Place as commodity: Informal settlements’ contribution to tourism in Bogotá and Medellin

This chapter critically discusses informal settlements’ contribution to tourism and place. It argues that place in these settings has become a commodity wished to be experienced by tourists. The commodification of place in informal areas, and their link to tourism and, to some extent, with branding are examined, taking Bogotá and Medellin, Colombia, as case studies. This chapter draws from a 15-year longitudinal study of barrios in these two cities, and their re-visiting in 2017/2018, along with interviews with public servants and residents of other areas of these cities. The chapter argues that these informal places possess value, which revolves around complex relationships involving the settlements’ people, activities and physical features. Essentially, it is the individual informal settlement’s unique socio-cultural expression(s) and design language (exhibited through hybridization, permanent transformation and engalle) that generates tourist interest and composes an identity, which may work to change the marginal image of these areas.