HOW ALPINE COUNTRIES SUCCEED

When we think about the Alps, clichés are the first things that come to mind: green meadows, snowcapped peaks, picturesque villages. But the Alps have far more to offer than settings for postcards.

The Alps are home to 14 million people with a diverse range of cultures and languages. They are not just the most densely populated, but also the most heavily used mountains in the world. As a holiday destination, this mountain range accounts for a quarter of the world’s tourism. The Alps serve as Europe’s largest water reservoir and some of the continent’s most important freight and passenger transit routes pass over, under and around them.

The very fact that nature, industry and quality of life are so closely intertwined here makes the region especially fascinating. It is a microcosm that, in many respects, could serve as a model for the rest of the continent.