Order out of chaos: a government’s decision facing the impact of tourism at Madrid’s urban centre

Abstract

In recent years, the idea that tourism could be at the origin of deep contradictions menacing some big cities is gaining space and more complex and mature policies are thus required. With this study we make an attempt at illustrating how policy decisions are better explained as an anarchic, but yet highly organized, process in which actor's discourses and bargaining practices shape the alternatives that decision makers have at hand in the end. The case study is the decision made by Madrid's government in order to face the conflict that tourism would have seemingly risen in the city. The theoretical framework and research design could be easily applied to other cities that are engaged in the same debates, though. The conclusions describe a process where technical rationales of decision makers play a minor role in the formulation of policies, and political opportunity emerges as the key factor. Close attention to these dynamics for alternative frameworks can strengthen our capacity for analyzing tourism as a transversal phenomenon.