Via Ferrata Boom Outpaces Research, Study Warns
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- University of Eastern Finland and Lakehead University researchers published what they call the first comprehensive scoping review and research agenda dedicated to Via Ferrata tourism, in the Journal of Outdoor Recreation and Tourism (DOI: 10.1016/j.jort.2025.100960).
- Kelsey Johansen, postdoctoral researcher at UEF's Joensuu Campus, argues Via Ferrata has been wrongly treated as a sub-category of mountaineering or climbing when it is actually a distinct hybrid activity with its own participation pathways, risk profiles, and destination impacts.
- Prof. Dr. Harvey Lemelin of Lakehead University warns that the sport's development is "outpacing the research needed to support evidence-informed route planning, environmental management and industry standards."
- Via Ferrata route systems — engineered climbing paths with fixed steel cables, ladders, rungs, bridges, and stairs — expanded rapidly across North America during and after the COVID-19 pandemic, reflecting broader growth in outdoor and adventure tourism.
- Climate-related impacts on seasonal access, infrastructure stability, and long-term mountain tourism planning compound the planning, governance, safety, and environmental stewardship challenges the study flags for alpine and canyon settings.
- Johansen and Lemelin will next collect data and industry perspectives to build applied management guidelines, inviting collaboration from Via Ferrata operators, guiding services, mountaineering and climbing associations, land management agencies, destination management organizations, and industry bodies in North America and the EU.
Why it matters: Via Ferrata operators, land managers, and guiding services across North America and Europe now face growth without an evidence base — route planning, safety standards, and environmental decisions are being made as the sport scales. The researchers' call for industry collaboration offers the first framework to coordinate that development responsibly.
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