engleski

Liminality of beach encounters: the case of tourists and locals at Bačvice Beach, Croatia

Beach is at once liminal and multiple border space, hybrid space in between land and sea, nature and culture. It can be a contact zone, but it is also a space of demarcation. This littoral landscape is a place of hedonism, refuge, and escape from everyday life and a living space intersected with rules, norms, and rituals. The dynamics of the local economy, the environment, politics, and social relations can be traced through it. Bačvice Beach in the city of Split is a public space of daily and leisure activities of Split citizens and a well-known tourist attraction. The aim of the research is to analyse tourists' and locals' experiences, emotions, and identifications related to this city beach. The results indicate specific locations on the land of the beach and the sea area that are important to the local community, given the age, gender, activities, and practices in which they participate. The boundaries of these areas are significant, known, and visible only to the local beachgoers. There is a noticeable absence of local community areas and various locally specific activities in the presence of the tourists on the beach in the summer months and high season. Tourists are left with a central part area of the beach closer to the sea. When they cross borders and enter spaces important to locals, individuals of the local community show tolerance without any warnings to tourists. However, locals use different strategies to return the tourist space to a loved and familiar local place.

borders, beach, city of Split, Bačvice Beach, tourists, local community

https://event.ac2021.exordo.com/presentation/2211/li minality-of-beach-encounters-the-case-of-tourists- and-locals-at-bacvice-beach-croatia