The connection between increased tourism and locals’ quality of life in Barcelona
Kukkamäki, Emmi (2020)
2020
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Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2020100621020
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2020100621020
Tiivistelmä
The tourism growth has been alarming in Barcelona since the Olympics (1992). Since then, the tourism impacts have been positive and negative: the city has become untidy with increased crime levels, but tourism has also brought huge economical revenues and multiculturalism there. The aim was to find out sustainable development solutions to preserve and create city where tourists and residents can live in harmony. Therefore, this thesis has examined the connection between locals’ quality of life and tourism: economically, environmentally, culturally, and socially in the context of sustainability.
This research was approached by using an interview between March and September 2020 to understand the dynamics between the residents’ attitudes, behavioural changes, and concerns towards tourism. All the ten interviewees were aged between 19 and 35, living in the centrum, and had already experience from the tourism industry. Due to the covid-19 lockdown, video interview was chosen as the safest option to carry out this research.
Reviewing the results, increased number of international workers and illegal immigrants has led to locals’ high unemployment levels and lost of authenticity within the city. Also, high cost of living, inefficient authorities, and city council’s inhumane business strategy are forcing local people to move away. Therefore, the illegal residents should be evicted, the overall security planning must be improved, and the locals need to be primary priorities in the city development planning to improve their quality of life. The tourism products and services need to be planned to attract different type of tourism sectors, not only party tourism, to decrease congestion, dirtiness, and noise pollution in the Ciutat Vella region.
This research was approached by using an interview between March and September 2020 to understand the dynamics between the residents’ attitudes, behavioural changes, and concerns towards tourism. All the ten interviewees were aged between 19 and 35, living in the centrum, and had already experience from the tourism industry. Due to the covid-19 lockdown, video interview was chosen as the safest option to carry out this research.
Reviewing the results, increased number of international workers and illegal immigrants has led to locals’ high unemployment levels and lost of authenticity within the city. Also, high cost of living, inefficient authorities, and city council’s inhumane business strategy are forcing local people to move away. Therefore, the illegal residents should be evicted, the overall security planning must be improved, and the locals need to be primary priorities in the city development planning to improve their quality of life. The tourism products and services need to be planned to attract different type of tourism sectors, not only party tourism, to decrease congestion, dirtiness, and noise pollution in the Ciutat Vella region.