Summary:
Glaciers are melting at unprecedented rates, yet tourism to these icy landscapes is growing, creating a complex paradox for local communities and ecosystems. A new perspective article led by Emmanuel Salim at the University of Lausanne, published in Nature Climate Change, examines how glacier tourism both raises awareness of climate change and risks harming the very regions visitors come to admire.
Each year, more than 14 million people travel to the world’s most famous glaciers, drawn by their beauty, scientific value, and the urgency of witnessing disappearing ice. While tourism generates income for some areas, it can also trigger maladaptive practices, such as helicopter tours, new walkways, or protective coverings, that worsen environmental and social impacts. The study highlights cultural and political responses, including citizen-led ceremonies, awareness events, and advocacy efforts, reflecting glaciers’ roles as both ecological icons and symbols of climate grief.
Salim and colleagues argue that understanding tourist motivations and managing glacier visits responsibly is essential to balance conservation, social equity, and climate awareness, particularly as 60% of global ice volumes may vanish by 2100.
— Press Release —
Glaciers in retreat: Uncovering tourism’s contradictions
Since the 18th century, glaciers have captivated mountaineers, scientists, and nature enthusiasts alike. In recent years, this tourist interest has surged, fueled by media coverage of their decline due to climate change. Each year, over 14 million visitors (drawn by fascination, scientific curiosity, and ecological mourning) travel to the world’s most famous glaciers, generating significant revenue for some sectors while paradoxically increasing pressure on already fragile regions.
Global experts on glacier tourism, including Emmanuel Salim, an associate researcher at UNIL’s Institute of Geography and Sustainability, have published a new perspective article in Nature Climate Change, providing an overview of the cultural and tourism dynamics surrounding glaciers. The article outlines ways to prevent maladaptation strategies from spreading, that is, tourism or government responses that, instead of raising awareness and reducing vulnerability, end up worsening conditions for local communities and ecosystems.
The problem of last-chance tourism
The analysis highlights the rise of “last-chance” tourism, a rush driven by the loss that paradoxically harms the very ecosystems visitors come to admire. In some locations, this has led to the construction of new access walkways, the installation of geotextile coverings, and even helicopter tours around glaciers. The last one being a perfect example of maladaptive practices within the tourism sector.
Often driven by economic interests, these solutions neither raise awareness of the underlying causes of glacier loss nor address safety concerns or water access for local communities. “It is particularly the case in regions such as Alaska, Greenland, and Antarctica,” explains Salim, the study’s lead author. “Many tourists will simply move on to the next popular destination once the glaciers are gone.”
Cultural and political symbols
At the same time, a form of “dark tourism” is emerging, where fascination with glaciers is combined with a desire for understanding and commemoration. Citizen-led actions take various forms, including funeral ceremonies (in Switzerland, France, Nepal, or Iceland), awareness-raising sporting events like the Glorious Glacier Ride, and petitions to restrict access to certain peaks, such as Stok Kangri in India.
These rites and initiatives demonstrate that glaciers have become symbols of climate issues, triggering processes of ecological mourning. They also serve as cultural icons and political catalysts. In Switzerland, for example, the Glacier Initiative helped enshrine the goals of the Paris Agreement into law.
Glacier loss as a wake-up call?
Given the complexity and urgency of the situation, scientists emphasize the need to assess tourism and cultural adaptation strategies and their impacts on ecosystems and local communities, including water access and the distribution of economic benefits from glacier tourism. This work should incorporate considerations of social justice, environmental health, and governance. Analyses are also needed to understand public motivations, and how visits or rituals might help people better grasp ongoing changes, raise awareness of environmental issues, and adopt responsible, sustainable behaviors.
“In a world where 60% of ice volumes could be gone by 2100, we also need to evaluate and anticipate how recently deglaciated areas can be managed and protected,” says Emmanuel Salim. “A key question will be whether, and how, the disappearance of these icons can truly trigger systemic change, transforming sadness, anxiety, and curiosity into collective responsibility.”
Journal Reference:
Salim, E., Varnajot, A., Carey, M. et al., ‘Melting glaciers as symbols of tourism paradoxes’, Nature Climate Change 16, 106–108 (2026). DOI: 10.1038/s41558-025-02544-2
Article Source:
Press Release/Material by Laure-Anne Pessina | University of Lausanne (UNIL)
Featured image: Rhône Glacier, Furka Pass, Valais, Switzerland. Credit: Emmanuel Salim | UNIL
