| dc.description.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. | |
