Vacation Rentals, Tourism, and International Migration: Gentrification in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (Spain) From a Diachronic Perspective

Abstract

The growing presence of vacation rentals and international residential migrations are two phenomena determining the recent dynamics and urban structure of most Spanish Mediterranean and island cities. Tourists and migrants tend to be interested in the same urban spaces, and this tends to trigger gentrification, either by changes in the uses of real estate, or driven by the prospects perceived by owners of earning money. This chapter analyses these new mobility flows and urban dynamics in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, a city with enormous tourism potential located in the outermost regions of European. The chapter analyses the development of tourism in the city and recent transformations in tourism amenities available, including holiday lets. The chapter studies the changes in the resident population paying special attention to foreigners and finally, to reveal the peculiarities and emerging conflicts inherent to tourism gentrification.