Paper short abstract:

There is an ongoing housing crisis in major European urban centers. The inquiry of my PhD research focuses on the resistance among activists and locals against platform-based touristic housing with an urban anthropological approach.

Paper long abstract:

The phenomenon of mass tourism accompanies the development of modern society. Platform-based home sharing applications brought change to the field of tourism since the 2010's. In the first instance, related to urban mass tourism the distance between tourists – who used to stay in hotels and other types of official accommodations – and local residents of the city radically reduced. The apartments that were previously available on the long-term rental market for the urban population in many cases have been transferred to the short-term touristic housing market. These changes on the cultural and social fabric of certain neighborhoods caused the rise of the social movements which are in the focus of my research inquiry.

My study summarizes the latest results of the research, during which I analyse this social struggle thinking together with those who are involved and affected by the phenomena. While it is a global phenomena and there are several similarities with my previous research from Barcelona this case study of a specific residential community of Budapest shows local cultural practices and peculiarities of the social context. Why does the anti-capitalistic left wing activists embrace this issue typically? What are the characteristics of effective resistance in this specific field? How did the COVID19 pandemic affected this social drama and the members of the local community? In my presentation, I will try to find answers to these questions among others.