The tourist era in the city of Porto: enchantment, suspension and (un)sustainability

Abstract

This text explores some angles of touristic time in Porto and how it affects the passage of time in the city and the time experienced by its residents. This short journey back in time through Porto, an attempt is made to describe and reflect upon three main eras: that of a city enchanted by tourism, a time marked by fantasy, growth, and wonder; the decline of the city brought about by a drastic decrease in the number of tourists due to constraints imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic; and the city on hold, waiting for the pandemic to blow over and desperately awaiting the return of the hustle and bustle of tourism. The text discusses some of the implications of touristic time and how it can be less favourable to time experienced by people and employed by social and economic projects aiming for rapid tourist conversions. This conclusion is a common thread through studies conducted in tourism, leading to discussions about the (un)sustainability of voracious tourism, made even more pressing by the pandemic and the resulting future starting to materialise in terms of experiential tourism mobility and interaction.