The Ibiza’s Nightlife as a Bend from Marginalization to Tourism Centrality

Abstract

Mass tourism has had a deep impact on many Mediterranean destinations, such as Ibiza in the Balearic Islands (Spain). Not only natural resorts but also the image of the destination itself have been eroded and have undergone a process of marginalization related to other new destinations in recent years (the 1990s). Some mixed investors (private and public) benefited from club culture phenomena (the 2000s) and made Ibiza one of the best-known nightlife destinations in the world. This occurred in a first period based on youth tourism (the 2000s) (Knox 2009) that pursued part of the traditional familiar tourism and in a second period (the 2010s) in a process of reconversion to luxury tourism, attracted by the unique and well-known nightlife (Amalvi 1997). Presently, Ibiza is becoming one of the most exclusive tourism destinations in Spain, sharing this position with luxury places such as Marbella, Monaco, and Saint Tropez. The present study focuses on how a global activity such as music has benefited a destination that was in the process of marginalization.