Springer Tourism in the City: Towards an Integrative Agenda on Urban Tourism

This book critically explores the interconnections between tourism and the contemporary city from a policy-oriented standpoint, combining tourism perspectives with discussion of urban models, issues, and challenges. Research-based analyses addressing managerial issues and evaluating policy implications are described, and a comprehensive set of case studies is presented to demonstrate practices and policies in various urban contexts. A key message is that tourism policies should be conceived as integrated urban policies that promote tourism performance as a means of fostering urban quality and the well-being of local communities, e.g., in terms of quality spaces, employment, accessibility, innovation, and learning opportunities. In addition to highlighting the significance of urban tourism in relation to key urban challenges, the book reflects on the risks and tensions associated with its development, including the rise of anti-tourism movements as a reaction to touristification, cultural commodification, and gentrification. Attention is drawn to asymmetries in the costs and benefits of the city tourism phenomenon, and the supposedly unavoidable trade-off between the interests of residents and tourists is critically questioned. From the Back Cover This book critically explores the interconnections between tourism and the contemporary city from a policy-oriented standpoint, combining tourism perspectives with discussion of urban models, issues, and challenges. Research-based analyses addressing managerial issues and evaluating policy implications are described, and a comprehensive set of case studies is presented to demonstrate practices and policies in various urban contexts. A key message is that tourism policies should be conceived as integrated urban policies that promote tourism performance as a means of fostering urban quality and the well-being of local communities, e.g., in terms of quality spaces, employment, accessibility, innovation, and learning opportunities. In addition to highlighting the significance of urban tourism in relation to key urban challenges, the book reflects on the risks and tensions associated with its development, including the rise of anti-tourism movements as a reaction to touristification, cultural commodification, and gentrification. Attention is drawn to asymmetries in the costs and benefits of the city tourism phenomenon, and the supposedly unavoidable trade-off between the interests of residents and tourists is critically questioned. About the Author Nicola Bellini is a full Professor of Economics and Management at the Institute of Management of the Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna (Pisa, Italy – currently on leave) and Director of the La Rochelle Tourism Management Institute at the Groupe Sup de Co, La Rochelle (France). He is a former Director of IRPET, the Regional Institute for Economic Planning of the Tuscany Region (Florence, Italy) and a former Trustee of the Regional Studies Association. He also works for the European Commission as an expert on smart specialization strategies for European regions. His research interests include local and regional development policies (with a special focus on innovation, internationalization, and tourism), business support services, area marketing, and place branding. Cecilia Pasquinelli is a post-doctoral research fellow at the GSSI Cities, Gran Sasso Science Institute in L’Aquila (Italy). She previously worked in the Department of Social and Economic Geography at Uppsala University, Sweden. She received her PhD in Management, Competitiveness, and Development from the Institute of Management of the Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna in 2012. Her research interests include place branding, place of origin, and the geographical associations of brands and branding, cultural and creative industries, local and regional development, and urban tourism.