Tourismphobia in Barcelona (2008-2019) Exploring Media Siege and Tourist Protest
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This article investigates the complex dynamics of tourismphobia in Barcelona, focusing on the media impact of the press on the formation of public opinion about attacks on social movements. Using a qualitative methodology, we delved into the analysis of the discourse and narratives of the press, adapting the study to the typology of Mantecón and Velasco (2020) for subsequent comparison with the narratives of social movements. To that end, a typology of tourism protest social movements was developed that confirmed Novy and Colomb's (2019) study, providing a deeper understanding of the complexities at the intersection between political power, media, and social movements in tourismphobia in Barcelona.
Throughout the process, a paradigmatic reconfiguration of social class dynamics, contextualized in the right to the city, was evidenced during the process of "re-politicization of tourism". This phenomenon transcended the mere inclusion of tourism issues in the local agenda. A crucial moment occurred with the change of roles that moved the epicenter of the protest from the periphery to the municipal level. Such political innovation resulted in a context of regulations, restrictions on economic activity and transformations in values, inciting tourism-related actors to protest in the streets, externalizing their discontent with the adverse effects on their work and urban disorder. These findings transcend the initial myopia, enriching the perspective on tourism protest and contributing to a more holistic understanding of the challenges inherent in Barcelona.
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