Mountain territories and post-tourism: Montagnes Magazine interview

On November 22, 2021, Montagnes Magazine devoted a long interview to geographer Philippe Bourdeau, lecturer at the Institut d’urbanisme et de géographie alpine of Grenoble Alpes University, and scientific coordinator of Labex ITTEM.

Questioned by journalist Sandy Plas, Philippe Bourdeau proposes a new way of thinking about the future of mountain regions, far beyond the “all-ski” model that has shaped them until now. Getting away from the “all-ski” model is no longer an issue, “that was the problem 20 years ago”, he explains. Today, the new compass should be to get away from “all-tourism” and make the region attractive above all to its inhabitants. This means tackling the issues of public services, public transport, the digital divide…

What about the government’s “Avenir Montagnes” plan? What economic model should we invent? Which trajectories for which territories? How can we overcome the reluctance to change and imagine what’s next?

Read thefull interview with Philippe Bourdeau in Montagnes Magazine.