Not tourism-phobia but urban-philia: understanding stakeholders’ perceptions of urban touristification
Tourism development affects prominent city centres worldwide, causing social unrest that has been labelled “tourism-phobia.” This article problematizes the recent appearance of this term by unravelling the links between the materiality of contemporary urban tourism and the response it receives from...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Asociación Española de Geografía
2019-12-01
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| Series: | Boletín de la Asociación de Geógrafos Españoles |
| Online Access: | https://www.bage.age-geografia.es/ojs/index.php/bage/article/view/2834 |
| _version_ | 1797278398575280128 |
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| author | Asunción Blanco-Romero Macià Blàzquez-Salom Marc Morell Robert Fletcher |
| author_facet | Asunción Blanco-Romero Macià Blàzquez-Salom Marc Morell Robert Fletcher |
| author_sort | Asunción Blanco-Romero |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description |
Tourism development affects prominent city centres worldwide, causing social unrest that has been labelled “tourism-phobia.” This article problematizes the recent appearance of this term by unravelling the links between the materiality of contemporary urban tourism and the response it receives from social movements opposing its expansion. We endeavour to understand the meaning that different actors involved in the city's touristification attach to this term, and in particular the perceptions of citizens’ movements that claim to espouse not tourism-phobia but urban-philia. To analyze these dynamics, we draw on Lefebvre’s discussion of the “right to the city” to highlight the extractive productive relations characterizing the tourism industry and the contestations such relations trigger. Taking the example of two Spanish cities (Barcelona and Palma), our findings indicate that the social malaise found in tourist oversaturation is due to the disruption it causes to everyday life, including price increases and rising rents. Consequently, the discomfort popular mobilisations have generated among the ruling class has led the latter to disqualify and even criminalise the former’s legitimate claims under the label of tourism-phobia. To conclude, we call for a future research agenda in pursuit of social justice and equity around re-touristification, de-touristification or even tourist degrowth.
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| first_indexed | 2024-03-07T16:02:36Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-faeece16deef457a8aeb3fc50f4d2ffa |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 0212-9426 2605-3322 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-07T16:02:36Z |
| publishDate | 2019-12-01 |
| publisher | Asociación Española de Geografía |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Boletín de la Asociación de Geógrafos Españoles |
| spelling | doaj.art-faeece16deef457a8aeb3fc50f4d2ffa2024-03-04T18:27:49ZengAsociación Española de GeografíaBoletín de la Asociación de Geógrafos Españoles0212-94262605-33222019-12-0183Not tourism-phobia but urban-philia: understanding stakeholders’ perceptions of urban touristificationAsunción Blanco-Romero0Macià Blàzquez-Salom1Marc Morell2Robert Fletcher3Universitat Autònoma de BarcelonaDepartamento de Geografía. Universitat de les Illes BalearsDepartment of Geography of the Universitat de les Illes Balears (UIB).Department of Social Sciences of the Wageningen University & Research Tourism development affects prominent city centres worldwide, causing social unrest that has been labelled “tourism-phobia.” This article problematizes the recent appearance of this term by unravelling the links between the materiality of contemporary urban tourism and the response it receives from social movements opposing its expansion. We endeavour to understand the meaning that different actors involved in the city's touristification attach to this term, and in particular the perceptions of citizens’ movements that claim to espouse not tourism-phobia but urban-philia. To analyze these dynamics, we draw on Lefebvre’s discussion of the “right to the city” to highlight the extractive productive relations characterizing the tourism industry and the contestations such relations trigger. Taking the example of two Spanish cities (Barcelona and Palma), our findings indicate that the social malaise found in tourist oversaturation is due to the disruption it causes to everyday life, including price increases and rising rents. Consequently, the discomfort popular mobilisations have generated among the ruling class has led the latter to disqualify and even criminalise the former’s legitimate claims under the label of tourism-phobia. To conclude, we call for a future research agenda in pursuit of social justice and equity around re-touristification, de-touristification or even tourist degrowth. https://www.bage.age-geografia.es/ojs/index.php/bage/article/view/2834 |
| spellingShingle | Asunción Blanco-Romero Macià Blàzquez-Salom Marc Morell Robert Fletcher Not tourism-phobia but urban-philia: understanding stakeholders’ perceptions of urban touristification Boletín de la Asociación de Geógrafos Españoles |
| title | Not tourism-phobia but urban-philia: understanding stakeholders’ perceptions of urban touristification |
| title_full | Not tourism-phobia but urban-philia: understanding stakeholders’ perceptions of urban touristification |
| title_fullStr | Not tourism-phobia but urban-philia: understanding stakeholders’ perceptions of urban touristification |
| title_full_unstemmed | Not tourism-phobia but urban-philia: understanding stakeholders’ perceptions of urban touristification |
| title_short | Not tourism-phobia but urban-philia: understanding stakeholders’ perceptions of urban touristification |
| title_sort | not tourism phobia but urban philia understanding stakeholders perceptions of urban touristification |
| url | https://www.bage.age-geografia.es/ojs/index.php/bage/article/view/2834 |
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