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This paper aims to present a legal study addressing the way in which tourism development and planning in mountain areas can be adapted to climate change issues. It gives examples of attempts to regulate such development by law. Recent legislation in France has created new obligations targeted at ski resort managers. Urban planning and tourism development are key topics of the new French Mountain Act (law of 28 December 2016). The law moves back and forth between two goals, economic development and the protection of nature, and it is sometimes difficult to understand the general coherence of the text. Nevertheless, two significant new legal elements can be highlighted. Planning policies in mountain areas have to take climate change issues into account in the process of authorising major tourism building projects. Moreover, for the first time, the law requires obsolete ski lifts to be dismantled when they are no longer in use. Of course, although these measures are only legally theoretical at the moment, they represent important progress and are initially relevant to many ski resorts affected by global warming, especially in low-altitude mountain areas. Many of these are already experiencing a lack of snow, and a new economic model needs to be drawn up.

This paper is based on a review of French laws having an effect on mountain areas’ adaptation to climate change.

This paper presents two innovations included in the new French Mountain Act (law of 28 December 2016).

This paper underscores problems emanating from global warming in mountain areas. Some ski resorts are facing a lack of snow. The main issue is to anticipate the fact that many ski lifts, or other structures or buildings created for the snow economy, could become obsolete. Legal tools can provide a solution by forcing administrations or operators to be cautious when making decisions relating to new tourist investments, and to dismantle obsolete ski lifts.

The aim of this paper is to profile the World Hospitality and Tourism Themes (WHATT) theme issue “Tourism sustainability in the Alpine region: What are the major trends and challenges?” with reference to the experience of the theme editors and writing team.

This paper uses structured questions to enable the theme editors to reflect on the rationale for the theme issue question, the starting-point, the selection of the writing team and material and the editorial process.

It draws on a multidisciplinary approach to identify some key components of sustainable tourism for the French and Italian Alps. It reflects on research and stakeholder interaction that helped to shape the current and future thinking about how Alpine mountain resorts can enhance sustainability in relation to the destination offer, accommodation, transport and mobility and institutional, legal and socio-economic aspects.

The theme issue outcomes provide lines of enquiry for others to explore, and they reinforce the value of WHATT’s approach to collaborative working and writing.

The work reported in this theme issue provides research-based evidence of the need for rapid adaptation to sustainable tourism development for resorts in the French and Italian Alps. Traditionally designed to facilitate skiing and snow sports, the impact of climate change is forcing a rethink to safeguard Alpine tourism – a vital economic activity to these and most mountain tourism destinations.