City Tourism

Cities are the dominant geographical focus of business and leisure tourism travel, and cities everywhere are regenerating and reinventing themselves so as to attract visitors, students and investment. Inside City Tourism explores the organisational challenges to which this gives rise, and in particular examines the history, structure and functioning of the urban delivery mechanisms set up to raise profile and maximise tourism. The book is written by the Chief Executive Officer of European Cities Marketing who – as a former tourism academic and city marketing professional – is uniquely placed to synthesise academic and practical insights and to provide a distinctively European overview. While cities increasingly seek to differentiate themselves through brands, events and iconic structures, the approaches, techniques and language used by cities to promote themselves is remarkably similar across the length and breadth of Europe. Never before published case material exemplifies best practice in city marketing, with the greater part of leading edge practice to be found in Scandinavia, Holland, Germany, Austria and Spain. Inside City Tourism ‘tells it like it is’, uncovering the pitfalls and failures as well as the opportunities and successes, and the attendant leadership challenges. It is essential reading for practitioners and policymakers as well as students and academics.

Capital city status attracts and drives tourism by enhancing a city's appeal to the tourist and its international standing. With a focus on city tourism themes, this book examines subjects including the identity of a city in a tourism context and practical matters such as promoting the city as a product. By examining tourist activities in national capitals, the book addresses issues in capital city development as tourist destinations with a broad, international approach and case studies on major tourist cities.

Capital city status attracts and drives tourism by enhancing a city's appeal to the tourist and its international standing. With a focus on city tourism themes, this book examines subjects including the identity of a city in a tourism context and practical matters such as promoting the city as a product. By examining tourist activities in national capitals, the book addresses issues in capital city development as tourist destinations with a broad, international approach and case studies on major tourist cities.

This book critically explores the interconnections between tourism and the contemporary city from a policy-oriented standpoint, combining tourism perspectives with discussion of urban models, issues, and challenges. Research-based analyses addressing managerial issues and evaluating policy implications are described, and a comprehensive set of case studies is presented to demonstrate practices and policies in various urban contexts. A key message is that tourism policies should be conceived as integrated urban policies that promote tourism performance as a means of fostering urban quality and the well-being of local communities, e.g., in terms of quality spaces, employment, accessibility, innovation, and learning opportunities. In addition to highlighting the significance of urban tourism in relation to key urban challenges, the book reflects on the risks and tensions associated with its development, including the rise of anti-tourism movements as a reaction to touristification, cultural commodification, and gentrification. Attention is drawn to asymmetries in the costs and benefits of the city tourism phenomenon, and the supposedly unavoidable trade-off between the interests of residents and tourists is critically questioned.

Inside City Tourism explores how European cities use tourism to bolster their economies and image, appraising it in terms of history, measurement, structure, operations and leadership. This book distinguishes itself from other texts through its pan-European perspective and by combining both theory and practice. New and original case materials are used to exemplify mainstream approaches to city marketing, identify recurrent problems and opportunities, and exemplify best practice.

This study, commissioned by the World Tourism Organization and the European Travel Commission, focuses on city and city-based cultural tourism which has become increasingly important for national city tourism organizations and institutions in Europe. The study itself, aims to increase knowledge on cultural city trips for the members of the ETC, (representing National Tourist Organizations in 33 European countries), city tourist offices, and WTO members. The study offers a conceptual framework that can be used for marketing, communication and product development purposes.

Tourism in European Cities explores the relationship between tourist activity and the architecture and built environment within which it takes place. This is the first book to consider urban tourism with a particular focus on European cities. Tourism in European Cities considers the tourist experience and the various elements that shape it. In many cities, the historic core plays a crucial role in tourism either as the location of the more important attractions, or as an attraction in its own right. The book dedicates a chapter to urban heritage and its relationship to tourism, including urban conservation and UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Another chapter considers contemporary architecture and debates some cities’ efforts to use iconic architecture, in particular, to enhance their attractiveness in the context of increased competition between cities. In the context of competition, many cities are resorting to events as a strategy to reposition and differentiate themselves from other cities. Major events are accompanied by major investment in event venues and in urban infrastructure. The city often serves as a backdrop to the urban festival as activities and performances are staged in the city’s urban spaces. This book is essential reading for students of tourism and urban geography. It is also of interest to students of urban planning and architecture, and anyone keen to learn more about tourism and European cities.

Tourists are travelling the world in greater numbers than ever before, seeking immersive cultural experiences. This massive rise of tourism has caused issues of environmental and cultural sustainability in the world's global cities. At the same time, smaller cities and rural communities struggling with increasing urbanization and the loss of traditional industries could benefit from increased tourism. Smaller cities and communities are uniquely well-suited to hosting tourists seeking authentic connection with local cultures. Locally led, collaborative efforts to build creative tourism industries have the possibility to reinvigorate communities facing economic depression or devastation. Creative tourism offers the opportunity to build socially and environmentally sustainable channels for cultural and economic growth that benefit locals and visitors alike. Creative Tourism in Smaller Communities examines the processes, policies, and methodologies of creative tourism, paying special attention to the ways creative and place-based tourism can aid sustainable economic and cultural development. With topics ranging from placemaking through food to the cultural impacts of cruise travel, and from catalyzing creative tourism to creating resiliency, this collection offers a wide range of theoretical and practical perspectives from a variety of experts. Creative Tourism in Smaller Communities offers a bold vision for the future of tourism worldwide.