Abstract

This chapter brings into conversation the literature on tourism and gentrification and shows how both processes intersect in several ways. Special attention is given to the extent to which tourism can be interpreted as a gentrifying process that causes different forms of displacement. Although tourism gentrification has especially been noted in cities, the process also affects non-urban spaces, in particular the coastal and rural contexts. In this regard, tourism gentrification can be seen as an example of ‘other geographies of gentrification’. Although some scholars have noted that tourism threatens the right to ‘stay put’ of existing residents, a conceptualisation of how this phenomenon occurs has not been fully considered. Tourism opens up possibilities for real estate investment, introduces differentiated lifestyles and poses several risks for indigenous residents. In other words, tourism plays a crucial role in the production and consumption of space and leads to different forms of displacement. It is for this reason that tourism needs to be seen as a form of gentrification.