From wheat fields to the dreamscape: Italian Influence, cultural change, and the tourist imaginary in Formentera’s development

This study examines the development trajectory of Formentera, tracing its transformation from an agricultural society into a commodified tourist destination. Over the last century, the island has experienced profound socio-cultural and territorial changes, driven by successive waves of tourism and migration. Markedly since the arrival of the hippie movement and the construction of a tourist imaginary of “paradise” in the 1960s, Formentera has developed a niche tourism model that contrasts with the mass tourism associated with neighboring Ibiza. In particular, over the last two decades, the Italian presence has become a decisive cultural driver, reshaping social dynamics, spatial configurations, and the island’s tourist imaginary. The study adopts a mixed-method approach, combining historical, statistical, and geographical data with discourse analysis and ethnography. This framework reveals how territorial transformations intersect demographic shifts and cultural changes encouraged by touristic dynamics. Simultaneously, the insights provided within the discourse analysis show the symbolic shaping of Formentera as a space of authenticity, leisure, and transnational identity. This symbolic dimension plays an important role in the environmental and territorial regulations, organizing the spaces where these symbolic actions can be enacted and, importantly, preserved. Finally, findings suggest that Formentera’s development model has been marked by tensions between cultural preservation, economic dependency on tourism, and external influences such as the Italian presence, which has contributed to social segmentation and a redefinition of local authenticity, positioning Formentera within the broader debates about touristification, sustainability, cultural commodification, and governance. Finally, findings suggest that Formentera’s development model has been marked by tensions between cultural preservation, economic dependency on tourism, and external influences such as the Italian presence, which has contributed to social segmentation and a redefinition of local authenticity, positioning Formentera within the broader debates about touristification, sustainability, cultural commodification, and governance.

This study examines the development trajectory of Formentera, tracing its transformation from an agricultural society into a commodified tourist destination. Over the last century, the island has experienced profound socio-cultural and territorial changes, driven by successive waves of tourism and migration. Markedly since the arrival of the hippie movement and the construction of a tourist imaginary of “paradise” in the 1960s, Formentera has developed a niche tourism model that contrasts with the mass tourism associated with neighboring Ibiza. In particular, over the last two decades, the Italian presence has become a decisive cultural driver, reshaping social dynamics, spatial configurations, and the island’s tourist imaginary. The study adopts a mixed-method approach, combining historical, statistical, and geographical data with discourse analysis and ethnography. This framework reveals how territorial transformations intersect demographic shifts and cultural changes encouraged by touristic dynamics. Simultaneously, the insights provided within the discourse analysis show the symbolic shaping of Formentera as a space of authenticity, leisure, and transnational identity. This symbolic dimension plays an important role in the environmental and territorial regulations, organizing the spaces where these symbolic actions can be enacted and, importantly, preserved. Finally, findings suggest that Formentera’s development model has been marked by tensions between cultural preservation, economic dependency on tourism, and external influences such as the Italian presence, which has contributed to social segmentation and a redefinition of local authenticity, positioning Formentera within the broader debates about touristification, sustainability, cultural commodification, and governance.