End of Life for Low Altitude Ski Resorts? Evidence From a Case Study in the Italian Alps

Ski tourism plays a fundamental role for the economic development of mountain areas, contributing to generating wealth for many mountain communities. The ski industry, however, is extremely climate-sensitive and the increase in the level of temperature is threatening the future of ski resorts in several parts of the world, especially when considering low altitude installations. This contribution focuses on a micro ski resort in the Northwestern of the Italian Alps at 1550 m. Considering a climatic dataset from 1993 to 2023, we have estimated a time window between 2035 and 2045 in which the average winter minimum temperature will be around 0°C, with a potential of zero-natural snowfall. These figures open concerns about managing the end of life of the ski resort, with a time window of around 20 years to define the best strategy to be adopted for the future development of the local community.