Tourism Pattern in Chamonix

Chamonix has attracted tourists for 250 years. It has a resident population of 10,000 people and this increases up to 100,000 people in summer and 60,000 in winter.

Reasons for alpine development

An income from traditional Alpine activities such as mountain agriculture and forestry began to fall, however tourism was revived and expanded the economy of the region. Winter skiing became popular and is an activity of high economic value. This generates winter employment and the use of local services is increased as skiing holidays are popular. Over 80% of jobs in the area are tourist-dependant, and facilities built for winter sports can be re-used in summer months for mountain views and walks.

Summer and Winter Sports

Summer can be even more popular than winter in Chamonix, with activities such as:
White water rafting, Paragliding, Mountaineering, Glacier walks, Hydro speeding, Golf, Paintballing, Archery, Forest adventure parks, Panoramic helicopter tours, Rock climbing (cragging), Indoor climbing,
Horse riding,
Hot air ballooning,
Fishing, Tennis and Squash. Winter activities include: Winter walking trails, skiing, ice climbing, husky sledding, paragliding, glacier walking, and ice skating, tobogganing and snowboarding.

How conflict may arise between different groups of tourists

Conflict can arise between different groups of people. Mass tourism activities can create unwelcome noise and damage to the environment, resulting in a detract from the enjoyment of those tourists seeking a more peaceful holiday such as walking or bird watching.

How conflict may arise between the tourists and the locals

The region is changing, and becoming more tourist orientated, traditional ways of life are under pressure as tourism brings many outsiders from different countries which hastens the decline of farming, which cannot compete economically with tourism.

Disadvantages of tourism on the environment

The main town can become noisy and congested at peak times, during summer and winter.
The roads in Chamonix are narrow and become easily jammed
Mountain footpaths have become eroded due to the volume of visitors, both walking and using mountain bikes.
Farm animals in the surrounding areas can be harmed by the actions of tourists, such as leaving gates open or dropping litter.
Alpine habitats are lost.

The management measures that have been adopted to protect the environment

To combat these problems Chamonix provides an environmentally friendly transport service with clean energy buses and free public transport minimising the impact of skiing on the landscape by planting trees and using local building materials that blend in with the natural environment maintaining the town centre, and making it look more appealing to attract tourists streets are broad and pedestrianised

Impacts of tourism

Economic locals rely on tourism as it creates seasonal employment and businesses such as gift shops, hotels, ski instructors and taxi drivers all benefit from tourism as it generates more customers and income. housing in the area is increasingly more expensive as many visitors of chamonix own second homes there making it harder for the locals to find affordable housing. local people are forced to pay more for everyday items as local shops cafes and restaurants increase their prices during peak season.

Environmental roads in chamonix are narrow and become jammed easily. they can be noisy and congested during peak times. mountain footpaths become eroded due to the volume of visitors, walking and using mountain bikes in the summer. skiing off piste can lead to avalanches large areas need to be deforested to create space for ski runs and lifts. however trees are important in preventing soil erosion and avalanches. the use of snow cannons can create water shortages as they use huge amounts of water to create fake snow.

Social

bars and clubs can be the cause of noisy and rowdy behaviour, possibly leading to conflicts. locals pay more for everyday items due to peak prices. locals businesses thrive from the increasing number of customers local people find it harder to find affordable property due to people owning second homes in the local area.