EMCROTUR will diagnose the spatial, ecological and social-legal impact of (health, food, energy, climate, natural resources, social inequality...) crises in the intensely touristified coastal Spanish areas. It will also analyse conventional recovery and resilience policies. Finally, and from a multidisciplinary and transdisciplinary perspective, it will explore the proposals for a socioecological transformation put forward by stakeholders in order to generate knowledge which can be applied to strategies, regulations and policies.

Starting hypothesis.

Spain’s Mediterranean coastal areas and islands are ecologically fragile ecotones with dynamics of population growth and concentration, intensive touristification and urbanisation especially in a context of chronic emergencies (financial, health, climate...). When it comes to systemic environmental, energy, inequality and participatory democracy crises (Carpintero and Riechmann, 2014), development based on the intensification of touristification constitutes a risk as shown by the COVID-19 crisis and the resulting collapse of international tourism (Navarro, Romero and Romero, 2021). The over-dimensioning of coastal urban-tourist activity makes it difficult to move towards the urgently needed eco-social transformation. The scenario of the end of cheap tourism requires the diagnosis of the problems and the proposal of solutions. This approach meets the PEICTI guidelines. To this end, EMCROTUR will analyse the biophysical (social metabolism, beaches, built environment) and social bases that support tourism (work, legal framework, social movements). Its diagnosis will base the comparative evaluation of the hegemonic policies (circular economy, green infrastructures) against those arising from social movements oriented to the social transformation of tourism.

Context

The outbreak of the pandemic at the global level has been the biggest crisis to hit global tourism. The pandemic has highlighted the vulnerability of societies and economies that are excessively touristified. In this sense, the COVID-19 crisis can be interpreted as an aggravation of the planetary socioecological crisis characterised by chronic emergencies, the climate crisis being the most notable and linked to the tourism industry. Following the pandemic, the reactivation of the tourism cycle has activated the conflicts associated with overtourism, thus reviving criticism of this phenomenon.

The health emergency has acted as a political catalyst to address other emergencies, mainly climate, energy, natural resources and food emergencies. Of particular note is the Recovery Plan for Europe articulated through the Next GenerationEU funds, whose pillars are sustainability, digitalisation and resilience. Such a political and regulatory shift has been articulated around the proposal of the so-called European Green Deal (EGD), the European strategy for sustainable (green) development, which includes, among others, Action Plans for the Circular Economy and the REPowerEU Plan for sustainable energy provision, which tourist destinations have also adopted. A paradigmatic example is Law 3/2022, of 15 June, on urgent measures for the sustainability and circularity of tourism, recently approved in the Balearic Islands and whose proposals may be adopted in other Spanish Autonomous Communities. However, the narrative of emergency can be translated into political forms of disaster capitalism (Klein 2007), which take the form of planning practices oriented towards tourism-real estate regrowth. In this way, the emergency is used to deepen processes of dispossession and commodification, with serious democratic deficits disguised in terms of governance. In these circumstances, the catastrophe can be instrumentalised to grant exceptionality to certain administrative procedures in order to promote and strengthen the interests of the powerful.

Methodology

The research methodology is based on the critical analysis of the conceptual framework, especially from the study of the state of the art in the academic literature. Different methods will be used for the analysis and diagnosis of spatial, biophysical and social variables taken from case studies that will be compared. It is worth noting that the methodologies required for the development of both subprojects are complementary. SP1 consists of the design and establishment of biophysical indicators of social metabolism, social inequality, hotels’ development and work with a gender approach, GIS mapping and the study of public plans and policies. SP2 is based on participatory action-research methodology, analysis of legislation, geolocalized Big Data, emotional responses (through encephalography), discourse and networks and scenario design.

Geographical study areas

Comparing case studies will benefit from the spatial distribution of the most intensely touristified Spanish geographical areas between the two subprojects: SP1 focuses on the Costa Brava and Costa Blanca and the archipelagos (Balearic and Canary Islands); and SP2 focuses on the Costa del Sol, Costa Cálida, Doñana and Costa de la Luz. Under both subprojects, studies of the new tourist peripheries linked to these areas as a result of the internationalization of Spanish hotel chains (especially in Latin America and the Caribbean) will be also carried out

Goals and tasks

The two subprojects will develop different Specific Goals, assuming Tasks according to the configuration of their research teams, in accordance with their disciplinary and thematic characteristics, methodological specialization and geographical areas. In general terms, the EMCROTUR project proposes as General Goal 1 (GG1) to analyse both the incidence of chronic emergencies in the most intensely touristified Spanish coastal geographical areas (as well as spaces linked to Spanish hotels’ capital in Latin American and Caribbean areas), as GG2, to diagnose the spatial, ecological, social and juridical repercussions, and as GG3, to study the conventional policies, and propose scenarios of socioecological transformation and transition. GGs unfold through the development of 6 Specific Goal (SG): SG1) conceptual analysis and study of theoretical frameworks; SG2) analysis and diagnosis of spatial, environmental and economic touristification; SG3) analysis and diagnosis of the effects of touristification on society, based on the reactions of interest groups, and their reflection in legislation; SG4) study of conventional top-down response and recovery policies; SG5) exploration and contribution to the definition of bottom-up non-hegemonic social transformation proposals; and SG6) (thematic, interdisciplinary, methodological and geographical) interaction among the subprojects as well as dissemination and transfer of project results. These collective Specific Goals will be subdivided into Tasks whose responsibility will be assumed by members of the research teams, with the collaboration of the work teams. While originally the tasks assumed by each research team will be developed in the geographical areas to which the team’s subproject is attached, in the intermediate execution stage they will be transferred between both teams. The purpose of this work methodology is that the specialties of each team can be applied to all geographic areas. 

In order to further justify the need for coordination, the Tasks to be carried out in the framework of each subproject for the development of the Specific Goals are detailed below. In SP1, the UIB research group, which leads the coordinated project, will be in charge of developing the following Tasks: i) regarding SG1, the analysis of the evolution of the academic and social debate around touristification and the social transformation of tourism. Previous projects provide a solid base that can be expanded with the study of the pandemic’s implications for the dependence on tourism (economic and political overweight, use of space, urbanization, etc.), the return to touristification, the proposals for degrowth, post-growth and ecosocial transition, etc. This conceptual review proposes to understand how we have reached the situation of chronic emergencies and which conceptual approaches allow us to configure scenarios of tendential regrowth on the one hand, and of fair socioecological transitions (in plural, thinking that there will not be only one way) and degrowth on the other one; ii) in relation to SG2, SP1 will also analyse variables related to the tourist commodification of space, in terms of its expansion, intensification or transformation, and referred to the coastline and beaches (at risk due to climate change), natural spaces and the built environment, especially hotels in the geographical areas of study, including the internationalization of Spanish hotel capital and the most intensely touristified Latin American and Caribbean related spaces. Also included in SG2 will be the analysis of labour, socio-economic inequality and its link to gender in the tourism industry, in order to define its evolution and relationship with the planning of alternative approaches. In addition, and in relation to this SG2, an analysis of the tourism metabolism, both at the micro (hotel) and macro (destination) level, will be carried out through measurement of the material flows and the carbon footprint. Regarding SG4, the SP1 research team will be responsible for analysing the use of NextGeneration funds, as well as other sources of public funding, insofar as they are intended to contribute to the transformation, recovery and resilience of tourist destinations in the geographical areas analysed. The adaptation of territorial planning to the transformation of the tourism model will be also studied. Finally, tourism governance mechanisms will be discussed in terms of their support to top-down hegemonic policies.

SP2, led by the UMA research group, will develop the following Tasks which also correspond to Specific Goals (SG). Regarding SG1, SP2 will contribute to the conceptualization, and categorization of forms of resistance, attitudes and proposals of social movements, residents, companies, public institutions and academics, from approaches of ecological justice and ecocentric and social transition. It will also analyse the evolution of changes in the social conflict around touristification as well as in the social perception of risks and effects on daily life resulting from chronic emergencies. Finally, the configuration of regrowth and degrowth scenarios will be studied. In relation to SG3, and from the perspective of a fair socioecological transformation and transition, a diagnosis will be made of both the social reactions of different groups and the legislative changes. Through SG5, SP2 will categorize responses, practices and experiences of tourism organization minimizing its contribution to the crises and reducing its effects (e.g. distributing wealth, strengthening communities, offering decent working conditions, etc.), such as post-capitalist ones. Reference practices will also be identified and categorized through case studies of socioecological transformation and transition. Based on the results obtained in SG1 and SG3, bottom-up initiatives (social movements, NGOs, residents, companies...) will be accompanied for the elaboration of collaborative socioecological transition scenarios in coastal tourism spaces. These tasks are proposed in terms of accompaniment and monitoring of pilot cases of territorial defence at different scales and different types of spaces; such as the Popular Legislative Initiatives (PLI), like the PLI for the Mar Menor (recently approved by the Spanish Parliament) and the PLI for Doñana. The rights of nature, renaturalization processes and socioecological justice will constitute important objects of study. SP2 will also delve into the design of different management approaches to the tourist use of natural areas through land stewardship and the adaptation of the concept of legal clinic to that of territorial clinic. This task aims to contribute to the academic, political and social debates on tourism alternatives in times of chronic emergencies.

Finally, both subprojects share the SG6 which pursues to promote interaction, dissemination and transfer of methods and results. The interaction between the two subprojects will allow the switching of methodologies and interdisciplinary study tasks as well as broadening their scope to all the geographical areas of study. Each research team has members specialized not only in the topics covered by the subproject to which it is attached but also in the topics covered by the subproject to which the research team with which it is coordinated is attached (geography, tourism, economics, environmental sciences, urban planning, law, biology...). Interdisciplinarity is purposely sought to encourage collaborative research between the two research teams. SG6 is also related to the publication of academic articles and book chapters, the presentation of papers at conferences and giving lectures. Knowledge transfer to society will be sought through collaboration with interest groups, particularly social movements, and involvement in their processes (allegations to plans, reports to entities such as the Ombudsman and the Administration, alternative proposals, etc.) as well as the preparation of working sessions with companies and public administrations. Finally, through the SG6 it will also be seeked to publish the results in web portals, blogs and social networks as well as to produce professional documentaries, informative reports or artistic exhibitions, among others.

Summary of EMCROTUR core topics (Source: own elaboration)