Urban and Territorial Impacts of Mass Tourism in Contemporary Society
The ISMAT is organising the seminar "Architecture and Mass Tourism: Host City, Critical Territory", with the aim of discussing the urban and territorial effects of mass tourism on contemporary society through a multidisciplinary approach.
Since the 1930s, with the introduction of paid holidays, tourism has become more accessible, creating new urban dynamics and generating entire cities dedicated to leisure and tourism. However, the massification of tourism brings paradoxes: on one hand, it promotes economic development and cultural exchange, but on the other, it exerts pressure on natural resources, affecting long-term sustainability and generating challenges such as environmental impact and urban chaos.
This seminar aims to discuss the impact of mass tourism on local communities, economies, and ecosystems, shifting the analysis to the present and addressing the often contradictory forces that shape tourist territories. The event will feature presentations from experts followed by interactive discussions, with provisional conclusions to be presented at the end, feeding into future research on this crucial topic.
Programme
8th April 2025 (Tuesday)
- 09:30 | Opening
Ana Bordalo (Director MIA-ISMAT)
- 09:45 | Portimão City Council
Presentation on the impact of tourism on the host city
- 10:00 | Carimo Rassal (University of Algarve)
Topic: All-Inclusive Resorts and Urban Dynamics: Rethinking Exclusivity, Sustainability, and Territorial Integration
- 10:45 | Sílvia Pulina (University of Sassari)
Topic: How do Natural Systems Work? The Effects of Tourism on Aquatic Ecosystems in Coastal Areas
- 11:30 | Debate
Open discussion on the presented topics
- 12:30 | Lunch
Lunch break
- 14:00 | Pedro Pimpão (Inframoura)
Discussion on infrastructure and the challenges of mass tourism
- 14:45 | Mostafa Zekri (Instituto Superior Manuel Teixeira Gomes)
Topic: Tourism, Mobility, and Sociocultural Challenges: The Impact on Local and Regional Communities
- 15:30 | Debate
Discussion on the impact of tourism on local communities
9th April 2025 (Wednesday)
- 10:00 | Minora Hafez (online) (German University in Cairo)
Discussion on tourism and socio-environmental challenges
- 10:30 | Sofia Gomes (Instituto Superior Manuel Teixeira Gomes)
Topic: Host City: Invisible Forces, Fragmented Landscape and Collective Presence
- 11:00 | Almut Seeger (online) (University of Applied Sciences Erfurt)
Perspectives on contemporary urban and tourist dynamics
- 11:45 | Vítor Alves (Instituto Superior Manuel Teixeira Gomes)
Topic: Provisional Conclusions
- 12:15 | Ana Bordalo (Instituto Superior Manuel Teixeira Gomes)
Closing: Thank you and closing of the seminar
To participate online, please click the link here.
Join us to explore this relevant topic and contribute to an enriching debate on the future of tourism and architecture in global cities.
