Every summer, the story remains unchanged: packs of motorcyclists swarm the alpine passes, massive tour buses clog narrow mountain curves, and endless queues form at ski lifts. Elide Mussner, a local councilor in Badia (Abtei) and tourism expert for the Green Party, emphasizes that authorities are failing to adapt. « Every year you seem to be amazed at the influx of tourists. The measures you announce and want to take are too slow or don’t work. This is because you have chosen the wrong strategy: to act retroactively instead of taking proactive measures, » Mussner stated.
The Logical Flaw of “More is Better”
While lift operators proudly boast on Ladin radio that the season will be “better than ever,” the Greens point out a dangerous reasoning error. In the current industry framework, “better” simply means more—more crowds, more noise, and more traffic. This relentless focus on volume degrades the natural experience, turning economic gain into a structural loss of quality. Once a world-class destination loses its environmental integrity, its long-term economic attractiveness disappears.
This critical view is gaining traction outside of politics as well. Christian Pescolldungg, President of the Alta Badia Tourism Cooperative, recently spoke out on local radio to strongly condemn the traffic chaos in the valleys, demanding greater respect for both the local population and the fragile alpine territory.
Shifting Away from the “Fun Park” Mentality
The Green Party argues that the millions currently spent on aggressive market-oriented tourism promotion must be completely overhauled. Instead of leaving visitor information to algorithms and social media apps that stage the mountains as a playground, public communication must focus on strict environmental awareness.
« The Dolomites are not a feeding trough that everyone can use as they please without having to take responsibility for it, » Mussner concluded. « Our valleys, our forests, our villages are habitats that must be respected. » The Greens are calling for a united front across the entire South Tyrol region to implement strict regulations, arguing that protecting their homeland is the only way to safeguard the local economy.
