Chapter 3: The Food Market Lover

Urban food markets have been receiving increased attention over the last few decades. Their role as cohesion centres of the local community and in the urban regeneration of cities was especially pronounced. Nowadays, these public spaces are also acting as a valuable tourist resource as well, attracting tourists to experience both the tangible and intangible heritage of the destination. Exposed to considerable tourism pressure, urban food markets in one of the most recognised destinations in global scale (such as Barcelona) have undergone through different phases in their development, going from traditional, sustainable, and eventually touristified urban food markets. For the purposes of this book chapter, proposed types of urban food markets in Barcelona are depicted based on the common urban food market tourist drivers and effects of the (gastro)gentrification process.