Between the waves of migration and tourism: OHIO researcher explores challenges of Mediterranean cities

Musaraj是一名人类学副教授 文理学院, found that 大众旅游 has posed both opportunities and challenges for port cities like Barcelona and Marseille. 她指挥着她 最新研究 在2023年实习期间 Imera, the Institute for Advanced Studies of Aix-Marseille University.

“这两个城市, 至少理论上是这样, 声称欢迎移民和难民, 不像欧洲其他城市,穆萨拉杰说.

Musaraj’s research focuses on understanding the changes happening in Barcelona and Marseille through ethnography, a way researchers learn about different cultures by watching and talking to people in their everyday lives.

她的项目, titled “Mediterranean Dreaming: Migration and Tourism in Maritime Cities,” examines the transformation of these cities in the wake of rising migration, 大众旅游, 草根抗议活动主张“对城市的权利”.”

“The idea of the ‘right to the city’ is that the city is for everybody, 每个人都应该有权使用它,穆萨拉杰说. 它指的是人们声称他们有权利, 例如, 公共空间, 或者公共交通或者经济适用房.

在马赛做研究的时候, Musaraj witnessed many public events and gatherings that claimed the “right to the city.”

Musaraj explains that tourism was initially seen as an economic solution in these cities. Both Barcelona and Marseille were experiencing periods of decline until global events like the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona and the celebration of Marseille as the European Capital of Culture in 2013 opened the way to transforming these cities into prominent tourist destinations. 

然而, while tourism revitalized the economies of these Maritime cities, 这也给当地居民带来了压力. Musaraj says the “Airbnb economy” takes part of the blame.

“You have this rise of tourism economy there that converges with other global forces, 比如Airbnb现象,”她说。. “All of these forces are creating conditions in the city for housing speculation, 物价上涨, and evictions that are happening because people can’t pay their rent.”

Musaraj adds that Barcelona was one of the first cities to experience massive protests against tourism after the financial crisis in 2008, a time when many residents—primarily those in migrant or low-income neighborhoods—were either evicted because they could not pay their rent or forced out of their neighborhoods as rent became more expensive.

从那时起, foreign investment firms have bought thousands of homes in Barcelona and have evicted residents unable to pay rent, 根据 《bet8网页登录》.

“Airbnb最初是一个沙发冲浪平台。, and it was free [or very cheap] in the beginning … Then people started monetizing it,穆萨拉杰说. “It's turned into another form of hotel business, but it doesn't have a lot of regulation.” 

Musaraj, 谁的背景是经济和法律人类学, has conducted ethnographic research in Albania for over a decade. 她还在纽约大学教授地中海研究课程 社会与人类学系.

Imera awarded her a research fellowship in September 2023 due to her project’s unique focus on the future of Mediterranean cities.

Tourism is also transforming urban life in these cities. 十二月，穆萨拉吉 在imsamra举办了一个研讨会 with other experts to discuss how these cities are dealing with challenges posed by 大众旅游 and migration.

在与这些城市的居民交谈时, Musaraj found that many felt disconnected from their communities. In Barcelona, some said they no longer recognized their city. 

“Some of the 公共空间s like the famous avenue called La Rambla that used to be frequented mostly by locals has actually become kind of invaded by tourists,穆萨拉杰说. “他们哀叹这不再是他们的城市了. You don't see people that you recognize anymore; it's all this transient population.”

In some cases, these cities have attempted to curb the harmful effects of 大众旅游. 例如, 巴塞罗那官员宣布 in September their plans to raise the city’s tourist tax over the next two years.

“他们正试图通过立法来管理旅游业, but there are also cases where people complain that the city doesn’t do enough,穆萨拉杰说, referencing efforts made by local authorities and Barcelona’s former mayor, Ada Colau.

She added that city officials in Marseille plan to regulate the Airbnb economy after the upcoming summer Olympics, 哪一项预计会带来大量游客.

在未来, Musaraj hopes to continue her research into Barcelona and Marseille with the possibility of exploring other Mediterranean cities facing 大众旅游 and migration. 

Musaraj is currently writing a chapter for an edited volume detailing her findings from both cities. Her goal is to look at patterns of governance and grassroots movements across cities in the region, rather than drawing generalizations about the Mediterranean space or culture.

在人类学和地中海研究中, there has been a break from thinking about the Mediterranean as universal,穆萨拉杰说. “I’m not looking at unifying identities that are across the space but looking at movements, looking at hybrid identities and looking at some of the issues that are shared across the board.”