Why The Alps Are (Probably) More Popular Than The Rockies

There are many mountain ranges in this world, many of which offer stunning views and the potential for outdoor activities. Some of these have more tourism infrastructure than others. Two of the most famous ranges in this regard are the Alps, running across the spine of Europe from France to Slovenia, and the Rocky Mountains, which stretch from Northern Alberta all the way to New Mexico. 

Now, precise numbers about how many tourists visit the Alps as opposed to the Rockies are very difficult to come by. I do mostly cursory research for my articles, so I couldn’t be bothered to sift through endless academic journals to find exact statistics. The easiest stats to find are at the country level , meaning that it’s apples and oranges. 

However, most of what I’ve seen appears to suggest that the Alps are more popular with international tourists than the Rockies. In this post, I’ll examine a few reasons why that may be the case.

A photograph I took from Copper Mountain, Colorado in March 2024.

First of all, considerably more people live in Europe than North America - more than 740 million for the former as opposed to 590 million in the latter. The Alps are simply closer to more people than the Rocky Mountains. However, this is admittedly a crude way of looking at the question, so let’s look at it in terms of cities.

The largest city close to the Alps would be Munich, Germany, which has a population of almost six million in its metro area. There are also several decently-sized cities in Switzerland, Austria, Italy, and France that can qualify as being “in the Alps.” What I’m trying to illustrate here is that the Alps are located near multiple population centers that have airports and train stations. From Boston Logan, I can fly directly to Munich or Zurich and be there in about 7 hours, and then easily take the train to the Alpine town of my choosing.

By contrast, the Rockies are not as easily accessible to someone visiting from Europe. While one can fly to Denver from Frankfurt, Munich, Paris, or London, Denver is the only major U.S. airport close to the Rockies, and even then it’s a decent drive. And because Amtrak is a national shame, you will have to drive there yourself.

There are also the Canadian Rockies, in which case one can fly from any of the aforementioned four European cities to Calgary, Alberta. Some people, like Not Just Bikes, say that Via Rail, the main Canadian rail system, is even worse than Amtrak. There’s also the Rocky Mountaineer train, but that’s strictly for sightseeing, not for anyone who wants to get to their destination in any reasonable amount of time.

Even in the summer, driving in a country you don’t live in can be stressful, but the high mountain roads of the Rockies can become downright treacherous in the winter months. And that’s something you just don’t have to deal with in the Alps, because Europe has actually invested in its rail service.

Conditions are frequently like this on I-70 in Colorado in the winter.

Now let’s get to another factor, which is the culture of each region. The Alps are split between several countries; excluding the microstate of Liechtenstein, you’ve got Austria, France, Germany, Italy, Slovenia, and Switzerland. As such, a trip to the Alps allows one to visit multiple countries in one go, and every country brings its unique culture to the table.

Meanwhile, the Rockies are only split between two countries, Canada and the United States. Now, many Canadians on Reddit will gladly tell you everything that makes their country culturally different from the United States, and they might well be correct where sanity is concerned. But the fact remains that a trip to the Rockies may not be as culturally enriching as the European alternative.

For instance, one important difference between the Alps and the Rockies is that in general, Alpine ski resorts were built around existing towns long before downhill skiing was a thing. These towns include, but are not limited to, Val d’Isere and Chamonix in France, Sankt Anton am Arlberg in Austria, and any number of locations in Switzerland. Because of this, there’s a lot more traditional Alpine architecture in Europe.

By contrast, most of the “villages” surrounding ski resorts in the United States and Canada were purpose-built just to serve the resort. One example is Vail, which was clearly built to evoke the capital-A Alpine charm, but just ends up looking so artificial. That’s because it is. And I don’t fault anyone who decides they’d rather visit a town that appears authentically European because it’s actually in Europe.

Vail Village in Colorado, United States. Image taken from East West Hospitality.

Val d’Isere, France. Image taken from the Alpinium Ski Resort Guide.

Now let’s talk about the elephant in the room, which is the political situation in the United States. Obviously this doesn’t apply as much to potential visitors to the Canadian Rockies, but the American Rockies might see a decrease in tourism in light of the reelection of Donald Trump to the U.S. presidency. I think that, in the context of how alpine tourism will be impacted by climate change, some people will boycott the United States due to their electing a climate denier to the highest office in the land.

Even if Trump hadn’t won, though, gun violence would remain a concern. The United States has a much higher crime rate than almost anywhere in Europe, certainly in terms of violent crime. Quite a few countries have issued travel warnings against us, and for good reason. But to be clear, our reputation is in the toilet, and we deserve it. 

Now, how many people who otherwise wanted to visit the United States will boycott it just because Trump won? I truly don’t know. It was reported in 2018 that $4.6B in tourist revenue was lost under his first presidency. That is a relatively small fraction of the total, of course, and it’s not like a gradual decline in international tourism is going to tank the American economy on its own. But I think it’s a notable barometer of where sentiment is at.

The U.S. Embassy in London after Just Stop Oil protestors vandalized it with orange paint.

In conclusion, those are a few reasons why tourism to the Rockies is generally less than that to the Alps. They are both stunning mountain ranges, but one is more accessible than the other, one is more culturally rich than the other, and one has a more favorable political situation than the other. Of course, a lot of this is conjecture - if anyone reading this wants to offer their own theories, they are welcome to do so. 

Thank you for reading.