Gentrification, tourism and the night-time economy in Budapest's district VII – the role of regulation in a post-socialist context

ABSTRACT

The processes of gentrification and tourism are often inextricably linked, but their relationship is not unequivocal: tourists can be explorers of stigmatised areas before gentrification or touristification can expel middle-class gentrifiers. In the post-socialist context, tourism and foreign consumers play an extremely important role in the gentrification process. This is especially true in our case study area the ‘party quarter’ in District VII of Budapest. The authors explore the inter-relationship between gentrification, tourism and the night-time economy in this area focusing on the effects of regulations and political struggles under post-socialist neo-patrimonial governance.

KEYWORDS:

• Gentrification
• tourism
• night-time economy
• neoliberalism
• post-socialist

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

ORCID

Gergely Olt http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9816-5601

Notes

1 Short-term rentals

2 https://www.citylab.com/life/2018/03/berlin-airbnb-vacation-rental-regulation-law/556397/

3 https://www.citylab.com/life/2018/06/barcelona-finds-a-way-to-control-its-airbnb-market/562187/

4 Many thanks for this insight to Jordi Nofre.

5 The power of the city of Budapest is limited to the infrastructural network and certain architectural standards, but district authorities are in charge of every other issue within their jurisdiction.

6 https://index.hu/belfold/2013/10/10/hunvald_masodfokon_is_masfel_evet_kapott/

7 210/2009. (IX. 29.) Government regulation of the 2005. CLXIV. Law about commercial activities

8 https://www.helsinki.hu/torvenyserto-volt-az-aurora-kioszk-bezaratasa/

9 https://magyarnarancs.hu/lokal/most-megvenne-az-onkormenyzat-az-aurora-epuletet-csakhogy-az-bezarjon-113798

10 https://444.hu/2018/04/18/a-hatosagok-nem-talalaljak-a-problemas-bulizokat-a-bulinegyedben

11 https://index.hu/belfold/2014/01/09/elszamoltak_a_rogan-fele_romkocsmaadot/

12 https://www.nav.gov.hu/nav/ado/afa080101_hatalyos/Online_szallashely_szolgaltatas.html