The vicious cycle of residential tourism: analysis of local factors of Spanish property boom

Entre 1996 y 2006 España experimenta un boom inmobiliario sin precedentes que ha afectado principalmente a los municipios de litoral. Este proceso de intensa producción inmobiliaria ha estado sostenido sobre una igualmente intensa demanda internacional. Sin embargo, pasar de puntillas por el papel que han jugado las dinámicas e intereses locales en este proceso supone entender que los destinos han tenido un papel menos activo del que realmente han tenido. Desde una perspectiva relacional, el presente artículo destaca el papel que han jugado determinados factores locales en el proceso. Para ello, analiza de qué forma han interaccionado y se han retroalimentado positivamente factores como los elevados beneficios empresariales de la construcción, la descapitalización de sectores económicos tradicionales, la corrupción urbanística, la estacionalidad turística, el subregistro poblacional, la financiación de las administraciones locales y el escaso peso de las actividades vinculadas más directamente al turismo.Between 1996 and 2006, Spain experienced an unprecedented real estate boom that mainly af- fected the coastal localities. Research has mainly focused so far on analyzing the causes that fueled such a high demand for housing. This article aims at highlighting the role tourist destinations have played in the said housing boom from both a comparative and a local perspective. The paper analyzes the systemic interaction of factors such as the realtors’ high margins of profit, the decapitalization of traditional economic sectors, the corruption of the municipal officers, the tourist seasonality, the population undercount, the local governments funding mechanisms and the scarce weight of the activities most directly related to tourism

Using causal maps to support ex-post assessment of social impacts of dams

This paper presents the results of an ex-post assessment of two important dams in Brazil. The study follows the principles of Social Impact Management, which offer a suitable framework for analyzing the complex social transformations triggered by hydroelectric dams. In the implementation of this approach, participative causal maps were used to identify the ex-post social impacts of the Porto Primavera and Rosana dams on the community of Porto Rico, located along the High Paraná River. We found that in the operation of dams there are intermediate causes of a political nature, stemming from decisions based on values and interests not determined by neutral, exclusively technical reasons; and this insight opens up an area of action for managing the negative impacts of dams.Financial support of the Auracaria Foundation of Investment and Research in Paraná, Brazil through projects 9527/2006, 14354/2009, and 13015/2008

Customer resistance to tourism innovations: entrepreneurs’ understanding and management strategies

Customer resistance is the greatest risk to innovation for the entrepreneur. The aim of this exploratory study is to provide insights into this underdeveloped area in the tourism innovation literature. A qualitative approach is adopted to understand the resistance experienced by 57 entrepreneurs when introducing their innovations into the market, the causes and the actions taken to minimise resistance. Findings indicate that most entrepreneurs often encounter resistance from sceptical customers, satisfied with their status quo and with no or low appetites for innovation. The analysis reveals two main sources of resistance: the association of the innovations with particular risks, and the customers' lack of understanding of the innovation value. Communication strategies are crucial to decrease the associated risks and for trust building. The paper provides a critical perspective on the challenges faced by innovators, challenges which are often overlooked given the near-iconic status of innovation in studies of economic development.This research has been supported by the European Union Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation programme [grant agreement 700893]

The platformizationof institutional political communication. The use of WhatsApp by local administrations

Introducción: En los últimos años, las plataformas digitales, especialmente los servicios móviles de mensajería instantánea como WhatsApp, se han convertido en instrumentos esenciales para las administraciones locales. Los cambios de hábitos de la población, más propensos a realizar sus gestiones a través de los dispositivos móviles, pero también la posibilidad que estas plataformas ofrecen para promover una comunicación directa e inmediata han hecho que los ayuntamientos vean en ellas una vía para mejorar las relaciones con la ciudadanía. Nuestro objetivo es analizar las características, usos y funciones que las instituciones locales confieren a sus servicios móviles de mensajería instantánea para comunicarse con la ciudadanía. Metodología: Se ha realizado un análisis cualitativo mediante entrevistas en profundidad a dieciocho ayuntamientos, seleccionados en base a su número de habitantes. Resultados: Los resultados muestran una panorámica de los usos de WhatsApp por parte de las administraciones locales. Esto permite identificar las motivaciones y objetivos en su implantación, sus características en relación a sus contenidos y planificación y sus retos futuros. Conclusión y discusión: Los hallazgos de esta investigación demuestran que WhatsApp está plenamente asentado en los ayuntamientos. No obstante, su uso no es capaz de aprovechar todas las potencialidades del entorno digital, especialmente, debido a la falta de diálogo con la ciudadanía y de una planificación estratégica sólida

Roma Population in the Spanish Education System: Identifying Explanatory Frameworks and Research Gaps

This chapter makes a literature review based on the Grant and Booth qualitative systematic methodology of the studies about the educational situation of the Roma in Spain, with an wider, extended scope that allows to compare the findings with those conducted on other countries’ Roma populations. Studies on the Roma educational situation in Spain are hindered by the lack of official, periodical statistics, having to rely on sample-based surveys and ethnographic studies. In spite of the inaccuracy of the studies all of them show, as a general picture, a staggering educational gap between the Roma and the rest of society which is common to all Western countries. Most of the studies on Roma education have concentrated in this negative aspect. Numerous theoretical frameworks have been developed to explain this staggering education gap. All them acknowledge the phenomenon as a multidimensional one but for heuristic purposes they can be ordered along an endogenous/exogenous factors continuum depending on how much they stress the weight of factors stemming from characteristics of the Roma ethnic group itself or, on the contrary, of the majority non-Roma society. The literature review has also identified an emergent critical current that sees this studies focused on educational underachievement as a sharing a common essentialist bias that helps to reinforce the stigmatization of Roma and have turned to focus, instead, on the study of academic success among the Roma. Although this emerging field is very promising, our review has identify several significant research gaps in this regard: a lack of longitudinal studies, a lack of studies on the Roma upper and middle classes and a lack of studies on Roma students in post-compulsory education, particularly the university level. This article encourages researchers to fill this gaps with the conviction that the knowledge obtained can help combat the negative stereotypes and the self-fulfilling prophecy effect that approaches focused on Roma underachievement may have

Is Community Based Tourism viable in the long run? Lessons learnt from the case of Prainha do Canto Verde (Brazil)

Prainha do Canto Verde es un ejemplo paradigmático de Turismo Comunitario (TC). Esta villa costera se ha convertido en un referente nacional para los medios de comunicación de masas y para académicos y miembros de ONG que consideran Prainha un ejemplo exitoso de un turismo comunitario, justo, redistributivo, respetuoso con el medio ambiente y con la cultura local. Sin embargo, se dan en Prainha una serie de conflictos internos que cuestionan la viabilidad futura del proyecto turístico. Como conclusión se sostiene que estos conflictos surgen de la debilidad de las estructuras comunitarias y del desajuste entre una concepción de comunidad corporativa y comunitarista y una población que es en la práctica diversa y que presenta elevadas dosis de individualismo. Asimismo se reflexiona sobre la viabilidad del TC teniendo en cuenta que el turismo desarticula elementos estructurales de las comunidades.Prainha do Canto Verde is a paradigmatic example of Community Based Tourism (CBT). This coastal village has become a national benchmark for mass media, academics and NGO members who consider Prainha a successful example of a redistributive, respectful with the environment and local culture CBT model. However, in Prainha there are a series of internal conflicts that question the future viability of the tourism project. As a conclusion it is argued that these conflicts arise from the weakness of community structures and the mismatch between a concept of community as a corporate and communitarian body which is in the process of been imposed on a population that is actually diverse and that present high levels of individualism. There is also reflection on the viability of the CBT model taking into account that tourism per ser tends to generate and/or accelerate structural transformations within the community.- Grupo de investigación Antropología y Filosofía (SEJ-126). Universidad de Granada. - Área de Antropología Social. Universidad de Jaén. - Laborarorio de Antropología Social y Cultural (HUM-472). Universidad de Almería. - Departamento de Filosofía II. Universidad de Granada

Discourse analysis of the debate on hydroelectric dam builiding in Brazil

In recent years new hydroelectric dam projects in Brazil have led to intense debate across society. A range of different social actors have been engaged in these controversies, all of them deploying different discourses to legitimise their postures. This paper addresses the study of the discourses emerging around this debate in the case of two hydroelectric projects in the Cuenca del Alto Paraná River, and examines the way the multiple arguments emanating from the social actors are grouped together. On the basis of a content analysis of qualitative interviews a factor analysis was carried out to identify the groups of arguments. One of the main outcomes of this analysis highlighted the discursive isolation of a single social group – the people affected by the construction of the dams – in contrast to the other actors, who shared arguments grounded in techno-economic rationales. As opposed to this, those affected by the dam projects used arguments based on their emotions, identities and daily experiences of place; their perspectives were absent from the discourses of other actors

La evolución turística-urbanística de Altea: diagnóstico ciudadano y propuestas para el futuro

El present artícle ofereix una anàlisi de l’evolució del turisme residencial al municipi d’Altea a través de la seua transformació urbanística, econòmica i demogràfica. En segon lloc, s’esposen alguns dels principals re-sultats d’un procés de participació ciutadana desenrotllat en aquest municipi dirigit a facilitar la reflexió col·lectiva entorn a les implicacions del model de desenvolupament local i a les seues possibilitats de futur.El presente artículo ofrece un análisis de la evolución del turismo residencial en el municipio de Altea a través de su transformación urbanística, económica y demográfica. En segundo lugar, se exponen algunos de los principales resultados de un proceso de participación ciudadana desarrollado en este municipio dirigido a facilitar la reflexión colectiva en torno a las implicaciones del modelo de desarrollo local y sus posibilidades de futuro

Participatory social impact assessment of residential tourism and meta-analysis of results: a case study in Pipa (Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil)

Este artículo presenta una propuesta metodológica para la evaluación participativa de impactos sociales. Se ejemplifica mediante la descripción del proceso y resultados de una investigación realizada en la comunidad turística de Pipa (Rio Grande do Norte, Brasil) en la que se desarrolló un proceso de participación orientado a discutir el modelo de turismo residencial implantado en este territorio mediante el identificación y evaluación de sus impactos sociales. La novedad de esta propuesta reside en que se añade, a los beneficios y utilidades de la evaluación participativa de impactos sociales, un meta-análisis realizado sobre los resultados del proceso de participación. Este meta-análisis hace uso de las herramientas informáticas propias del Análisis de Redes Sociales aplicadas al estudio de los mapas causa-efecto elaborados por los participantes. Los resultados de este análisis cuantitativo se completan e interpretan con la información obtenida a través de entrevistas en profundidad y revisión documental, permitiendo: 1) identificar las causas últimas de los impactos sociales derivados del turismo residencial a escala local y 2) una mejor comprensión de la complejidad causal de estos impactos. El meta-análisis ha identificado que la primacía de los intereses de las empresas inmobiliarias internacionales sobre el interés general local se sustenta sobre su capacidad ilusoria de controlar la demanda mediante agresivas campañas de marketing. Esta información permite la deconstrucción del discurso desarrollista del turismo y posibilita la demarcación de nuevas áreas de acción estratégica orientadas a la maximización del beneficio colectivo.This paper presents a methodological proposal for the participatory assessment of social impacts. This is illustrated with the description of the process and results of a research developed at the tourism destination of Pipa (Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil). At this destination, a participatory process was conducted with the aim of discussing the model of residential tourism established in the area, through the identification and assessment of its social impacts. The novelty in this proposal lies in the addition to the benefits and usefulness of participatory impact assessment of a meta-analysis of the outcomes of the participatory process. This meta-analysis applies the computer tools used in Social Networks Analysis to the study of the cause-effect maps elaborated by the participants. The results of this quantitative analysis are completed and interpreted with the information obtained through qualitative interviews and documentation, allowing: 1) the identification of the deep causes of the social impacts derived from residential tourism at a local level and 2) a better understanding of the causal complexity of these impacts. The meta-analysis has identified that the primacy of the international real estate companies’ interests over the local general interest is sustained on their illusory capacity to control the demand by means of aggressive advertising campaigns. This information permits the deconstruction of the tourism developmentalist discourse and enables the demarcation of new areas for strategic action oriented to the maximization of collective benefits