Barcelona. The Constitution of Alternative Tourism and the Diversification of Street Art

This chapter examines how Barcelona has positioned itself as one of Europe’s leading cities in attracting global tourism, through a process that began in the 1980s. This is partly attributed to its urban policy of city branding, which is distinguished by its multiculturalism, cultural policy, and artistic development. In this context, street art plays a fundamental role as a means of intervention that beautifies public space. In the face of the current growth of tourism in Barcelona (some authors call it touristification), alternative forms of tourism are emerging that broaden the existing offerings in urban spaces. In a certain way, it seeks what is known as “authenticity,” with the risk of endangering elements that constitute the identity of neighborhoods and communities. The development of this type of creative tourism is linked, for example, to urban processes related to the emergence of artistic and cultural neighborhoods, which can have less than positive consequences for their most direct residents in terms of caring for their environment and preserving their community lifestyle.