’Gentrification of neighbourhoods cannot be separated from emerging tourism’

Guido Pijper Many cities would rather get rid of waffle shops and Airbnb is further increasing pressure on the housing market. Shirley Nieuwland of Erasmus School of History, Culture and Communication shows in her dissertation that more and more cities are betting on tourism that also benefits residents. Only this does not apply to everyone: ''If you live in Zuid, you won't care wether tourists are drinking coffee in the Zwaanhals''. A city trip, but without queuing for hours for the Sagrada Familia or the Colosseum. More and more travellers prefer a holiday 'off the beaten path' away from mass tourism. It's not new, but with the advent of Airbnb, travellers can temporarily feel like a complete local. "People don't want to experience a place as an outsider, but to do and experience the same as locals.