Title: Mountain tourism and agriculture at the crossroads: the case of Cerdanya and Val d'Aran (Catalan Pyrenees)

Authors: María Offenhenden; Montserrat Soronellas-Masdeu

Addresses: Department of Anthropology, Philosophy and Social Work, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Av. Catalunya, 35, 43002, Tarragona, Spain ' Department of Anthropology, Philosophy and Social Work, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Av. Catalunya, 35, 43002, Tarragona, Spain

Abstract: Mountain regions are undergoing rapid changes closely intertwined with economic globalisation and resulting in unexpected alterations to production models, land-use, and lifestyles. In the Catalan Pyrenees, Val d'Aran and Cerdanya were the first valleys to become tourist destinations for mountain sports, particularly the ski industry. Engagement in a post-industrial economy based on leisure and tourism has led to new ways of inhabiting these mountain areas, changing local socio-economic dynamics and structures, and unevenly transforming traditional local agriculture. Based on an ethnographic study in these valleys, in this paper we analyse the historical coexistence of various economic activities and closely examine three case studies to consider the ways in which limited agro-livestock activities currently coexist with ski tourism.

Keywords: mountain areas; Spanish Pyrenees; Val d'Aran; Cerdanya; agriculture; tourism; ski industry; rural development; new ruralities; natural and cultural heritagisation; de-agriculturalisation; rural urbanisation.

DOI: 10.1504/IJTA.2021.123195

International Journal of Tourism Anthropology, 2021 Vol.8 No.4, pp.304 - 319

Received: 31 Mar 2021
Accepted: 31 Jul 2021
Published online: 01 Jun 2022 *

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