The Development of Ski Areas in Romania. What Environmental, Political, and Economic Logic?

In the last years, Romania has made major efforts to develop the skiing areas and some important projects have been implemented in the Carpathian Mountains. This research highlights the low efficiency of ski slopes and ski areas concerning the functionality during the winter season, even though a number of investments have been made. Some examples of bad practices regarding the development of skiing infrastructure in link with the potential impact on the environment are presented. The status of ski slopes, slope conditions, and snow depth were collected daily, during the 2016–2017 and 2017–2018 winter seasons, from a Romanian website specialized in snow cover information. A statistical analysis based on the collected data has been done. The 225 ski slopes studied have been opened, on average, less than 62 days and more than 20% of them have not even been opened. Only 17.8% of the slopes complied with the “100-day rule” during the first season and 21.3% of them during the second one, which does not ensure profitability. In conclusion, too many ski slopes have been created without considering the actual snow conditions. The investors wasted capital that is unprofitable and needlessly, affecting the environmental sustainability.