Bottom-up touristification and urban transformations in Paris

ABSTRACT

This paper seeks to explore and reflect on the interrelatedness of tourism growth and urban transformations in Paris. Being a top destination in European city tourism, the French capital provides an excellent opportunity to study the particular role of tourism in urban transformations. Based on substantial exploratory fieldwork that was carried out between 2013 and 2016, we argue that Paris is subject to on-going dynamics of touristification that are particularly intense at the margins of the existing tourist hot spots. First, we identify relevant tourist areas using GPS tracking technology and field observation techniques. Second, we discuss the role of Airbnb in the emerging touristification of widely gentrified residential neighborhoods. Third, we reflect on the urban mobility practices of cyclists and pedestrians which have the potential to foster touristification by interconnecting various tourist hotspots and accommodation locations. We suggest that the current urban transformations should primarily be seen as a bottom-up initiative that involves both tourists and residents in the city. Considering tourism growth and urban transformations as mutually constitutive processes, we conclude with a consideration of potential future developments in Paris.

摘要

本文试图探索和反思巴黎旅游增长与城市转型的内在联系。作为欧洲城市旅游的首选目的地, 法国首都为研究旅游业在城市转型中的特殊作用提供了绝佳的机会。根据 2013 年至 2016 年期间进行的大量探索性实地考察, 我们认为, 巴黎正处于持续的旅游 (者) 化中, 在现有旅游热点地区的边缘地带尤甚。首先, 我们利用 GPS 跟踪技术和现场观测技术来识别相关的旅游区域。其次, 我们讨论了爱彼迎 (Airbnb) 在新兴的游客化社区中所扮演的角色。第三, 我们反思了骑自行车者和行人的城市流动行为, 他们有可能通过连接各种旅游热点和住宿地点来促进旅游 (者) 化的发展。我们建议, 目前的城市转型主要应被视为一种自下而上的举措, 既包括游客, 也包括城市居民。考虑到旅游增长和城市转型是相互构成的过程, 我们最后以考虑巴黎可能的未来发展总结本文。

KEYWORDS:

• Urban tourism
• urban transformation
• touristification
• tourist practices
• mobility
• Airbnb
• Paris

关键词:

• 城市旅游; 城市转型;旅游化; 旅游实践; 移动性; 爱彼迎; 巴黎

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This work was generously supported by the Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst [grant number 55925893].

Notes on contributors

Tim Freytag

Tim Freytag is professor of human geography at the Institute of Environmental Social Sciences and Geography, University of Freiburg, Germany. His research foci and teaching interests include tourism and mobility research, social and cultural geography, geography of education, urban studies and metropolitan research.

Michael Bauder

Michael Bauder is a post-doctoral research associate at the Institute of Environmental Social Sciences and Geography, University of Freiburg, Germany. His research interests are in the field of GIS and its implementation in the social sciences (in particular, human geography), mobility and tourism studies.