On October 28th, 2025, hosted by the Lombardy Region Delegation in Brussels, the final event of the European project TranStat – Transition to Sustainable Ski Tourism in the Alps of Tomorrow was held. The event was dedicated to policies for the sustainable transition of Alpine ski resorts.
The initiative, organized by Regione Lombardia in collaboration with UNIMONT, Région Auvergne Rhône-Alpes, and the project leader INRAE, marked the conclusion 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 Sports Facilities and Mountain Infrastructure Unit. Opening remarks were delivered via video message by Federica Picchi, Undersecretary for Sport and Youth of Lombardy, and Fabrice Pannekoucke, President of the Regional Council of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes. In person, Prof. Anna Giorgi spoke on behalf of UNIMONT – University of Milan, a partner of the TranStat project.
The morning continued with the presentation of the project’s main results and policy recommendations, introduced by Emmanuelle George (INRAE) and Marusa Goluza (Research Centre of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts). The guidelines presented aim to promote more resilient, inclusive, and sustainable tourism development models capable of addressing the challenges posed by climate change and the economic and social transformations affecting Alpine areas.
The two subsequent round tables focused respectively on European projects and initiatives for the transition of mountain areas and on long-term strategies for the sustainable development of ski resorts. Speakers included Anna Giorgi (Head of UNIMONT – University of Milan – Horizon Europe MountResilience), Andrea Omizzolo (EURAC Research – Interreg Alpine Space BeyondSnow), Lucas Meheux (Agence des Pyrénées – Interreg PITON), along with representatives from EUSALP, Arge Alp, the Alpine Space Programme, and other European bodies engaged in Alpine region policies.
TranStat, BeyondSnow, and PITON, together with Euromontana, also presented a Policy Paper summarizing and integrating the policy recommendations from each project into a single strategic document. This collaborative approach ensures that the recommendations are grounded 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 representatives from the European Commission (DG AGRI) and the European Committee of the Regions, reaffirming the importance of multilevel cooperation to support the resilience and competitiveness of mountain territories. The discussion allowed for the sharing of operational proposals and common tools to guide Alpine communities in their transition toward a sustainable future, as well as for a joint reflection on the shared Policy Paper.
The TranStat project, co-funded by the Interreg Alpine Space Programme, will continue until the end of 2025 with the dissemination of results and the promotion of strategies developed throughout the project, aiming to consolidate a European network of knowledge and action for the sustainability of mountain areas.