How do degrowth values in tourism influence the host–guest exchange? An exploratory analysis in small towns in the rurality

ABSTRACT

From a social perspective, the literature predominantly explains degrowth as a transition of values from market mediated ones towards increased conviviality and less consumption. This exploratory research is based on a case study in the small town of Besalú in Spain which is located between Barcelona and the coastal area of Costa Brava. The town has experienced an increase in visitors and more recently in apartment rentals. The study area was thus adequate to explore the emergence of degrowth values and the role they play in residents’ understanding of their exchanges with tourists. The methodology is based on a literature review which identifies values associated with degrowth, followed by an analysis of the study area and a series of in-depth interviews with residents using a phenomenological approach. The results show that degrowth values such as conviviality are at play in areas such as providing tourists with a bathroom, while other areas such as environmental preservation are less significant.

KEYWORDS:

• Degrowth
• host
• guest
• sustainable development
• rurality

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Correction Statement

This article has been republished with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the article.

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Notes on contributors

Vanessa Muler González

Vanessa Muler González is a PhD student in tourism in the University of Girona and works as a professor, theses promoter, and member of the Learning and Research Team at the EU Business School in Barcelona and is currently part of the Multidisciplinary Research Laboratory of the University of Girona. She holds a European Master on Cultural Heritage Management of the University of Girona. Currently, her main lines of research are sustainable tourism, degrowth, ethics, and cultural heritage.

Núria Galí Espelt

Núria Galí has been a lecturer in the Faculty of Tourism at University of Girona since 1999. Currently, she is also Director of UNESCO Chair in Cultural Policies and Cooperation in the University of Girona. She holds a PhD in Heritage Tourism, and graduated in Humanities from the University Autonomous of Barcelona and a Maîtrise en Ingenerie et commercialisation des produits touristiques from the University of Toulouse – Le Mirail. Between 2010 and 2014, she has been also Director of the tourism research group Multidisciplinary Laboratory of Tourism Research. Her principal lines of research are: the study and analysis of the visitors’ behaviour in heritage cities and sites, the tourism image of destinations, and the role of guides and guiding.