There are three main pillars,
01:10agriculture, tourism and environmental protection,
01:13that we need to have in our mind.
01:15Bohinj is one of the ten pilot sites of Beyond Snow.
01:19In France, Italy, Slovenia, Switzerland, Germany and Austria,
01:23they are trying to reinvent themselves by sharing their experiences.
01:27They did interviews with stakeholders, they did workshops,
01:31we did for them a tourist survey,
01:34and based on all this information,
01:36they're actually elaborating currently the transition strategies.
01:40So it's a very community-driven strategy that they're elaborating,
01:44and not solely focusing on tourism,
01:46but on the overall livability of the place that they call home as well.
01:52This transition also means fighting against rural depopulation.
01:56In Italy, young people are leaving the Carnia Mountains
01:59at the same pace as the snow,
02:01which deserts the tiny Pladibosko resort at 1,100 metres of altitude.
02:06They want to stay, but they don't have perspective.
02:09Mostly they need jobs here, on the territory,
02:13that would allow them to live here and make plans in the future here.
02:18Beyond Snow is funded by the European Union Cohesion Policy
02:21to the tune of almost 2 million euros,
02:24and it also encourages communities to grow their own potential,
02:27like the neighbouring village, Pesari, which is banking on its famous clocks.
02:32There was an enterprise, it's been established 300 years ago,
02:36and they produced monumental clocks.
02:39Actually, the municipality, they are developing a narrative around this,
02:44so they are investing in their museum of the clocks.
02:48To win this race against the clock,
02:50Beyond Snow will soon be offering a digital tool
02:53so that the threatened areas can be successful in their transition.