The tourist-resident encounter: impacts of tourism on the sense of place of Dutch students in inner-city Amsterdam

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of tourism on the sense of place of Dutch students in inner-city Amsterdam. Extensive media coverage points at the seriousness of problems arising from practically unbridled tourism growth in Amsterdam, while academic literature indicates its potential impact upon sense of place. In order to accurately address the impact of tourism, the sense of place of the research population is to be determined first. Secondly, the impact of tourism hereon is determined while distinguishing between different areas and positive and negative impacts. Lastly, the question of how these impacts are constituted is addressed. With the use of a qualitative methodology – semi structured interviews and evaluative mapping practices – the research questions have been empirically researched. Results demonstrate areas of inner-city Amsterdam in which students experience positive, negative and bilateral senses of place and their constituting factors. The sense of place of students is found to be constituted through three main dimensions – physical and social environments and personal characteristics. Tourism affects the social and physical environment of inner-city Amsterdam, which in turn impacts the sense of place of students. Personal characteristics clarify interpersonal differences in sense of place and the effect of tourism hereon. These impacts of tourism on sense of place of students in inner-city Amsterdam are found to be extensive and mostly negative, although positive effects do exist. Certain areas of inner-city Amsterdam were found to show greater impacts of tourism on sense of place of students. The strongest negative impacts of tourism on sense of place were found in the innermost city center, Leidseplein and Rembrandtplein. Several causes of these negative effects were found, including an increased busyness, a changing social composition and the loss of local amenities at the cost of those mainly aimed at serving tourists. The strongest positive effects of tourism on sense of place of students on the other hand, were found in the Nieuwmarkt, Oudemanhuispoort and Centraal Station. Here too, several causes of these positive effects were found, including an increased sense of liveliness, the internationalization of the public and an increase in amenities. These findings may have serious consequences for both the municipality and the tourist-sector of Amsterdam and can be used to alter the ways of viewing tourism in Amsterdam. Further research is recommended in order to extend the external validity and reliability of the findings.