Yohann Rech

Yohann Rech is an Associate Professor specializing in sports sociology and management at the University of Rennes 2's Faculty of Sports Sciences. As Vice-President for socio-environmental transition and researcher at the VIPS² Laboratory, his work spans:

• Governance of sports tourism in coastal/mountain environments
• Participatory democracy in sports policy development
• Environmental controversies in outdoor recreation

His educational background includes a PhD from the University of Grenoble (2010) focusing on outdoor sports democratization, complemented by qualifications in urban planning and sociology.

Research explores the intersection of sport, tourism, and environmental transitions through frameworks like actor-network theory. Recent studies examine:

• Coastal trail management as common-good conflicts
• Olympic integration's impact on climbing culture
• Hiking's role in rural revitalization
• Winter sports adaptation to climate uncertainty

He directs doctoral research on environmental controversies in surfing/climbing and Alpine tourism resilience. Current projects include RAME (Marine Educational Areas) and IMTERPED (coastal walking impacts), funded by MSH-Bretagne and Fondation de France.

At VIPS² Laboratory, he coordinates research on policy innovations in sports and leisure, collaborating with protected areas and tourism stakeholders to develop sustainable management models.