For many rural mountain communities, tourism is a lifeline, contributing in particular to SDGs 1, 2 and 8. However, mountain tourism can also negatively affect fragile mountain ecosystems, endanger biodiversity, fail to ensure local people benefit from revenues, and even threaten the identity of mountain communities themselves. In anticipation of the return of large numbers of visitors to mountains after the COVID-19 pandemic, consideration must be given to reducing environmental impacts, including by addressing tourist-generated plastic waste, and ensuring sustainable tourism, such as by developing a year-round tourism destination in mountains as climate crisis shortens snow seasons.
