Prof. Silvia Cerisola (p), Prof. Elisa Panzera

Tourism is widely recognized as a driver of local economic development (attracting investments, creating jobs, and expanding business opportunities), an effect commonly referred to as “tourism-led growth” (Balaguer & Cantavella-Jordá, 2002). However, it is also a determinant of social, cultural, environmental, and economic costs (e.g., gentrification and the displacement of local communities, Adie et al., 2020; Boussa, 2021) especially in situations of overtourism. This work investigates the interrelationships between tourism attractiveness, housing prices, and population dynamics across Italian provincial capitals. Specifically, it aims at testing the hypothesis that higher levels of tourist flows, in association with housing prices, influence local population trends. As tourism increasingly shapes urban economies, it also transforms real estate markets and potentially raises living costs, thereby affecting residential choices across demographic groups. For the purpose of testing these relationships, we develop a Structural Equation Model empirical framework that examines the effects of tourism intensity and housing prices on population turnover and on its mobility share. The results contribute to the urban economics and tourism literature by shedding light on the demographic implications of tourism and real estate market related dynamics and offer relevant insights for urban planning and housing policy, especially in tourism-oriented cities.

References
Adie BA, Falk M, Savioli M (2020) Overtourism as a perceived threat to cultural heritage in Europe. Curr Issues Tour 23(14):1737–2174
Balaguer J, Cantavella-Jordá M (2002) Tourism as a long-run economic growth factor: the Spanish case. Appl Econ 34(7):877–884. https:// doi. org/ 10. 1080/ 00036 84011 00589 23
Boussaa D (2021) The past as a catalyst for cultural sustainability in historic cities; the case of Doha, Qatar. Int J Heritage Stud 27(5):470–486. https:// doi. org/ 10. 1080/ 13527 25820 20. 18060 98

Prof. Dominique Vanneste (p), MaSc Chloë De Groeve

Our study examines the social and environmental impacts and sustainability issues of an inner city festival, mainly from a residents’ perspective. Focus is on the ‘Gentse Feesten’ in Belgium, being one of the largest inner city festivals in Europe which attracted 1,7 million visitors in 10 days in 2024. Guiding this research is the question: How do the Gentse Feesten impact on the residents living in Ghent, and can a discrepancy in perception regarding residential well-being be detected among different stakeholders? A mixed-methods approach was used to explore the perceptions of attendees, festival organizers, and residents in connection with the attitude of visitors during the festival, management of the festival and the participation of residents in decision-making. The residents of the historical centre of Ghent remain the primary focus of this study; through surveys and interviews, they are given a platform to share their personal experiences and reflections. Findings highlight the complex nature of balancing diverse stakeholder concerns and needs, even within the affected resident community, e.g. differentiated by age and length of the residence. Sense of place, community connection, and local pride are identified as key to residents’ well-being during the festival, while visitors’ attitudes play a frequently cited role. Overall, while most respondents view the festival positively at present and praise its sustainability, but the festival is still growing and internationalizing, while the challenges are feared to increase and disrupt a delicate balance Organizers and local authorities are expected to address these concerns together with the residents of the city centre, but more respect of visitors for local ownership of the urban environment seems a decisive issue.

Prof. Marie DELAPLACE (p), Prof. Jekaterina DIMITRIJEVA

Olympic Games (OG) can transform the host city and in particular its image. In the bid stage, OG highlight the fact that the city is a city which can compete to attract investment (Müller and Steyaert 2013). Moreover, OG are sometimes linked to a global urban project as in Barcelone (Gravari-Barbas et Jacquot, 2007) in London (Beucher, 2009, Poynter, 2012) or in Beijing (Augustin, 2009, Kaplanidou, 2009), which can contribute to a new city’ image.
During the event, due to an extensive media coverage (Essex and Chalkley, 1998, Kenyon & Bodet, 2018), OG convey to the world the image that the local actors want to give to the territory and its possible future (Marais et Arnaud, 2013, Thanh, Kirova & Dareous, 2014, Pappas, 2004). But they can also have a negative image effect: delays in delivery, budget overruns, strikes, and sometimes even suspicions of corruption (as in Montréal, Khomsi, 2015). Being in the international spotlight can be problematic for the city if there are security problems, congestion as it was the case in Atlanta (Essex & Brian, 1998), London (Thanh, Kirova & Dareous, 2014).
The 2024 Paris Olympic Games took place in Paris but also in in Seine Saint-Denis department which hosted most of the new Olympic venues. Seine Saint-Denis department is the poorest department of metropolitan France and its image had been severely damaged. Conversely, Paris, where many competitions and the opening ceremony took place in temporary venues, is the richest department in France and enjoys a very strong image. What are the effects of OG on this both territories? How to evaluate a possible image change? Are the image effects different?
Based on surveys conducted with 1124 visitors in Paris (Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe/Champs Elysées, Notre-Dame de Paris and Sacré Coeur) and 976 in Seine Saint-Denis (Puces de Saint-Ouen, Stade de France, Basilique Saint-Denis during the Games (2024) we will show that the image effects are in the same time very similar and very different.
Seine-Saint-Denis, which had a negative image, has benefited from a significant improvement in image, particularly at the Stade de France, and for the domestic tourists (outside the IDF region) while Paris's image, which was already very good, has also improved, albeit to a smaller extent and particularly for international tourists. We further explore the drivers of the image change by examining the patterns in the words used to characterize the host territories.