Abstract
Both harmony and conflict may occur between local and more distant communities regarding artefacts
of cultural heritage. Incoming tourism, which is attracted by cultural heritage, may provide jobs and other
means of income to local residents. However, incoming tourists may also trigger or accelerate a process of
gentrification in which local residents are directly or symbolically displaced by tourists. Local authorities develop
governance mechanisms to address this issue, both by visioning and formulation of strategies and by issuing
direct tools to regulate use of land and properties in a way that matches this vision. The paper discusses two
case studies in the Netherlands, Amsterdam and Giethoorn, where communities and local authorities struggle
with the threat of over-tourism. The Amsterdam case focuses on gentrification caused by tourists who rent
homes as holiday accommodation through online platforms (such as Airbnb) and the governance response
by the city to contain it. The Giethoorn case reveals how economic values of tourism and quality of place
to live are competing in the context of a village with a distinct heritage based on a mode of production that
has become marginalised. The paper aims to improve our understanding of governance responses regarding
heritage-based tourism and gentrification. Based on the analysis, the paper also presents three directions
for research: first, mapping relational geographies of heritage; second, developing interactive tools to bridge
proximate and more distant communities in a process of place making; and third, development and evaluation
of governance measures.
of cultural heritage. Incoming tourism, which is attracted by cultural heritage, may provide jobs and other
means of income to local residents. However, incoming tourists may also trigger or accelerate a process of
gentrification in which local residents are directly or symbolically displaced by tourists. Local authorities develop
governance mechanisms to address this issue, both by visioning and formulation of strategies and by issuing
direct tools to regulate use of land and properties in a way that matches this vision. The paper discusses two
case studies in the Netherlands, Amsterdam and Giethoorn, where communities and local authorities struggle
with the threat of over-tourism. The Amsterdam case focuses on gentrification caused by tourists who rent
homes as holiday accommodation through online platforms (such as Airbnb) and the governance response
by the city to contain it. The Giethoorn case reveals how economic values of tourism and quality of place
to live are competing in the context of a village with a distinct heritage based on a mode of production that
has become marginalised. The paper aims to improve our understanding of governance responses regarding
heritage-based tourism and gentrification. Based on the analysis, the paper also presents three directions
for research: first, mapping relational geographies of heritage; second, developing interactive tools to bridge
proximate and more distant communities in a process of place making; and third, development and evaluation
of governance measures.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 1 |
| Number of pages | 22 |
| Journal | Socio.hu |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 2018 |
| Externally published | Yes |