The difficult coexistence between urban landscape and tourism: classification of conflicts and regulatory proposals based on comparative analysis of local regulations

Abstract

This paper addresses the interrelationship between urban landscape and tourism activity, given the latter’s rapid increase in Spanish historic centres. The approach taken focuses on how local regulations deal with conflicts arising in that interrelationship. The main aims are: a) to identify conflicts stemming from the dialectic between tourism activity and urban landscape, and propose a classification of same; and b) to review regulations approved in that respect and based on them explore proposed type regulations on the question – in both cases with special attention to historic centres. The methodology used was comparative analysis of local regulations approved in Spanish 12 and foreign 3 cities of particular significance owing to the quality of their heritage and the level of tourism visits.