Abstract
Travel to mountain destinations has increased considerably over time, resulting in amplified discussions on both the benefits and risks to mountain environments, cultures and communities. This paper illuminates the ‘ruptures’ and ‘silences’ in literature to investigate how the current sustainable tourism management discourse influences the practice of tourism in mountainous routes in developing countries. We apply discourse analysis to applicable literature, to unravel beliefs and evidences that currently shape this area of discourse. Peer reviewed, and grey literature was identified through the Pearl Growing Technique from available internet-based databases. The results indicate that most research on mountain-route tourism emphasise the nature and marketing of mountain tourism and impacts of tourism on mountains. We suggest that mountain tourism research should afford more page-space to (1) the use of universally applicable indicators of tourism sustainability in mountainous routes and destinations, (2) approaches for local community involvement in planning mountain route tourism, as well as (3) ways of using mountain route tourism as a tool for poverty reduction. Management ImplicationsThe paper summarises the key aspects characterising the current discourse in sustainable mountain tourism as being;•The establishment of tourism routes in mountain communities’ avails opportunities for poverty reduction through entrepreneurial activities related to tourism.•Sustainable tourism is understood differently from one mountain community to another. Indicators for managing sustainable tourism should be developed in consultation with all concerned stakeholders•Mountain environments and cultures are fragile and can suffer extensive negative impacts from tourism. Mountain route managers should device methods of mitigating the negative impacts and maximising the positive impacts.•It is imperative when designing a sustainable mountain tourism plan, to involve the local community.•Tourism is not a panacea to mountain poverty. Its planning and development should be carried out following sustainable tourism tenets to enhance poverty reduction.
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