TEXT V
They call it ‘tourism-phobia’ but that’s not what’s
happening in Barcelona
Jordi Rabassa, Barcelona en Comú District Councilor for the
Old City in Barcelona
There‘s a new word that‘s taken over the local political
debate in Barcelona: tourism-phobia. For months now,
political and media personalities have been using
accusations of tourism-phobia to attack the social
movements and political parties that are questioning the
so-called ‗tourism industry‘ and its repercussions on the
right to the city.
The use of ―tourism-phobia‖ seeks to criminalize this
criticism, painting it as a form of racism against people
who visit the city in the popular imagination. But this
attempt to compare, even at a subconscious level,
―tourism-phobia‖ and racism is not just irresponsible, it‘s a
sign of defeat by those who have invented the word.
Because these are the same people who warned us that regulating tourism would paralyze economic activity and
employment in the city. This argument, based on the
supposedly unquestionable logic of the productive
economy, hasn‘t gone anywhere; it‘s the same old
neoliberal discourse that tourism is a harmless and
friendly activity. They‘ve just pushed it aside temporarily to
make room for the related idea of tourism-phobia, which
aims to appeal to people‘s emotions.
They call it tourism-phobia but they probably don‘t
know what they really want to say. They use the concept
of tourism-phobia to camouflage their support for
business interests that are putting the right to the city of
the people of Barcelona at risk. They call it tourism-phobia
to weaken the city government, to criminalize the most
active and radical social movements, and to patronize
unorganized citizens. They call it tourism-phobia to inject
a meme that can be launched on social media and
vomited up on TV and the radio.
Those of us in Barcelona who criticize, problematize or
reject an economic model based on the liberalization of
the tourism industry are not filled with hate. We‘re
defending human rights, principally the right to housing
and the right to the city.
Those who criticize the hegemony of tourism as an
economic model are calling for a fair and inclusive city, a
city with neighborhoods where people can live.
We‘re demanding rent caps and denouncing speculation
with commercial premises and licenses. We‘re
condemning the black market of tourist apartments that is
pushing low-income families out of their homes. We‘re
saying, loud and clear, that we want public, affordable
housing. We‘re working to make sure that our streets and
squares aren‘t overwhelmed by visitors. We‘re grieving for
the men and women who‘ve been expelled from our
neighborhoods.
They call it tourism-phobia but that‘s not what it is: it‘s
a conscious demand for the right to the city.
Translation of an article published in eldiario.es on 27/06/2017
Disponível em: https://medium.com/@BComuGlobal/they-call-ittourism-phobia-but-that-s-not-what-s-happening-in-barcelonacb56b02da97b Acesso em: 07 ago. 2017.
O trecho do texto V que constrói e enfatiza a ideia de que
a turismofobia vem circulando há algum tempo e continua
assim no presente é:
