Not tourism-phobia but urban-philia: understanding stakeholders’ perceptions of urban touristification

Abstract

<jats:p>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.</jats:p>

Pathways to post-capitalist tourism

“…The Barcelona City Council charted a way out of the 2008 economic crisis centred on the development of a grand plan to promote the city as a prime tourist destination. This was so successful that conflicts generated by tourist overcrowding made tourism one of citizens' main concerns (Blanco-Romero et al, 2019). Starting in 2015, the City Council, governed by a coalition of left-wing parties (Comuns), started a new decision-making system focused on participation and citizen consensus.…”

The short life of a concept: tourismphobia in the Spanish media. Narratives, actors and agendas

“…Based on the data analyzed, it is difficult to explain why the term has disappeared. Some research suggests that the term itself and its intention to create discredit suffered a boomerang effect that let the promoters of the term to reduce its use (Blanco-Romero et al 2019). Another hypothesis is that having managed to impose the relationship of the problem with one specific attribute, the actors of the dominant coalition managed to impose a certain narrative that, unless another crisis occurs, seems to have been successful in redirecting the situation.…”

‘Post-pandemic’ transnational gentrifications: A critical outlook

“…This growth in tourism and leisure-oriented mobilities was an obvious sign that the post-2008 recovery model had already gone beyond the carrying capacity of many places. For instance, social movements organising substantial protest under the umbrella of so-called ‘tourism-phobia’ (Blanco-Romero et al, 2019; Huete and Mantecon, 2018; Janoschka and Mota, 2020), and emerging political experiments in cities like Barcelona (Blanco et al, 2020), confirm locals’ deep dissatisfaction with the effects of over-tourism.…”