An irreconcilable first-place: the precarious life of tourism and heritage in a southern European historic centre

Naples' historic center embodies a precarious duality, where heritage tourism intersects with local life, evoking both anxiety and liberation. Unlike conventional narratives of gentrification or museumification, this study reveals that the area's allure lies in its affective experience—mixing excitement and foreboding—rather than monumental grandeur. Through three case studies—a bus tour, online reactions to a New York Times article, and local perceptions of a pedestrianized piazza—the research demonstrates how tourism here is shaped by contradictory emotions, challenging assumptions about the inevitable transformation of historic centers under visitor economies.

Dines, N. (2016). An irreconcilable first-place: the precarious life of tourism and heritage in a southern European historic centre. International Journal of Heritage Studies, 24(2), 142–153. https://doi.org/10.1080/13527258.2016.1195428