SELECTED PAPERS
URBAN TOURISM, IMPACTS AND STRATEGIES
ABSTRACT
Cynthia C. Pérez Josep María Vilanova Ricard Pie Department of Urbanism, Planning and Territory Barcelona / Spain
Keywords tourism, urban tourism, Barcelona, urban planning, strategies
96
In 2030 the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) expects 1800 million international tourist travels around the world. This volume, in comparison to the 25 million that travelled in 1950, reveals an exponential growth in tourism, not only resulting in great economic advancement, but also in impacts that become ever more evident. The post-modern city has turned out to be touristic, leaving behind its industrial form, learning to manage its own success, but struggling to find a balance. The increase in tourism flows through air, road and sea making tourism an economic tour de force that has spread across cities and reaches out to almost every neighbourhood. Tourism and tourists have become a part of every city, and its presence doesn’t go unnoticed. Their undeniable impact on aspects such as housing, public space, commerce, and mobility has made cities become
more creative and resilient with their strategies. The case of Barcelona works as an urban laboratory for this matter, on one hand for its international touristic success, as well as for the recent measures undertaken. This article will make use of that, comparing local strategies with other measures implemented on some of Europe’s most visited cities, such as Amsterdam, Berlin, London, Paris, and Rome. The various impacts of tourism, resulting from the growing flow of tourists, are a common issue in such cities where each one has found their own balance. The comparison will give us a base to propose some recommendations. INTRODUCTION. THE DIMENSIONS OF THE PHENOMENON Tourism is a relatively modern phenomenon that impacts a large number of cities. Economically, according to the World Tourism
