An Analysis of the Factors behind the Citizen’s Attitude of Rejection towards Tourism in a Context of Overtourism and Economic Dependence on This Activity

José María Martín Martín,Jose Manuel Guaita Martínez,José Antonio Salinas Fernández

doi:10.3390/su10082851

José María Martín Martín, Jose Manuel Guaita Martínez + Show 1 more

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https://doi.org/10.3390/su10082851

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Journal: Sustainability	Publication Date: Aug 10, 2018
Citations: 163	License type: CC BY 4.0

Affiliation: University of Granada

Abstract

New tourism trends, such as vacation rentals websites and low-cost tourism, have generated a new environment of interactions between tourism and the citizens. To this, we must add the fortuitous increase in demand in some touristic destinations. This has derived in situations of rejection in traditionally tourism-dependent environments. In this study, which is focused on the city of Barcelona, we use work-field data to analyze the elements that lie behind the popular aversion to tourism. Assuming a non-forced analysis that takes the Social Exchange Theory as a framework, we have determined that the negative economic effects derived from the increase in the number of accommodations destined for vacation rentals and in the demand lie behind this rejection. The main impacts that are perceived directly from these factors are: the increase in residential rentals prices and a shift from a traditional market to one oriented to the tourist with higher prices. It has also been determined that the most vulnerable population groups are those who manifest a stronger rejection, tenants of apartments in city centers, and citizens with a low/medium income, who perceive rises in the prices and a change in the market focus to a larger extent.

Highlights

Tourism is considered to be one of the strategic sectors of the Spanish economy; in 2017, tourism accounted for 14.9% of the national GDP and directly supported 2.8 million jobs, more than any other sector in the economy [1]
Assuming a non-forced analysis that takes the Social Exchange Theory as a framework, we have determined that the negative economic effects derived from the increase in the number of accommodations destined for vacation rentals and in the demand lie behind this rejection
As previously exposed in the methodology section, during the initial phase of the analysis, we developed a qualitative fieldwork based on face to face interviews to residents in the historical city center of Barcelona

Summary

Introduction

Tourism is considered to be one of the strategic sectors of the Spanish economy; in 2017, tourism accounted for 14.9% of the national GDP and directly supported 2.8 million jobs, more than any other sector in the economy [1]. The percentage of total jobs that is created by the tourism sector has remained above 10% in the period 2006–2015 Despite these data, a feeling of rejection towards tourism has emerged over the past few years in some tourist areas. A feeling of rejection towards tourism has emerged over the past few years in some tourist areas This feeling has manifested in the form of assaults to restaurants, businesses and yachts; attacks on tourist buses, bikes damaged in tourist spots, and other acts of vandalism. They have occurred mostly in Barcelona and surroundings, and in The Balearic Islands [3]. These trends, which are present in other European cities, have promoted the creation of the term tourism-phobia and movements of anti-tourism as a manifestation of that rejection

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