Tourism in a Peripheral Territory in the Lisbon Metropolitan Area – The Case-Study of Almada.
Event Title
European Sociological Association - Midterm Conference/ RN 37- Urban Sociology, Urban Theory and Urban Praxis
Year (definitive publication)
2021
Language
English
Country
Italy
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Abstract
This presentation is about a study of the older part of Almada, a city separated from Lisbon by
the Tagus estuary. This territory is characterized by a suburbia development in the second half of
the XX century and, presently, strongly marked by vacant industrial areas. It has a privileged
location on the other side of the river, just in front of Lisbon historic center, and it is noteworthy
the small historic center and the astonishing views. Lisbon, the capital of Portugal, has been
experiencing, in particular since the crisis, a strong promotion on the national and local level to
attract investment and visitors. The intensification of tourists is causing a huge socio-spatial
impact on the older part of the city for many already considered excessive. Following the trend of
New Urban Tourism and the aim of visiting territories off the beaten path, (small) businesses and the local authority of Almada see here an opportunity to gain market share. In this sense, the
goal of this article is to present the perception of place regarding visitors, and to apprehend their
characteristics and what attracts them. The second objective is to capture the impact that the
huge increase of tourism in Lisbon is having in this territory and how the population faces an
increment of visitors. A multi-method approach is used based on the analysis of different social
media, press, blogs, tourist guides, interviews, statistical data as well as surveys to visitors and to
people that use this area on a regular basis. Results indicate that visitors are essentially
Europeans and travel independently. The research also shows that, influenced by Lisbon’s
dynamics, real estate prices in the territory are suffering a significant increase. However, tourism
is positively viewed by the population. It is considered a mechanism of economic development
and urban requalification.
Acknowledgements
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Keywords
Português