An urban destination in transition
Tourism is often seen as an activity that brings visitors and economic opportunities to cities. However, tourism is also deeply connected to how cities change, who benefits from urban development, and how places respond to crises. This thesis examines how tourism-dependent urban districts transform during periods of crisis, and how tourism becomes part of these processes of change.
The research focuses on the Beirut neighbourhoods of Mar Mikhael and Gemmayze following the 2020 Beirut Port explosion. Beirut offers a revealing case because the disaster occurred during an ongoing political, economic, and social crisis. Rather than creating a completely new situation, the explosion intensified changes that were already underway. Through interviews and qualitative analysis, the thesis examines how redevelopment, investment, creative activities, and community initiatives shape the recovery of these neighbourhoods. The findings show that crises do not simply destroy cities or create a fresh start; rather, they often intensify changes already underway.
In Beirut, tourism contributed to recovery by creating urban identities that attracted interest and investment, while also reinforcing inequalities and tensions over who can access and shape these spaces. Community organising supported recovery, but its impact was constrained by fragmented governance and unequal access to resources. Based on these findings, the thesis introduces the Cycles of Urban Transition Framework, which explains how tourism-dependent urban districts evolve through recurring cycles of growth, disruption, and adaptation.
The framework offers a new way of understanding how tourism and urban change influence one another over time, especially in places experiencing repeated crises.