Publications
Perceptions and Opinions of the Host Community Regarding Overtourism in the Tourist-Historic City
Residents of Toledo, Spaindo not widely perceive overtourism as a severe issue despite its economic significance. However, they recognize specific negative impacts, such as the historic center becoming overly commercialized for tourists and traffic congestion from overcrowding. Notably, residents in the historic core express more negativity toward tourism development than those in other areas. The study used surveys to assess social carrying capacity perceptions, revealing nuanced local attitudes that could inform policy responses for sustainable tourism management.
Using Flickr Geotagged Photos to Estimate Visitor Trajectories in World Heritage Cities
Research reveals that tourist spatial behavior in World Heritage Cities, such as Toledo (Spain), is significantly influenced by the location of attractions and mixed-use areas. Using thousands of geotagged Flickr photos, advanced GIS techniques reconstructed visitor trajectories, identifying overcrowded streets and underexplored 'shadow areas.' Findings underscore how urban environments shape tourist movement, offering new insights for managing heritage assets and mitigating overcrowding effects in touristified cities.
Land Squandering in the Spanish Medium Sized Cities: The Case of Toledo
Spanish medium-sized cities, including the historic UNESCO World Heritage Site of Toledo, experienced significant urban sprawl and land squandering from the mid-1990s to 2008. This process, driven by speculation and profit, transformed compact urban forms into disjointed spaces, particularly in peripheral districts. The study highlights how Toledo's urban expansion extended into its hinterland while also noting internal dispersion through the 'Ensanche' (widening) process in the late 20th century. Using urban estate cadaster data alongside fieldwork and bibliographic research, the authors demonstrate that such growth patterns resulted in fragmented urban landscapes. This research underscores the consequences of unchecked land development on historic cities.
Residents’ Opinions and Perceptions of Tourism Development in the Historic City of Toledo, Spain
Residents of Toledo, Spain, largely view tourism development positively, particularly for its economic benefits and job creation potential. However, they express concerns about the historic center being overcommercialized into a 'museum' for tourists. A quantitative survey of 442 residents revealed that those living in residential areas had more positive perceptions than those in the historic center itself. The study used descriptive statistics, factor analysis, and non-parametric tests to analyze data, providing insights that could help tourism managers mitigate negative impacts and gain community support.
El excursionismo cultural desde destinos turísticos urbanos a sitios patrimoniales: de Madrid a Toledo = Cultural hiking from urban touristic destinations to heritage places: from Madrid to Toledo
The primary driver of cultural tourism from Madrid to Toledo is the oversupply of excursions offered by tour operators, which discourages longer stays despite Toledo's efforts to promote overnight visits. Research reveals that geographical proximity and high-speed rail connections facilitate this short-duration tourism, while the appeal of Toledo's heritage attracts visitors. However, the lack of collaboration between Toledo's tourism sector and Madrid-based operators perpetuates the trend of day trips, limiting economic benefits for Toledo. The study employs a mixed-methods approach, analyzing diverse data sources to holistically understand the phenomenon and its impacts on destination sustainability.
Spatial distribution of economic activities in heritage cities: The case of the historic city of Toledo, Spain.
Heritage buildings and street network properties significantly influence the spatial distribution of economic activities in historic cities. Using Toledo, Spain, as a case study, researchers found that the presence of heritage sites like cathedrals and town halls, combined with two key urban design metrics—spatial integration (how connected a street segment is to the city) and spatial choice (its prominence or visibility)—can accurately predict where economic activity, particularly tourism-related, thrives. The study employed street audits to map ground-floor activities, Space Syntax analysis to measure integration and choice at neighborhood and city-wide scales, and GIS tools to assess proximity to heritage buildings. Statistical modeling confirmed that these three variables—heritage intensity, spatial integration, and spatial choice—collectively explain the distribution of economic activity in Toledo's historic center.
When the virtual influences reality. The conservation project of the Toledo Gate in Ciudad Real (Spain)
A multidisciplinary conservation project of the Toledo Gate in Ciudad Real, Spain, revealed new architectural insights through virtual 3D modeling. The study, combining archival research, archaeological excavations, and material analysis, challenged previous assumptions about the gate's construction techniques and typology. Virtual reconstructions not only aided in decision-making for physical conservation but also raised public awareness by visualizing the gate's historical significance within the city walls. These findings led to adjustments in the conservation project, demonstrating the transformative potential of digital reconstruction in heritage preservation.
Introduction
This study highlights the significance of urban spaces, particularly historic cities like Toledo, as strategic sites for exploring societal transformations and cultural production. It emphasizes the role of space as a heuristic tool capable of generating knowledge about epochal changes, moving beyond traditional historicism to integrate spatiality into critical analysis. The research draws on theories by Saskia Sassen and Michel Foucault, examining how urban centers such as Madrid and Mexico City serve as active agents in narrative and cultural production, influencing artistic, literary, and musical outputs. It underscores the importance of spatiality in contemporary studies, illustrating this through examples from Hispanic literature and film, and aligns with Lefebvre’s theoretical framework on social space.
Market segmentation based on time use: an empirical analysis in the historic city of Toledo, Spain
A study of the historic city of Toledo, Spain, reveals that time use is an effective and profitable criterion for segmenting visitors, with distinct differences in spending and future intentions between day-trippers and tourists. The research analyzed data from 799 day-trippers and tourists, identifying four segments for each group. These findings suggest that understanding time use can help destinations prioritize which visitor groups to attract and optimize activity and service offerings.
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