2024
Action plan for sustainable mountain experiences
Chosen client: SkiStar
Team: Marina Van Den Worm, Natwara Kamolrungwarakul, Nazanin Fayazmanesh
Designed while studying at Hyper Island
Challenge
As climate change threatens winter tourism, the industry must adapt to operate sustainably without sacrificing guest experience. SkiStar has set ambitious sustainability goals, supported by a wide range of initiatives. Our task was to strengthen and align these efforts into a more sustainable business model. We aimed to create a clear, practical strategy - visionary yet adaptable - that could engage both internal teams and external stakeholders in meaningful change.
Goal
Backcasting towards a future of responsible, year-round alpine tourism
Approach
We began by redefining SkiStar’s vision to promote responsibility, trust, inspiration, and alignment with sustainability goals. The new vision is: With a commitment to our future, we create memorable mountain experiences all year round. Guided by this, we used backcasting to identify gaps between the present and our desired future. We assessed how SkiStar meets human needs and aligns with the 8 Sustainability Principles of the FSSD framework and relevant UN SDGs. Through creative workshops, we developed bold ideas and refined them into focused, achievable initiatives.
My role
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Strategic visioning
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Sustainability gap analysis
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Backcasting workshop development
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Concept development & action plan design
Step A - Awareness & Vision
SkiStar aims to meet needs like recreation, well-being, and connection through safe, sustainable mountain experiences. While their current vision partly aligns with sustainability goals, it misses key areas like environmental impact and inclusivity. A revised vision — “With a commitment to our future we create memorable mountain experiences all year round”— adds clarity, responsibility, and stronger alignment with all Sustainability Principles.
Step B - Baseline analysis
SkiStar has taken visible steps toward sustainability - 100% renewable electricity, electric machinery, and inclusive, health-focused tourism. However, a major gap emerged: their 47% ownership of the carbon-intensive Scandinavian Mountains Airport, which aims to expand from 25,000 to 300,000 travellers annually, is neither mentioned in their sustainability reporting nor addressed in action plans.
This disconnect stood in contrast to local efforts like PFC-free textiles and biodiversity initiatives, revealing a key vulnerability: a focus on operational improvements while ignoring systemic impacts.
Step C - Creative solutions
The proposed solutions fall into four key categories: sustainable transport, circular economy, local and social value creation, and nature preservation. Together, they show a shift toward systemic sustainability by reducing emissions, minimising waste, strengthening community ties, and protecting ecosystems. These ideas not only align with the eight Sustainability Principles but also support SkiStar’s long-term goal of delivering meaningful, low-impact mountain experiences year-round.
Step D - Priority & Strategy
The final roadmap centers around three strategic areas: education and communication, climate neutrality, and circular business models. These include proposals for transparent reporting, training programmes, renewable energy adoption, low-emission transport, and service models based on rental, reuse, and local collaboration. Each action was evaluated for its long-term impact, adaptability, and return on investment - ensuring both social, ecological and economic resilience. The outcome positions SkiStar to take meaningful, measurable steps toward becoming a climate-conscious tourism leader. It also strengthen their alignment with SDG 12 and SDG 13, creating shared value across their stakeholder network.
Image sources:
1. © 2022 by Johannes Andersson, 2. © The Natural Step, "Approach: Accelerating Change,", 3. © 2022 by Joel Bäcker 4. © 2022 by Hendrik Morkel 5. © 2019 by Skistar 6. © 2023 by Greg Rosenke, 7. © 2025 by Emma Thorman, 6. © 2025 by Skistar, 7. © 2025 by Skistar, 8. © 2025 by Skistar