Cities and Commercial Activities at the Service of Tourism. Three Sicilian Case Studies Compared

As a complex space-time construct of knowledge and capital, the city narrates itself by incorporating the diverse experiences of its inhabitants. Within this premise, the process of touristification takes shape, grounded in an awareness of the tourism sector’s contribution to national gross domestic product. Cities often find themselves adapting their various components to the logic of destinations and tourist consumption. As a result, tourism is frequently associated with critical issues such as gentrification and the erosion of local identity. Accommodating tourist flows necessitates the reorganization of the urban context in both structural and communicative terms. This lays the foundation for research on factors such as the arrangement of streets and squares, the delineation of public and private spaces, and the concept of ‘foodification’, which is often linked to the touristification of historic centres. In alignment with the interests of commercial geography and an urban-economic perspective focused on the impact of commercial activities on urban space reconfiguration (Cirelli et al., 2021), this study investigates the phenomenon within a broader framework, examining its effects on commercial activities. Specifically, three case studies from metropolitan cities in Sicily– Palermo, Catania, and Messina – will be analyzed to identify similarities and differences. These analyses will be based on the image of the destination/city, territorial characteristics, and the stakeholders involved.