Thirdly, there has been a search for new metaphors to construct creative spaces for writing on leisure and tourism. Consequent temporal landscapes emerge from negotiations of practice and contextual prefiguration. The metaphor of performance has become particularly well established, although it may remains undertheorised in tourism and leisure geographies. The many attractions of these areas include their landscapes, climates, traditions, and opportunities for practising specific sports. While tourism has developed in all of the world's mountain areas, developments and activities are very unevenly dispersed.
Tourism can bring many benefits, both direct and indirect, to mountain people and economies.
Yet there is often considerable leakage of revenues, and negative cultural, environmental, and economic impacts. The search for a balance is made difficult particularly by the marked seasonality of mountain tourism and the very rapid changes that 'development' can bring to sensitive mountain ecosystems and cultures. 2002 has been chosen as The International Year of the Mountains in recognition of the issues these vital environments face. Sustainability, environmental management and ecotourism 2002 is also the International Year of Ecotourism. Mountains are viewed as key spaces in which these concepts are played out.