by Jan-Hinnerk Antons
The phenomenon of overtourism is currently a hot topic wherever there exists unease about the extent and consequences of tourism. The point at which a tolerable limit is exceeded, and which phenomena are considered undesirable, is the subject of a cultural and political negotiation process that began long before mass tourism emerged in the second half of the 20th century. As early as the mid-19th century, people in regions developing tourist infrastructure criticised changes to the landscape. This critical reflection on tourism was partly based on an unease about the rapid transformation of everyday life by modernity and thus shares the same roots as tourism itself. However, another significant source of critical perspectives on tourism developments has been the distribution of economic benefits in the host regions.
This research project focuses on the period of economic upheaval in the 19th century, examining the establishment of capitalist principles in the emerging tourism sector. The project aims to analyse the economic history of Baltic seaside resorts from their inception in the 19th century. A variety of actors made investments and introduced innovations: Some resorts were founded by noble sovereigns, some by merchants in joint-stock companies, while others were based on room hire by local fishing families, initiatives by spa doctors, or investments by local innkeepers. What conditions led to positive development in the short and in the long term? What role did transnational innovation and knowledge transfer play? To what extent did the newly created commercial structures challenge existing social orders? What gender roles emerged in the tourism industry? And, above all: How was the acceptance of changes to the living environment brought about by tourism linked to broad participation in its economic success? These questions are analysed comparatively in case studies of individual seaside resorts throughout the Baltic Sea region.