Mountain Tourism, Altitude and Host-Guest Relationships

This insightful volume critically explores whether higher altitude of habitation affects host-guest exchanges in mountaineering tourism, in an effort to better understand and manage vulnerable destinations in a sustainable manner.

The book is based on empirical research conducted in the Mount Everest area in Nepal, part of the Sagarmatha National Park, which is a popular destination among tourists engaging in high-altitude mountaineering (subdivided into hiking, trekking and mountain climbing). By doing so it offers essential knowledge of mountaineering tourism whilst detailing recent developments linked to the diversification, commodification and commercialisation of mountaineering activity. This is discussed alongside the potentially positive impacts for marginalised high mountain communities.

This book is essential reading for students, academics, industry representatives and policymakers with an interest in adventure tourism and mountaineering.

Michal Apollo is an Assistant Professor at the Institute of Earth Sciences, University of Silesia in Katowice, Poland, and a Fellow of Yale University’s Global Justice Program, USA. He specialises in tourism management, consumer behaviour, and environmental and socio-economic issues. In his main research field, he focuses on human presence and well-being in high mountain regions. Michal is also an enthusiastic mountaineer, ultra-runner, diver, sailor, photographer, science populariser and NGO activist.