Implications of a changing alpine environment for geotourism: A case study from Aoraki/Mount Cook, New Zealand

Abstract

Aoraki Mount Cook National Park in the New Zealand Southern Alps attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors annually. However, this iconic alpine destination is changing due to rapid glacial recession. To explore the implications of environmental change on visitor experience, this study adopted a mixed-methods approach, combining geophysical measurement with visitor surveys (n = 400) and semi-structured interviews with key informants (n = 12) to explore the implications of environmental change on visitor experience. We found the key drawcard to the park is Aoraki the mountain, with the glaciers playing a secondary role. Visitors had a strong awareness of climate change, but somewhat ironically, one of the key adaptive strategies to maintaining mountain access has been an increase in the use of aircraft. Opportunities exist for a strengthening of geo-interpretation in the park that not only educates but also encourages people towards more sustainable life choices.

Management Implications

This study has highlighted some key issues important to future management decisions in alpine regions experiencing climate-related change:

• Glacier recession is presenting significant challenges to alpine access for tourists and recreationists.

• Increased reliance on aircraft as one strategy to address reduced access to the glaciers in itself requires careful management.

• Visitor interpretation that not only explicitly addresses environmental change, but also encourages individuals to reflect on their own lifestyles should be further explored.

Introduction

People choose to visit mountain regions for many reasons including climbing, sight-seeing, or simply to rejuvenate from busy urban lives (Richins, Johnsen, & Hull, 2016), so it is not surprising that alpine environments have long been key destinations for tourism (Anderson, 2016; Nepal, 2011). However, alpine regions around the world are rapidly changing (Orlove, Wiegandt, & Luckman, 2008; Pröbstl-Haider, Dabrowska, & Haider, 2016) and in particular, glaciers are receding at unprecedented rates (Zemp et al., 2015) in response to anthropogenic forcing of surface temperatures (IPCC, 2013). Glacier retreat presents challenges to alpine access (Purdie & Kerr, 2018), and the implications of reduced snow and ice volume extends beyond immediate ice margins, with changes to slope stability and rockfall activity (Deline et al., 2015; Purdie, Gomez, & Espiner, 2015; Ritter, Fiebig, & Muhar, 2012).

The characteristics of alpine environments make them ideal geotourism destinations (Reynard & Coratza, 2016). Geotourism has previously been defined as a sub-set of natural area tourism, focusing primarily on geology and geomorphology; tourism activities based around landscapes and landscape components, for example, mountains and glaciers (Dowling & Newsome, 2010). More recently, geotourism has been recognised as an approach to tourism; one which embraces interpretation, education, is locally beneficial, and fosters protection of geoheritage (Dowling & Newsome, 2018). Indeed landscape change can be a driver for increasing visitor interest, as people seek-out vanishing landscapes or disappearing natural features, a practice referred to as ‘last chance tourism’ (Lemelin, Dawson, & Stewart, 2012).

New Zealand is witnessing rapidly increasing visitor numbers which is placing pressure on key geotourism locations (Littlewood, 2018). However tourism is also a significant contributor to the New Zealand economy, with particular benefit to those regions nestled amongst spectacular mountain scenery and natural features (Tourism New Zealand, 2016). Significant and ongoing growth in global tourism (Gössling, Scott, & Hall, 2013), combined with shrinking ice in alpine regions (Bolch et al., 2012; Rabatel et al., 2013; Radić & Hock, 2011), makes it timely for research to focus on the implications of climate change on visitor experience in alpine environments.

Already the impact of climate change is being felt on tourism and recreation in mountain regions with changes to glacier access (Luckman & Kavanagh, 2000; Pröbstl-Haider et al., 2016; Purdie, Espiner, & Gomez, 2018) and reduced snow depth and snow-cover at ski resorts (Dawson & Scott, 2013; Gilaberte-Búrdalo, López-Martín, Pino-Otín, & López-Moreno, 2014). Predicted spatial and temporal shifts in temperature and precipitation in alpine regions is expected to have a flow-on effect to mountain tourism and recreation (Gobiet et al., 2014), in particular, the timing and duration of snow-related activities versus summer activities (Scott, Gössling, & Hall, 2012). In addition it is postulated that changing seasonality and increased temperatures during the shoulder seasons may increase visitor numbers (Hewer, Scott, & Fenech, 2016). Although research in the European Alps by Pröbstl-Haider, Haider, Wirth, and Beardmore (2015) found that this was not so relevant for nature-oriented tourism.

Understanding how climate-related change is perceived by visitors and stakeholders is important for future adaptation, and critical for garnering support for agency efforts in mitigating climate change effects (De Urioste-Stone, Scaccia, & Howe-Poteet, 2015). The ski industry has taken a lead with climate adaptation strategies, investing in snowmaking technologies (Hopkins, 2014), developing higher elevation terrain (Bürki, Elsasser, Abegg, & Koenig, 2005), and using textile covers to reduce snow and ice melt (Fischer, Olefs, & Abermann, 2011). In addition, research into the behavioural adaptation of skiers found that experienced skiers are more likely to engage in spatial substitution (Rutty et al., 2015). Reflecting the rapid rate of change, glacier tourism operators have tended to take a more reactive approach, extending access roads (Luckman & Kavanagh, 2000) and increasing the use of helicopters to access glaciers (Purdie, 2013; Stewart et al., 2016).

Glacier tourism is still an emerging field of research, but one that is gaining momentum (Welling, Árnason, & ÓlasfsdottÍr, 2015). In this contribution we add to the small but growing body of literature exploring the implications of climate driven change on visitor experience using a case study of an iconic New Zealand alpine destination – Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park (AMCNP). We take a mixed methods approach, combining geophysical data of change in the alpine environment with visitor surveys and semi-structured interviews with key stakeholders. Our aims are to: 1. Quantify geophysical change associated with glacier recession in AMCNP; 2. Learn more about the nature of glacier tourism and recreation and the current visitor experience; 3. Identify implications of climate change for tourism and recreation; and 4. Explore how people working or recreating in the Park are adapting to geophysical change.