Alcotra BiodivTourAlps

Project to reduce the impacts of tourism on biodiversity

BiodivTourAlps aims to address the challenge of biodiversity conservation by reducing the effects of tourism activities on the environment and natural resources in protected natural areas, improving the knowledge and management of human-nature interactions.

What is Alcotra BiodivTourAlps?

In recent years there has been a significant increase in the flow of visitors to natural areas, both in quantity and type of users. It is therefore necessary to manage these flows to reduce their impacts on biodiversity, and at the same time accompany the tourist operators present in the area towards more sustainable management models capable of tackling the challenge of climate change.

BiodivTourAlps intends to develop shared protocols and tools to understand and manage the effects of tourist activities on protected areas, starting from sustainable practices already present at European level and identifying case studies of human/nature interaction for the implementation of pilot interventions, with particular attention to high altitude refuges. Through training activities for operators and awareness events aimed at visitors, the aim is to strengthen basic knowledge on the topic of conservation of natural resources, to best reconcile tourism and protection of biodiversity.

The objectives of the project

• know and manage the impacts of tourist flows on biodiversity in cross-border protected areas through the creation of a standard data management methodology and the development of a common monitoring protocol, to implement forms of protection and conservation of biodiversity through the containment of flows;
• accompany tourist operators - in particular refuge managers - in the use of practices that guarantee the least possible impact on the natural environment, towards a model in line with the challenges linked to biodiversity and climate change, for the adoption of a protocol of sustainable practices and implementation of pilot interventions;
• raise awareness among visitors and tourist operators about their role in the conservation of biodiversity within protected areas, through specific communication and training actions, seminars and events.