Evaluating the Impact of Tourism and Counter-Urbanism on Cornish Identity and the Cornish Housing Crisis Part 1 Dissertation 2026 Daisy Bennett Falmouth University Falmouth | UK This dissertation investigates how tourism and counter urbanism are reshaping Cornish identity and contributing to the housing crisis in Cornwall. In recent years, Cornwall has become an increasingly desirable location for second homes, holiday lets and in migration particularly since COVID19. As a result, housing affordability and availability have declined and local campaigns such as “First Homes Not Second Homes” have appeared. In towns including Fowey, Polruan and St Ives, second homes can account for up to half of all properties, with a significant proportion classed as low use.Cornwall now has the highest concentration of holiday homes in the UK, and the wider South West, has become one of the nation’s least affordable regions. The research evaluates whether tourism is a primary driver of the housing crisis and to better understand its social and economic impacts on Cornish communities. The analysis draws on survey data, council and government policy documents, academic studies and primary fieldwork. Survey data collected in the coastal town of Fowey revealed that over 40% of residents believe there are too many second homes and holiday lets, highlighting growing pressure on permanent communities. Additionally, the study also examines how Cornish nationalism and cultural identity shape attitudes toward tourism, questioning the validity and implications of sentiments such as “Cornish homes for Cornish people.”Finally, the dissertation considers recent policy interventions, including increased council tax for second homes, tighter regulation of holiday lets and expanded funding for affordable housing.Questioning how successful initiatives which aim to address the destabilising effects of tourism while preserving its economic and cultural benefits are, offers wider insights on rural and peri-urban housing crisis Tutor(s) Rachel Tyler