Why is で used instead of に alongside ある？


I am wondering as to why で was used after 間 instead of に as I would expect
because it is talking about popularity being present. What is the general
definition for this usage of で？

> そのホテルは安くて清潔なので、旅行者たちの **間で** 人気がある。




> そのホテルは安くて清潔なので、旅行者たちの間 **で** 人気がある。

The sentence sounds perfectly natural with で.

旅行者たちの間 is not the place 人気 exists. Actually, 人気 is present in そのホテル. Compare:

>   * その歌手は人気がある。  
>  _lit._ As for the singer, there's popularity. / The singer has popularity.
> → The singer is popular.
>   * その選手は見込みがある。  
>  _lit._ As for the player, there's prospect. / The player has prospect. →
> The player is promising.
>   * 彼は人望がある。  
>  _lit._ As for him, there's popularity/trust. / He has popularity/trust. →
> He is popular/trusted.
>   * 彼は才能がある。  
>  _lit._ As for him, there's talent. / He has talent. → He is talented.
>

You can say:

> その歌手はフランス **で** 人気がある。 The singer is popular in France.

but not その歌手はフランス **に** 人気がある。Here, フランス is the place where the phenomenon
その歌手は人気がある is occurring, not the place where 人気 exists / is present. So you
use フランスで, not フランスに here.

Your example そのホテルは...旅行者たちの間 **で** 人気がある literally means "As for the hotel,
there's popularity among tourists." → "The hotel is popular among tourists."
You use で not に here, since 旅行者たちの間 is not the place where 人気 exists, but
expresses among what kind of people, or in what group of people, the
phenomenon そのホテルは人気がある is occurring.

In そのホテルは旅行者たち **に** 人気がある, you use に. The に means "with", as in "The hotel is
popular with tourists", indicating 対象/target.




> そのホテルは安くて清潔なので、旅行者たちの間 **で** 人気がある。

The sentence sounds perfectly natural with で.

旅行者たちの間 is not the place 人気 exists. Actually, 人気 is present in そのホテル. Compare:

>   * その歌手は人気がある。  
>  _lit._ As for the singer, there's popularity. / The singer has popularity.
> → The singer is popular.
>   * その選手は見込みがある。  
>  _lit._ As for the player, there's prospect. / The player has prospect. →
> The player is promising.
>   * 彼は人望がある。  
>  _lit._ As for him, there's popularity/trust. / He has popularity/trust. →
> He is popular/trusted.
>   * 彼は才能がある。  
>  _lit._ As for him, there's talent. / He has talent. → He is talented.
>

You can say:

> その歌手はフランス **で** 人気がある。 The singer is popular in France.

but not その歌手はフランス **に** 人気がある。Here, フランス is the place where the phenomenon
その歌手は人気がある is occurring, not the place where 人気 exists / is present. So you
use フランスで, not フランスに here.

Your example そのホテルは...旅行者たちの間 **で** 人気がある literally means "As for the hotel,
there's popularity among tourists." → "The hotel is popular among tourists."
You use で not に here, since 旅行者たちの間 is not the place where 人気 exists, but
expresses among what kind of people, or in what group of people, the
phenomenon そのホテルは人気がある is occurring.

In そのホテルは旅行者たち **に** 人気がある, you use に. The に means "with", as in "The hotel is
popular with tourists", indicating 対象/target.

