An integrated approach to climate change and tourism in an alpine destination: Assessing impacts and strategies in the Vinschgau/Venosta Valley, Italy

Introduction The fruitful and open debate on tourism and climate change has highlighted the important position that this topic has gained in sustainable tourism studies (Becken 2013). Despite this, there exist some relevant dichotomies characterising the analysis and interpretation of the phenomenon of climate change, its impacts on tourism and the possible strategies that the tourism sector has to face. The following chapter aims to introduce two of these main dualities – the lack of integrated analysis of supply-side and demand-side perceptions and the approach to winter and summer tourism. The chapter strives to provide an integrated model in order to overcome these dualities. We argue, in the context of tourism and climate change, that it is necessary for these dualities to be integrated not only at the theoretical, but also at the empirical level. Thus, we aim to compare and integrate the local stakeholders’ as well as the visitors’ perception of impacts, challenges and potentials regarding winter and summer tourism in the context of climate change. An example of a tourism operator’s perspective is illustrated by the statement below, giving rise however also to the belief that integration with the perceptions of the guests seems essential. Merging these perspectives thus becomes increasingly crucial to distinguish priorities for adaptation and mitigation strategies regarding summer and winter tourism at the destination level.