Zermatt

Zermatt

LOCATION -
1. high alpine village 1620m high
2. provides accommodation for 60,000 people in the Winter
3. village located between the Pyramidal Peak that is the Matterhorn and it lies in a U shaped Glacial Trough which provides flat ground for chalets and homes
VEGETATION -
1. Zermatt has alpine tundra vegetation
  1. characterised by lichens and mosses
  2. low lying & dies back in the Winter
TOURISM
1. OPPORTUNITIES
  1. accommodation for 60,000 people in the Winter = high revenue
  2. 400 km of walking trials and 360km of piste
  3. tourism generates money to improve facilities, amenities & services in the area --> e.g. transport --> 63 mountain railways
2. CHALLENGES
  1. Zermatt is a year round resort & so walking paths & trails are used year round. This increased pressure means that they erode & widen at a faster rate
  2. slow rates of decay due to low temperatures and few decomposers mean that there is a very slow decomposition rate of litter
COLD / SKIING
1. OPPORTUNITIES
  1. jobs are provided e.g. the Alps region receive 100million tourists / year & in some areas in the Alps, 80% jobs depend on tourism
  2. visitors mean greater demand for improved infrastructure for the area --> so it is improved in order to attract more people
  3. higher alpine resorts, like Zermatt, have benefitted from lower resorts having less snow as they've had more investment & can make their resorts more attractive & increase revenue
2. CHALLENGES
  1. climate change means less snow is falling and glacier melt is increasing. e.g. the Gorner Glacier has lost +50m in length since 1970. This has led to the increased use of snow cannons by 5x since 1990
  2. vegetation removal for chair lifts & gondalas means increased erosion & a higher risk of avalanche
    1. ski lifts and runs have increased from 250 in 1954 to over 2000 in 1990 in Switzerland
    2. 100km2 of forest cleared throughout the Alps
  3. very rapid melting of the Gorner Glacier has meant that new storage reservoirs & water pipes have been built in 2009 to meet increasing demands for water. Especially as groundwater levels continue to fall
  4. snow cannons use huge amounts of water taken from streams reducing water supply even further. 10% of Swiss slopes uses them
  5. unsustainable water use because in New Years 2009 Zermatt ran out of water. Locals blame tourists, but new spas and hotels were also partly to blame.
    1. family of 4 uses 10x the amount of energy for a weeks skiing than they would at home
MANAGEMENT
1. TRANSPORT - flee of electric vehicles run by locals transport supplies, deliver post & drop tourists off at their hotels. There is a no car policy & this reduces congestion & CO2. Public transport & walking is encouraged.
2. EDUCATION - skiers are educated about the risks of going off piste to themselves, to animals & to the fragile ecosystem.
3. WASTE- segregation of waste policy that is promoted in guest houses, holiday apartments & recreational areas
4. SNOW BLANKETS - synthetic blankets are used to cover glaciers at risk of melting e.g. the Gurschen Glacier
5. POLLUTER PAYS - hotels pay per bag of rubbish so this encourages recycling & production of less waste. Used in Saas Fe
6. STRICT BUILDING & ZONING LAWS - used in Saas Fe & Zermatt where new developments are restricted, their impact on the area is assessed & their design must be in fitting with the traditional & local designs

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	Created by Liv Pearce over 8 years ago