Melting glaciers have recently unleashed deadly mudslides, rare ecosystems are threatened, and a lack of snow is crippling economies that depend on winter tourism.

UNESCO: 83e

This aggravated an already disappointing winter season for Caribbean tourism, hurt by new rules in the United States that require returning residents to hold passports.

ECONOMIST: The Caribbean

One government agency subsidizes vacations for hundreds of thousands of elderly people during the winter low season to help keep tourism workers employed.

WSJ: Spain Plans to Burn Its Bridges to Keep Vacationers on the Job

The area is easy on the eyes: rolling hills, lush green after finally a wet winter, with an easy mix of tourism and agriculture.

FORBES: Driven to Drink of McLaren Vale

The village's economic lifeline, tourism, dies in the winter months.

ECONOMIST: Indian tribes

The walking tour maps at the Oyster Bay tourism booth were either stored for the winter or buried in snow, and the framed maps on display were iced over.

BBC: The Bureau of Unknown Destinations

Hotel revenue fell sharply in Scotland in September, prompting fears that more tourism businesses will struggle to make it through the lean winter months.

BBC: Concern as Scottish hotel revenue falls sharply

"Part of the investment that Russia has made is not only what the world will see in Russia, but also they're building a winter paradise that they hope to showcase through the Olympic broadcast and attract tourism in the future, " says 2010 Vancouver champion Bill Demong, who competed at a Nordic combined skiing test event in Sochi last weekend.

CNN: February 8, 2013 -- Updated 1159 GMT (1959 HKT)

Visit Blackpool tourism manager Mandy Blythe-McCallum said many hoteliers who close for the winter opened especially for the event.

BBC: Pigeon fanciers flock to the fair at Blackpool