Are – number one Scandinavian ski resort – sustainably!

Fabulous fresh air and mountains, adventure fun and activity in top100 sustainable destination

For over a millennium people have lived in the foothills of Mount Are, first Sami people and Vikings. Then came Christianity, then the copper industry and then tourism.

With the railroad came tourists to breathe the fresh air and experience the mountains. And with the tourists came fun, prosperity – and responsibility.

You could say that Are is the perfect natural ski resort – it is the major centre for alpine skiing in Sweden with more than 30 modern ski-lifts. It hosted the Alpine World Championships in 1954 and 2007,

And since the 1990’s Are has also become the largest mountain bike resort in Sweden. In 1999 it was the host for the UCI Mountain Bike & Trials World Championships and it hosted the Nordic Championships 2007.

There are numerous graded biking trails down the mountain. The Are Bikepark is open from  May until  October and is the host for The Åre Bike Festival in early July.

During summer visitors can also enjoy sport hiking, paragliding, kayaking, and a golf course about 15 minutes from the village. In July every year there is a multisport competition in Are – Are Extreme Challenge. It is the Scandinavian championship in multisport.

Are is a great success. All of this activity brings a great legacy to the area – visitors can enjoy an enormous range of activities and local communities can enjoy many economic activities.

But all this depends on the responsible and sustainable management of the key local asset – the glorious natural environment that attracts, engages and retains visitors

And Are takes this all very seriously – the destination has a clear sustainability target which is defined in the Are´s Vision 2035.

Are’s local entrepreneurs are all operating according to high sustainability standards. The entire locality is also working on protecting the natural areas and landscapes, building green transportation and developing affordable tourism offers.

And the local, seasonal food is great!

As to accessible tourism  – people with disabilities not only have access to all public buildings and National Alpine Ski Arena, but can also join Totalskidskolan (Ski School for everybody) and other special tours.

Here are just a few of Are’s other sustainable innovations:

• All wastewater is purified in cleaning facilities.
• No waste is accepted as landfill
• Local operators are persuaded to use electric or electric /hybrid cars in every day work
•  Old buildings are protected by a system called "Byggnadsminnesförklaring" which means 100 % protection.
• The destination frequently organises open meetings discussing the destinations future.
• Local producers are invited to projects like " Taste of Åre" and to sell their products on the Åre Autumn Fair.

So total 100% fun for ALL visitors combined with a seriously responsible destination – looks like a key for total sustainable success!

Further information:

http://www.visitare.com/en

http://greendestinations.info/top100-2016/?dest=are-3

Valere Tjolle

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