From sea to shore: reuniting the divide by yachting

The argument of separation between humans and nature has nurtured a rich narrative of theorizations striving to find application in the field of development and spatial change. This paper aims to chart a progressive separation of humans from the sea by adopting a grounded theory approach. In selected seaside towns, urban regeneration and tourism rejuvenation have contributed to crystalizing the separation of humans from the sea therefore calling for the need to revert the point of view over the conception of these measures by ‘reuniting with the sea’. It is therefore concluded that yachting tourism has potentially a strategic role to play in this shift, but further investigation is needed in order to recon- sider it within alternative approaches to development through tourism.