Mobilities, Tourism and Social Change: an Illustration from the Swiss Alps

Abstract

Using the Swiss Alps as an example, the seminar explored the motivations that led an increasing number of urban dwellers to settle in mountain regions over the last three decades. These new forms of migration did not necessarily occur for economic reasons; they also drew on the idea of mountains as trendy, "culturalized" natural places to live. As they moved in, urbanites brought their "urban way of life" and "urban ethos" to areas that were previously non-urban. The experiences of the participants in the study revealed how the values and interests of settlers changed after moving to mountainous regions. The seminar also presented the factors behind new forms of mobile life, lifestyle migration, and multi-locality.