Emergence and Spread of Critical Discourses Opposing Tourism: The Case of Girona, an Urban Satellite Destination of Barcelona

ABSTRACT

This research analyses the construction of critical discourses on tourism in the city of Girona, an emerging urban satellite destination close to Barcelona. Qualitative interviews and thematic analysis are used to analyze the voices of stakeholders involved in the destination’s social debate. Findings include the transformation of neighborhood identities, banalization and thematization, the massification of public spaces, an increase in the cost of buying and renting property, and a lack of tourism management. This study also suggests that the critical discourse found in Barcelona is being echoed by local residents in Girona. To our knowledge, no previous study has investigated this relationship to date. Findings from this research can be exported to other emerging urban destinations to help understand the complexities of the critical discourses on the negative effects of tourism, and the ways in which they are created, shared, exported and reproduced among destinations.

KEYWORDS:

• Critical discourse
• over tourism
• urban destinations
• governance
• Girona
• Barcelona

Acknowledgements

Authors gratefully acknowledge the Girona Town Hall for the financial and technical support in this research.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).