The Swiss National Fund Programme on "Landscapes and Habitats of the Alps" recently published its synthesis report (de/fr) on the research focus entitled "Land Use and Adding Values". It reviewed more than a dozen research projects, and the key issue in each of them focused on questions relating to the value of Alpine landscapes and how to capitalise on it to create revenue.
The synthesis provides an overview of the opportunities of different development strategies in the Alpine region and includes recommendations for decision makers. It shows that landscape preservation also opens up economic opportunities for the Alps and that there is still plenty of untapped potential in Alpine regions. They include optimised market economy strategies in tourism, utilising renewable energies, and the more intensive marketing of products from mountain farming. The studies also show that the consistency of different strategies (regional policy, promotion of tourism, provision of basic services) can be improved further with regard to landscape aspects and regional development. In the case of Alpine regions with limited potential it also raises the question of support and the ability to survive.