MULTI-SCALAR SPATIAL INEQUALITIES IN SKI TOURISM INFRASTRUCTURE: A MAUP-INFORMED EXAMINATION OF ROMANIAN SKI AREAS
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.2298/IJGI251230006MKeywords:
Modifiable Areal Unit Problem, spatial disparities, ski tourism, RomaniaAbstract
The study aims to quantify the differences in key ski infrastructure attributes at four territorial levels (development regions, districts, localities, and individual slopes) and assess the impact of scale on changes in these differences (the Modifiable Areal Unit Problem [MAUP]) and its subsequent implications for planning practice. The dataset refers to 2024 and comprises six infrastructural indicators collected for 229 slopes in 72 localities across 20 districts and six development regions. The study employs a multi-level quantitative framework based on the aggregation of spatial data across four hierarchical territorial levels and the construction of standardized composite indices for ski slope infrastructure (ISP), ski lift transport infrastructure (ISI), and their disparity, using min–max normalization within the interval [0,1]. Spatial inequalities and their scale-dependent variability are subsequently evaluated through descriptive spatial statistical analysis and GIS-based multi-scalar comparison (ArcGIS Pro), enabling the empirical assessment of MAUP-related scale effects in Romanian ski tourism infrastructure. The findings demonstrate a clear increase in disparities at lower spatial levels, confirming a pronounced scale effect linked to MAUP. At the regional level, such micro-scale inequalities become largely concealed, generating an impression of spatial homogeneity that is not evident at lower spatial scales. The results highlight the importance of spatial scale in evaluating infrastructural development disparities and provide a planning-relevant framework for mountain tourism destinations, supporting more effective investment targeting, the prevention of resource misallocation, and the mitigation of spatial inequalities affecting destination performance, accessibility, and environmental sustainability.
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