The mirage of residential tourism: a mistaken concept, form arguments

Abstract

Is it possible for a territory receiving four million foreign visitors a year and having more than a million touristic houses not to be touristic? "Sun & Beach" tourism is often related to what is known as residential tourism, a modality based on the slow rotation of touristic beds. However, the touristic nature of this modality, is an ongoing debate since the economical profits for the destination region are not based on services but on real estate business. This article argues from the point of view of architectural and urban form, that residential tourism is not a touristic activity. To that end, it studies the Spanish "Costa Blanca" an area specialized in accommodating the long-term tourist. It analyzes the shift in concept of four main themes (house, building, city and environment), from the leisure-focused urban plans that started colonizing the land to the actual built reality.