Coping with Tourists: European Reactions to Mass Tourism(1 New Directions in Anthropology)

Once content to sunbathe and follow guides and established itineraries, tourists are increasingly seeking authentic culture. This is taking them into the private areas and zones to which the locals retire in order to escape the tourist gaze, creating tensions between the two groups. Based on recent anthropological field studies, this book describes how European communities dependant on tourism have been affected by the commoditization of their culture and explores the ways they cope with the constant attention of outsiders. The collection demonstrates both varied and skillful ways in which individuals and communities react to and cope with the impact of decades of mass tourism on their lives and values, thus throwing new light onto questions of identity, boundary maintenance and cultural adjustment.

Table of Contents:
Preface Introduction Jeremy Boissevain Chapter 1. Contested Territories: The Politics of Touristic Development at the Shrine of El Rocío in Southwestern Andalusia Mary M. Crain Chapter 2. Tourism and Self-Consciousness in a South Spanish Coastal Community Antonio Miguel Nogués Pedregal Chapter 3. A Case of Neglect? The Politics of (Re)presentation: a Sardinian Case Peter Odermatt Chapter 4. Negotiating the Tourist Gaze: The Example of Malta Annabel Black Chapter 5. Philoxenia Receiving Tourists – but not Guests – on a Greek Island Cornélia Zarkia Chapter 6. Reactions to Tourism: A View from the Deep Green Heart of France Simone A. Abram Chapter 7. Dealing with Fish and Tourists: A Case Study from Northern Norway Roel Puijk Chapter 8. The Social Construction of Mokum: Tourism and the Quest for Local Identity in Amsterdam Heidi Dahles Postlude Tom Selwyn Notes on Contributors Index

About the Author :
Jeremy Boissevain (1928-2015) was Emeritus Professor of Social Anthropology at the University of Amsterdam where he taught from 1966 to 1993. His many activities included the directing of CARE programs in the Philippines, Japan, India and Malta and teaching appointments in Canada, the United States, England and Malta.

Review :
“…a new and welcome approach to the study of mass tourism in Europe.” • Journal of Area Studies “Thanks to its introduction and epilogue this collection acquires a theoretical unity and depth and forms an interesting contribution to research on tourism.” • Focaal