With their soaring peaks, remote locations, and majestic beauty, mountains have long been a powerful attraction for visitors from all walks of life, who are drawn by the often colorful traditions of local communities, the opportunities for sporting activities, and the spiritual solace to be found in highland landscapes. This study highlights the important role that tourism can play in valuing the natural and spiritual heritage of mountains, and the cultural diversity and traditional practices of mountain peoples. Particularly when linked to nature and rural tourism, mountain tourism can make a valuable contribution to promoting sustainable food systems and adding value to local products. Developing sustainable tourism in mountains requires reducing its negative environmental and social impacts and addressing the challenges posed by climate change. The COVID-19 pandemic has already brought about major changes in the mountain tourism sector and substantial losses for communities and businesses. However, consumer appetites for destinations that are outdoors and less crowded have increased in the wake of the pandemic, and these changes usher in new opportunities for mountain destinations to rebuild a greener and more sustainable form of tourism and rethink their products and services. For this to happen, the following measures will be critical: innovation and development of year-round tourism experiences; investments in infrastructure, particularly for the digitalization of mountain tourism services; strengthening multi-level-governance, partnerships and active community participation; and ensuring regular assessments of the impact of tourism on mountains, the effective management of waste and resources, and clearer practices for defining and managing the carrying capacity of highland destinations.

All around the world, mountain tourism is driven by the human desire to experience nature in unique settings. In turn, tourism has proved to be a lifeline for many communities in mountain regions, and it can play a leading role in sustaining systems that contribute to protect these fragile ecosystems from overexploitation and support their adaptation to climate change. When the pandemic led to lockdowns, mountains became an attractive option for travellers looking for less crowded destinations and open-air experiences. Now, as international travel returns, we have an opportunity to rethink mountain tourism, its impact on natural resources and livelihoods, and how to manage it better. In this regard, measuring the volume of visitors to mountains is the first vital step we must take. With the right data, we can better control the dispersal of visitor flows, support adequate planning, improve knowledge on visitor patterns, build sustainable products in line with consumer needs, and create suitable policies which will foster sustainable development and make sure tourism activities benefit local communities. This study, jointly developed by the Mountain Partnership Secretariat of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), addresses the current lack of relevant data and so improves our understanding of mountain tourism. The study also identifies trends and provides a set of recommendations to advance the measurement of mountain tourism, including the enhancement of official tourism statistics through the use of big data and new technologies. The United Nations proclaimed 2022 as the International Year of Sustainable Mountain Development to increase awareness of its importance and to contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). That same year also marked the 20th anniversary from the first International Year ever devoted to mountains as well as the 20th anniversary of the Mountain Partnership. UNWTO and the Mountain Partnership have been long collaborating to advance the contribution the tourism sector can make to the achievement of the 2030 Agenda and the 17 SDGs. This study is a follow-up to the 2021 joint UNWTO/FAO publication Mountain Tourism – Towards a More Sustainable Path. It will enhance our understanding of tourism in mountains and the need to improve not only how we measure its volume, but also its full economic, social and environmental impacts, to ensure a more sustainable, resilient, accessible and inclusive development of mountain tourism that leaves no one behind.

The contemporary challenges in achieving sustainability include the need for a comprehensive understanding of sustainability principles, interdisciplinary integration, and the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical implementation. Promoting Multi-Sector Sustainability With Policy and Innovation explores the intricate web of challenges and opportunities that define sustainability in our dynamically changing world. Drawing on diverse disciplines, including environmental science, economics, and social sciences, this comprehensive work seeks to pave the way for a sustainable future informed by theoretical foundations and practical insights. The book begins by establishing a robust foundation in the principles and evolution of sustainability, capturing its economic, environmental, and social dimensions. Moving beyond theoretical underpinnings, the book examines the interconnections between sustainability and critical sectors, including the economy, environment, and society. With a nuanced examination of topics such as climate change, biodiversity, and natural resource management, it unpacks the relationship between sustainability and the environment. This reference book explores sustainability's ties to economic growth, featuring concepts like the green economy, circular economy, and sustainable development.

The Mountain Partnership is the United Nations voluntary alliance of partners dedicated to mountain peoples and environments. The Secretariat of the Mountain Partnership is hosted by FAO. This Annual Report outlines the Mountain Partnership Secretariat’s key achievements in promoting sustainable mountain development in 2021. The publication documents the Secretariat’s work in the areas of advocacy, communication and knowledge management, brokering joint action and leading capacity development initiatives. It frames the Secretariat’s work within the main topics of tackling climate change, restoring mountain ecosystems, empowering youth, promoting mountain products and enterprises, and developing more sustainable tourism in mountains. The 2021 Annual Report also highlights a selection of Mountain Partnership members’ activities around the world to celebrate the many local, national, regional and international collaborations, institutional strengthening, thematic conferences and scientific reports that have taken place within the framework of the Mountain Agenda.

This timely and interdisciplinary book is the first to examine mountain tourism and local communities with a pro-poor lens. By drawing on human geography, political and social science, ethics and moral philosophy and empirical research, the volume explores how mountain tourism can be used to fight poverty and inequality in mountain regions. Mountain tourism represents a growing mass tourism phenomenon. The local population, recognizing the possibilities for increased income, started to develop in situ services. However, sensitive to outside influences, the environment of high-altitude mountain areas resident communities have been abruptly exposed to impacts from mountain tourism-related activities, although until recently, they have been cut off from civilization. The natural environment and people living in mountain regions have been affected by an increasing number of visitors in the last few decades. Hence, this book provides an expert-led and comprehensive summary of mountain tourism development and illustrates how tourism can increase benefits for the poor within local communities. Furthermore, it presents updated management and governance policies. This volume will be of pivotal interest to scholars and practitioners from the fields of geography and tourism studies, ethics, and development economics, as well as policymakers, aid agencies, and general readers interested in sustainable development in mountain regions.

All around the world, as growing numbers of tourists and recreational visitors flock to protected and other natural areas stimulated by a renewed search for physical, mental, and even spiritual health and wellbeing, different practices and behaviours emerge. This book brings together experiences and perspectives from many countries around the world. On the demand side, the experiences are united by the desire of tourists to find a real and regenerating connection in nature. On the supply side, designing and managing tourist systems that preserve natural capital in good condition requires great professionalism to dynamically maintain a fragile and delicate balance between tourists, local communities, and nature. By understanding the attitudes and emerging norms of behaviour within the context of nature-based tourism, we can begin to sketch a roadmap to enable more holistic, enjoyable, healthy and responsible visitor experiences; facilitate ecosystem conservation; contribute to the mental and physical wellbeing of tourists and outdoor recreationists; and build sustainable economies and resilient destinations and livelihoods. This book is of great relevance for academic researchers, advanced tourism and conservation students, and practitioners working in nature-based tourism and conservation, especially those with a focus on natural destinations, as well as those interested in consumer behaviour, business and management, recreation, and sustainable tourism development.