{"id":644382,"date":"2024-01-16T05:24:37","date_gmt":"2024-01-16T13:24:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/?post_type=wherenext&p=644382"},"modified":"2024-05-10T06:14:36","modified_gmt":"2024-05-10T13:14:36","slug":"ski-resorts-face-climate-threats","status":"publish","type":"wherenext","link":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/publications\/wherenext\/ski-resorts-face-climate-threats","title":{"rendered":"Ski Industry Faces Economic Risks from Climate Change, Study Shows"},"author":501,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"sync_status":"","episode_type":"","audio_file":"","castos_file_data":"","podmotor_file_id":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"","filesize":"","filesize_raw":"","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":"","itunes_episode_number":"","itunes_title":"","itunes_season_number":"","itunes_episode_type":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[],"tags":[1661,26512,21622,473102],"department":[488822],"wherenext-category":[],"industry":[],"class_list":["post-644382","wherenext","type-wherenext","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","tag-asset-management","tag-climate-change","tag-digital-twin","tag-operational-efficiency","department-sustainability-risk"],"acf":{"short_description":"As snow shortages loom, location insights can help ski resort operators plan for a sustainable future.","pdf":{"host_remotely":false,"file":"","file_url":""},"flexible_content":[{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"Europe\u2019s ski industry\u2014home to legendary destinations like France\u2019s Chamonix and Switzerland\u2019s picturesque Zermatt\u2014is the envy of the world. Around 50 percent of the globe\u2019s ski resorts<\/a> are located there, as well as 80 percent of resorts that see over one million skier visits annually."},{"acf_fc_layout":"sidebar","layout":"standard","image_reference":null,"image_reference_figure":"","spotlight_image":null,"section_title":"","spotlight_name":"","position":"Left","content":"Article snapshot:<\/strong> A new study shows that conditions for skiing and snowboarding will deteriorate in a warming climate\u2014but not uniformly. A localized view is key to anticipation and adaptation.","snippet":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"But European resorts accustomed to competing for high-paying tourists are now dealing with a common enemy: climate change.\r\n\r\nA new report published in Nature Climate Change<\/em><\/a> analyzed the impacts of global warming on 2,234 ski resorts in 28 European countries. Researchers found that 53 percent of resorts were at very high risk for reduced snow supply<\/a> if warming reaches 2\u2070C, and 98 percent are in danger if temperatures rise by 4\u2070C.\r\n\r\nBald slopes don\u2019t just hurt individual operators\u2014they can capsize whole towns whose economies depend on ski tourism. To assess the location-specific impacts of rising temperatures, executives in the recreational industry\u2014along with their counterparts in manufacturing<\/a>, insurance<\/a>, commercial real estate<\/a>, and retail<\/a>\u2014are adopting geographic information system (GIS) technology.\r\n\r\nThe insights provided by GIS are already helping US resorts implement hardware such as snow guns to extend the ski season<\/a> in a warming climate. A digital twin of a mountain can provide real-time data on the use of resources like water and electricity, informing strategies to curb carbon emissions and support the future of winter sports sustainably. Now, the same technology is poised to help winter-sports companies prepare for a volatile weather future.\r\n

A Different Strategy for Every Ski Resort and Mountain\u00a0 <\/strong><\/h3>\r\nAs the study authors note, snow conditions will not decline uniformly across Europe\u2019s ski resorts. Climate change\u2019s<\/a> impacts on snow reliability will vary from one resort to another, and one mountain range to the next, according to the authors<\/a>.\r\n\r\nOne finding illustrates how the impacts of snowmaking could vary depending on geographic region. The researchers found that in a 2\u2070C scenario in the Alps and Nordic mountains, for example, using snowmaking on 50 percent of resort slopes could have significant impacts on restoring snow supply. In other areas, like the British Isles and Apennines, even increasing snowmaking to 75 percent coverage would do little to forestall widespread snow loss.\r\n\r\nWith GIS technology<\/a>, ski resort operators can further localize their analysis. An operations executive studying a map of ski slopes could toggle on data layers showing weather trends, sun exposure, long-term temperature predictions, wind, and other metrics. That location intelligence could indicate parts of a resort where natural snow supply is likeliest to ebb, and guide the placement of snow guns, water and air lines, and transformers. Once that new infrastructure is mapped in GIS, crews have a central source of truth on asset locations and status when repairs or maintenance are required.\r\n\r\nFor locations where snowmaking isn't likely to counteract the effects of warming, operators might diversify offerings by adding spas or water parks.\r\n

Digital Twins Show the Future of Sustainability<\/strong><\/h3>"},{"acf_fc_layout":"sidebar","layout":"standard","image_reference":null,"image_reference_figure":"","spotlight_image":null,"section_title":"","spotlight_name":"","position":"Left","content":"Let It Snow\u2014Additional Uses for Location Technology on the Slopes<\/strong>\r\n