Rapid growth in resort areas, combined with environmental and market stresses, has recently created concern amongst resort decision-makers about future paths of development. Growth models have operated effectively in maintaining resort competiveness but there is evidence that this approach needs to be re-assessed (Beritelli et al., 2007). Globalization forces together with global environmental change are necessitating institutions to rethink how they ‘do business’; who is involved and has power or influence in decision-making; within what spatial and temporal frames decisions need to be made; and to whom they are accountable. In this paper, we propose an evolutionary network approach that will guide empirical research on changing approaches to governance in mountain resort settings. The aim of the research project is to identify innovative strategies that will assist destinations in adopting appropriate governance responses to both endogenous and exogenous pressures. From a theoretical perspective, the application of an evolutionary network approach in the context of tourism destinations will introduce new theoretical interpretations.