The Pain of Being a Resident in Granada. Analysis of the Accommodation Offer and Residents’ Perception

Abstract

The process of touristification of cities has intensified in the last decade and the interruption of the pandemic has not improved it. Many destinations perceived overtourism, understood as the negative impact of tourism in a destination where it is perceived as saturated and has an excessive and negative influence on the quality of life of citizens and/or on the quality of the visitor experience. This congestion is not only due to the number of visitors, but also to the capacity to manage them. The seasonality and concentration in certain areas exacerbate this perception. It is understood that this congestion is not just a tourism problem and that technological solutions alone do not solve the problem. In Granada, a historical city in Europe, residents reveal that, prior to the onset of the pandemic, there was a perception of tourism-phobia. However, research shows that the pandemic has not improved the management of the destination, but rather increased the perception of overcrowding. Residents see the tourism tax or the limitation of tourist homes marketed on platforms. The debate is of enormous complexity, and the solution in the immediate future is unclear.