Everyday life as a creative experience in cities

Abstract

PurposeThis paper aims to explore how overseas visitors experience off‐the‐beaten‐track areas and everyday life in London.Design/methodology/approachInitially scoped through quantitative research using visitor surveys involving some 400 respondents, the study was subsequently developed through qualitative research: 49 semi‐structured interviews with visitors from a wide range of countries.FindingsThese areas offer city visitors opportunities to create their own narratives and experiences of the city, and to build a cultural capital in a convivial relationship with other city users. At the same time, visitors contribute to the discovery of new areas for tourism ‐ and in some sense the creation of new places to visit.Research limitations/implicationsFurther research in other areas of London and in other world tourism cities is needed to develop ideas discussed here.Practical implicationsSubtler forms of tourism marketing are required to develop the potential of areas like those discussed in the paper.Social implicationsSome tourists and residents enjoy a convivial and complementary relationship in area development.Originality/valueThe paper focuses on everyday life as an element in the attraction that cities exert for tourists, and on the visitors' contribution to recreating the city.