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The development of ski areas and its relation to the Alpine economy in Switzerland

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Listed:
  • Pascal Troxler

    (University of Bern)

  • Marcus Roller

    (Intervista AG)

  • Monika Bandi Tanner

    (University of Bern)

Abstract

Cableways alleviate access to the Alps and were crucial in establishing the skiing tourism boom of the after-war years. Moreover, cableway operators employ a large share of residents, are complemented by tourism-related services and are therefore a key economic pillar in otherwise laggard regions. We exploit comprehensive historical data of all ever-built cableways in Switzerland linked to income and population data to show how much ski area access benefits the municipalities’ economy compared to similar municipalities without such access on their territory. Evaluating difference-in-differences, we find that opening a ski area between 1940 and 1980 is related to economic growth that persists until today. Particularly, it attracted new residents and created more productive employment opportunities in tourism-related services, thereby raising incomes and tax revenues. Our results contribute to the debate of what economic risks municipalities with access to ski areas face once the decreasing snowpack forces a ski area to close.

Suggested Citation

  • Pascal Troxler & Marcus Roller & Monika Bandi Tanner, 2024. "The development of ski areas and its relation to the Alpine economy in Switzerland," Swiss Journal of Economics and Statistics, Springer;Swiss Society of Economics and Statistics, vol. 160(1), pages 1-20, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:sjecst:v:160:y:2024:i:1:d:10.1186_s41937-024-00127-0
    DOI: 10.1186/s41937-024-00127-0
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Tourism development; Economic development; Regional economics; Historical ski area data; Climate change exposure;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • N74 - Economic History - - Economic History: Transport, International and Domestic Trade, Energy, and Other Services - - - Europe: 1913-
    • N94 - Economic History - - Regional and Urban History - - - Europe: 1913-
    • O18 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Urban, Rural, Regional, and Transportation Analysis; Housing; Infrastructure
    • R11 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - General Regional Economics - - - Regional Economic Activity: Growth, Development, Environmental Issues, and Changes
    • Z32 - Other Special Topics - - Tourism Economics - - - Tourism and Development

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