In the mountains, AI takes the field to contain overtourism

After several alarm bells in recent seasons, overtourism has arrived in the Alps, particularly in the Dolomites. To contain and manage the phenomenon, Skadii Flow has launched. This artificial intelligence-based solution is developed by Skadii, a high-tech company within the Hti Group. Skadii has developed a digital platform integrated with cameras capable of monitoring flows in real time and then guiding tourists to less crowded areas, thus improving sustainability at high altitude. This solution is already used by several ski resorts during the winter season to control the flow of cars and skiers, and is now being deployed in the Vipiteno area to manage the growing number of visitors choosing this destination. "Skadii Flow has already established itself during the winter in some ski resorts, thanks to its ability to precisely count the number of skiers on individual sections of slopes. "After extensive testing, the camera is now also in use in the summer, accurately distinguishing and counting bikers and hikers," explains Lukas Emberger, CEO of Skadii, while Florian Mair, director of the Vipiteno Tourist Association, adds: "With this solution, we have detailed analyses of visitor numbers and behavior, which allows us to develop the city in a targeted manner and make it even more attractive." Based on the information collected on crowding, it is possible to anticipate and guide visitor flows. This opens up new tourism management opportunities: shuttles activated on demand, live updates on web platforms and apps, and directions to less-frequented alternative routes. This data, which is promptly anonymized, allows for more efficient planning of on-site resources, from staff management to parking organization. All of this, on peak days, makes the tourist experience more pleasant and relaxing, and ensures ever greater sustainability of the mountain environment.

Crowded trails, long lines for cable cars, and constantly full parking lots not only put a strain on the environment and local communities, but also risk compromising the tourist experience. This technology, developed in South Tyrol, allows for efficient and responsible visitor management. Skadii flow cameras anonymously count vehicles and people in real time and are able to distinguish, for example, between hikers and bikers along trails, in parking lots, and at cable car stations. This allows the administration to take targeted action to direct and manage visitor flows.

Detailed crowding information opens up new tourism management opportunities: on-demand shuttles, live updates on web platforms, and guidance on less-frequented alternative routes. The data allows for more efficient resource planning, from staff management to parking organization. Thus, on peak days, it's possible to make the tourist experience more enjoyable and relaxing while ensuring ever-increasing sustainability of the mountain environment.

This year, mountain tourism accounts for 6.7% of GDP, and 90% of those surveyed consider Italian mountain areas "an important tourist attraction." For 56%, they are a place to live. This is also why summer has seen an increase in tourists visiting Italy's mountains. This is according to the Italian Mountains Report produced by Uncem, the National Union of Municipalities, Communities, and Mountain Authorities. In the Alps and Apennines, there are 19.3 hotel and non-hotel beds per 100 inhabitants. The number of overnight stays recorded in hotels and non-hotel establishments over the course of a year averages 1,200 per 100 inhabitants. The average length of stay, dividing the number of overnight stays by the number of arrivals (i.e., tourists), is 3.1 days.

Tourism exists because there are towns and communities. It's important and growing. In our opinion, it's wrong to talk about overtourism in the mountains. We could rather talk about peaks in certain periods of the year, increased flows on certain days and in a few areas. But not overtourism," says Marco Bussone, national president of Uncem. "It's instead necessary to talk about limitations, especially those who approach the areas for recreational and sporting purposes. One limitation is failing to understand that in mountain areas, more than in cities and coastal areas, we're navigating complex ecological and human systems. And that the communities in the towns, which aren't tourist villages, are fundamental. They welcome and are crucial to tourism itself. Avoiding them, thinking they don't exist, is absurd and inappropriate. Those who go up there shouldn't bring everything from home. Shop in the valley, keep those shops and bars alive. We're not asking for welfare, but for common sense and interaction. Communion with the local communities, which are the life of the mountains themselves."