Jan-Henrik Nilsson
Senior lecturer, associate professor
Welcome to Hipsterville, In search of urban sustainable tourism.
Author
Summary, in English
Hipsterville has many locations, primarily in Europe and North America. The name of this ”place” refers to
urban districts, mainly in large cities, which are dominated by particular subcultures. They are often former
working class districts, in different stages of gentrification, located away from traditional tourism disticts. In
these districts, clusters of small scale innovative firms may develop, which are dependent of the
consumption of local residents and the vicinity of other similar firms. In many cases these firms have
ambitions to be socially and ecologically sustainable. Hipstervilles are often highly international in character,
both inhabitants and cultural influences tend to be highly mobile. In the last decade, incoming tourism has
become an increasingly important part of local activities and consumption in these districts. Increasing
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tourism may create enhanced opportunities for creative local innovation but it may also, through the
economic power of tourism consumption, become a vehicle of negative social change, for instance by rising
rent levels due to tourism induced gentrification.
This presentation discusses three main things:
• How can we define these new forms of urban tourism related services? What roles do they play in their
local contexts?
• What are the driving forces behind the development of this kind of tourism? How do they relate to one
another depending on geographic scale?
• What effects do they have for social and ecological sustainability?
This project is still in its early stage; results are not presented in a traditional way.
urban districts, mainly in large cities, which are dominated by particular subcultures. They are often former
working class districts, in different stages of gentrification, located away from traditional tourism disticts. In
these districts, clusters of small scale innovative firms may develop, which are dependent of the
consumption of local residents and the vicinity of other similar firms. In many cases these firms have
ambitions to be socially and ecologically sustainable. Hipstervilles are often highly international in character,
both inhabitants and cultural influences tend to be highly mobile. In the last decade, incoming tourism has
become an increasingly important part of local activities and consumption in these districts. Increasing
20
tourism may create enhanced opportunities for creative local innovation but it may also, through the
economic power of tourism consumption, become a vehicle of negative social change, for instance by rising
rent levels due to tourism induced gentrification.
This presentation discusses three main things:
• How can we define these new forms of urban tourism related services? What roles do they play in their
local contexts?
• What are the driving forces behind the development of this kind of tourism? How do they relate to one
another depending on geographic scale?
• What effects do they have for social and ecological sustainability?
This project is still in its early stage; results are not presented in a traditional way.
Department/s
- Department of Service Studies
Publishing year
2017
Language
English
Document type
Conference paper: abstract
Topic
- Other Social Sciences not elsewhere specified
Conference name
26th Nordic Symposium of Tourism and Hospitality Research
Conference date
2017-10-04 - 2017-10-06
Conference place
Falun, Sweden
Status
Unpublished