Manzaneda in the generational model of french alpine resorts: an interpretation of the only ski resort in Galicia (Spain)

Abstract

Mountain-based tourism has been established in multiple ways, and a ski resort is just one of them. Most European snow tourism research has focused on the Alps, where a French Alpine model of generations of ski resorts, which uses the differential urban development of each generation as a marker, has been developed academically. This model has been used as a framework for this study with the goal of positioning Manzaneda within it. However, Manzaneda is the only winter resort in Galicia (Spain), and with more than 50 years of history, it seems to have had a controversial, problematic, and ambiguous development. This article also looks into the management, the effects of climate change, and the future visions of the winter resort by its main actors and local population.