Geographies of touristification of consumption spaces: How retail capital shapes the effects of tourism on shops, services and hospitality businesses

Abstract

This study proposes a framework to measure touristification of consumption spaces, consisting of concentration of retail capital, business displacement and standardization of the consumption landscape. This framework is tested using business registration data and rent price estimates for consumption spaces in Amsterdam between 2005 and 2020. Touristification emerges from concentrations of retail capital and standardization, but occurs without causing significant business displacement. A cluster analysis identifies different variations of touristification. Besides the more typical cases these include nightlife areas, gentrifying consumption spaces and specialized retail areas. This suggests that local contingencies cause consumption spaces to respond differently to increasing tourism.

Keywords

• Touristification
• Retail capital
• Displacement
• Standardization
• Commercial gentrification
• Urban tourism