The “inhabitant footprints” of second home owners in Alpine resort communities: anyone at home?

Abstract. Second homes are often seen as a driver of depopulation in Alpine tourist areas. However, accurately estimating demographic trends in tourist areas is challenging, as permanent residents, seasonal workers, and second home owners often adopt multilocal living patterns that vary with the seasons. We propose to reconsider the binary distinction between main and second homes which is usually monitored by conventional census data. Based on a post-pandemic survey of 1181 respondents from eight Alpine winter sports resorts (France, Switzerland, Italy, Austria, Slovenia), we introduce an “inhabitant footprint” approach. This framework examines dwelling and rental practices, habits, and second home owners' interactions with Alpine resort communities. The contribution of second home owners to year-round living dynamics varies depending on age, the geographical distribution of owners' homes, accommodation characteristics, and the specific context of each resort. Future research could extend this approach to all resident groups to gain a more comprehensive understanding of the year-round living patterns in Alpine tourist areas.