Tourism-generated energy use characteristics and sustainability transitions

Mountain tourism destinations are characterized as significantly impacted by their remoteness, seasonal climatic variations, and fragile ecosystems. These factors greatly influence the development, distribution, and consumption of energy sources in the tourism sector. With the increasing popularity of mountain parks and protected areas as tourism destinations, it is critical to understand the interplay between tourism development (e.g. expansion of tourism facilities), patterns of energy sources (diversity and consumption levels) in the tourism sector, and overall sustainability of resources use at the destination level. Current literature reveals a dearth of research on energy issues in mountain protected areas, which is somewhat surprising as energy and resource consumption issues are becoming more important from a climate change perspective. This paper examines contemporary energy use patterns in the Sagarmatha (Mount Everest) National Park of Nepal. A mixed methods is applied to analyze development trends and transitions in energy use. Data were collected based on questionnaire surveys of tourism facilities, complemented by semi-structured interviews. The findings indicate that energy sources used in the facilities have gone through a significant change, from a firewood-dependent tourism center to increasing use of alternative sources including liquified petroleum gas (LPG) and hydroelectricity. About one-third of the facilities did not use firewood. The heterogeneous geographic distribution of the facilities affects the spatial use of energy sources. Furthermore, we argue that the coordination efforts between the national park administration and local communities, the growth of tourism, the construction of hydropower plants, and the advancement of transportation are the leading causes of the changes in energy use patterns. Knowledge of the energy use characteristics and drivers influencing the energy transitions can inform future policies that promote a low-carbon economy in mountain destinations.