Touristification, commercial gentrification, and experiences of displacement in a disadvantaged neighborhood in Busan, South Korea

One of the most prominent topics in scholarship on touristification and gentrification is displacement, including not only direct physical displacement, but also the emotional and social impacts associated with indirect displacement. Although research on touristification and gentrification has begun to examine the experiences and perceptions of residents undergoing displacement in low-income urban neighborhoods, it has paid less attention to the spatial characteristics of indirect displacement and the distinctive characteristics of displacement associated specifically with tourism. In Gamcheon Culture Village (GCV) in Busan, South Korea, touristification and commercial gentrification have generated limited direct physical displacement of residents and business owners spatially concentrated in areas adjacent to the main tourist thoroughfare. However, indirect displacement in the sense of displacement pressure and un-homing has a more widespread and complex presence within the community, depending in part on residents’ proximity to tourist activity. In addition, tourism-induced displacement can create dimensions of un-homing less common in typical gentrifying neighborhoods. Our findings suggest a need both for more comparative empirical research on indirect displacement and for urban policies attentive to un-homing associated with touristification and gentrification.