Tourism along the Costa del Sol, Spain, is built around the classic ‘sun and sea’ style budget holidays and a culture of British migrants, sometimes referred to as ‘residential tourists’, who reside seasonally or permanently in the region. My focus is on the cultural interactions between local street cats and human residents and tourists. See here to follow this project.

Session C: Human-Animal Culture (11:15am-12:30pm Saturday, 29 June)
Poster #4: K.Hill
Sun, Sea, and Cats: Humano-Cat Cultures of the Costa Del Sol, Spain. International Society for Anthrozoology (ISAZ) 2024. Watch and Learn: The value of observing and being with animals, Hosted by Hartpury University (Gloucestershire, UK). Programme here

Please feel free to add comments or ask questions below. You may also contact me via email: tinehill@gmail.com

The Future of the Project
This study is a continuation of a side-project I developed during my doctoral studies at the University of Exeter, UK (published as a chapter in Emerging Voices for Animals in Tourism, Hill 2024). The current data will be written up during my tenure as a visiting scholar at University Hradec Králové, Czechia (Sept 2024- Feb 2025). Beyond that I seek long-term employment were I can continue my research and apply for external funding. Future research will include quantitative surveys and qualitative interviews with visitors, residents, cat care-takers and veterinarians, business owners, and local authorities.
Please feel free to contact me via email with any advice or suggestions you may have: tinehill@gmail.com

Licensed volunteers pay out of their own pocket to provide food and care for these cats (spending over €200 every week). Please consider donating a few euros/pounds/dollars/etc. Every little helps! Thank you.

References
K. Hill (2024). Humano–Cat Cultures and Tourist Attitudes Towards Local Free-Living Cats of the Costa Del Sol, in Emerging Voices for Animals in Tourism, edited by J. Hooper and C. Kline. Chapter 9, pp. 99-114. CABI. DOI: 10.1079/9781800625259.0009
Download a copy of my chapter below. And recommend a copy of the book be added to your university library!