In May 1993 the British Mountaineering Council met to discuss the future
of high altitude tourism. Of concern to attendees were reports of queues
on Everest and reference was made to mountaineer Peter Boardman calling
Everest an 'amphitheater of the ego'. Issues raised included
environmental and social responsibility and regulations to minimize
impacts. In the years that have followed there has been a surge of
interest in climbing Everest, with one day in 2012 seeing 234 climbers
reach the summit. Participation in mountaineering tourism has surely
escalated beyond the imagination of those who attended the meeting 20
years ago.
This book provides a critical and comprehensive analysis of all
pertinent aspects and issues related to the development and the
management of the growth area of mountaineering tourism. By doing so it
explores the meaning of adventure and special reference to
mountain-based adventure, the delivering of adventure experience and
adventure learning and education. It further introduces examples of
settings (alpine environments) where a general management framework
could be applied as a baseline approach in mountaineering tourism
development. Along with this general management framework, the book
draws evidence from case studies derived from various mountaineering
tourism development contexts worldwide, to highlight the diversity and
uniqueness of management approaches, policies and practices.
Written by leading academics from a range of disciplinary backgrounds,
this insightful book will provide students, researchers and academics
with a better understanding of the unique aspects of tourism management
and development of this growing form of adventure tourism across the
world.
