Today, Tuesday, October 28, 2025, hosted by the Delegation of Regione Lombardia in Brussels, the final event of the European project TranStat – Transition to Sustainable Ski Tourism in the Alps of Tomorrow took place. The initiative was dedicated to policies for the sustainable transition of Alpine ski resorts.
Organized by Regione Lombardia in collaboration with UNIMONT – the Alpine Hub of the University of Milan, Région Auvergne Rhône-Alpes, and the project leader INRAE, Institut national de recherche pour l’agriculture, l’alimentation et l’environnement, the event marked the culmination of a three-year process of dialogue and experimentation involving institutions, researchers, and stakeholders from six Alpine countries.
The event was opened by Roberta Negriolli, Delegate of Regione Lombardia in Brussels, and Luca Vaghi, Head of the Regional Unit for Sports Facilities and Mountain Infrastructure. Video greetings were shared by Federica Picchi, Undersecretary for Sport and Youth of Regione Lombardia, and Fabrice Pannekoucke, President of the Regional Council of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes. Professor Anna Giorgi, representing the UNIMONT Hub of the University of Milan and partner of the TranStat project, spoke in person.
The morning continued with the presentation of the main project results and policy recommendations by Emmanuelle George (INRAE) and Marusa Goluza (Research Centre of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts). The resulting guidelines aim to promote more resilient, inclusive, and sustainable tourism development models capable of responding to the challenges posed by climate change and the ongoing economic and social transformations in Alpine areas.
Two subsequent roundtables explored, respectively, European projects and initiatives supporting the transition of mountain areas and long-term strategies for the sustainable development of ski resorts. Speakers included Anna Giorgi (Head of the UNIMONT Hub, University of Milan – Horizon Europe MountResilience), Andrea Omizzolo (EURAC Research – Interreg Alpine Space BeyondSnow), and Lucas Meheux (Agence des Pyrénées – Interreg PITON), alongside representatives of EUSALP, Arge Alp, the Alpine Space Programme, and other European bodies engaged in policies for Alpine regions.
TranStat, BeyondSnow, and PITON, together with Euromontana, also presented a Policy Paper summarizing the shared policy recommendations developed by each project into a single strategic document. This collaborative approach ensures that the recommendations are rooted in diverse mountain contexts and reflect a shared vision for sustainable and resilient mountain regions across Europe.
The final session, coordinated by Regione Lombardia and UNIMONT, featured contributions from representatives of the European Commission (DG AGRI) and the European Committee of the Regions, reaffirming the importance of multi-level cooperation to strengthen the resilience and competitiveness of mountain territories. The discussion provided an opportunity to share operational proposals and common tools to support Alpine communities in their transition towards a sustainable future, as well as to discuss the joint Policy Paper.
The TranStat project, co-funded by the Interreg Alpine Space Programme, will continue until the end of 2025, focusing on disseminating results and promoting the strategies developed throughout the project. Its ultimate goal is to consolidate a European network of knowledge and action for the sustainability of mountain destinations.
