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The Economic Sustainability of Snow Tourism: The Case of Ski Resorts in Austria, France, and Italy

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  • Jordi Moreno-Gené

    (Department of Business Management, University of Lleida, C/Jaume II, 73, 25001 Lleida, Spain)

  • Laura Sánchez-Pulido

    (Department of Business Management, University of Lleida, C/Jaume II, 73, 25001 Lleida, Spain)

  • Eduard Cristobal-Fransi

    (Department of Business Management, University of Lleida, C/Jaume II, 73, 25001 Lleida, Spain)

  • Natalia Daries

    (Department of Business Management, University of Lleida, C/Jaume II, 73, 25001 Lleida, Spain)

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to analyse whether ski resorts in Europe are economically viable. Data originates from the financial statements of the 61 largest ski lift operators in Austria, France, and Italy. Descriptive statistics reveal that these operators are characterized by positive and relatively high returns, and by having little debt in general terms. The results show that the most economically profitable ski operators are also the largest. The elevation of the ski area is not relevant. Ski lift operators in Austria have a higher profitability than those in France and Italy. Overall, larger ski resorts are better prepared for the future investment needed to adapt to the new conditions in the industry, such as climate variability.

Suggested Citation

  • Jordi Moreno-Gené & Laura Sánchez-Pulido & Eduard Cristobal-Fransi & Natalia Daries, 2018. "The Economic Sustainability of Snow Tourism: The Case of Ski Resorts in Austria, France, and Italy," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(9), pages 1-20, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:10:y:2018:i:9:p:3012-:d:165604
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    Cited by:

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    2. Elenita Velikova & Stela Dimitrova, 2021. "Sustainable Development Model for Mountain Tourist Territories in Bulgaria after the Crisis Period," Economic Studies journal, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences - Economic Research Institute, issue 7, pages 221-242.
    3. Kun Sun & Xiaoli Tian & Jing Xia & Mian Ou & Chengcai Tang, 2023. "The Market Responses of Ice and Snow Destinations to Southerners’ Tourism Willingness: A Case Study from China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(18), pages 1-22, September.
    4. Jesús Barreal & Berta Ferrer-Rosell & Eduard Cristobal-Fransi & Gil Jannes, 2021. "Influence of Service Valuation and Package Cost on Market Segmentation: The Case of Online Demand for Spanish and Andorra Ski Resorts," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(5), pages 1-20, March.
    5. Martin Falk & Robert Steiger, 2020. "Size facilitates profitable ski lift operations," Tourism Economics, , vol. 26(7), pages 1197-1211, November.
    6. Gangwei Cai & Baoping Zou & Xiaoting Chi & Xincheng He & Yuang Guo & Wen Jiang & Qian Wu & Yujin Zhang & Yanna Zhou, 2023. "Neighborhood Spatio-Temporal Impacts of SDG 8.9: The Case of Urban and Rural Exhibition-Driven Tourism by Multiple Methods," Land, MDPI, vol. 12(2), pages 1-37, January.
    7. Luis E Pedauga & Ana Pardo-Fanjul & Juan C Redondo & José M Izquierdo, 2022. "Assessing the economic contribution of sports tourism events: A regional social accounting matrix analysis approach," Tourism Economics, , vol. 28(3), pages 599-620, May.
    8. Alireza Javanmardi Kashan & Kavoos Mohannak & Mirko Perano & Gian Luca Casali, 2018. "A Discovery of Multiple Levels of Open Innovation in Understanding the Economic Sustainability. A Case Study in the Manufacturing Industry," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(12), pages 1-21, December.
    9. Annemarie Polderman & Andreas Haller & Diego Viesi & Xavier Tabin & Stefano Sala & Annamaria Giorgi & Loïc Darmayan & Jakob Rager & Jelena Vidovič & Quentin Daragon & Yves Verchère & Uroš Zupan & Nadi, 2020. "How Can Ski Resorts Get Smart? Transdisciplinary Approaches to Sustainable Winter Tourism in the European Alps," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(14), pages 1-19, July.
    10. Hannes Wallimann, 2022. "A complementary product of a nearby ski lift company," Tourism Economics, , vol. 28(2), pages 418-434, March.
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