Sustainable Cities and Urban Tourism Solutions

Cities around the world play a critical role in supporting and driving social and economic development.

Since urban areas are home to key tourism destinations and attractions, the issue of sustainable and inclusive urban development poses important challenges and opportunities to tourism stakeholders, as well as governments and local residents.

What are some of the key trends and issues in urban tourism facing destinations around the world, and what are some examples of cities implementing sustainable solutions for thriving people and places?

What Are Sustainable Cities?

Urban sustainability is a complex concept, touching on a wide range of needs, pressures, and policy considerations that affect diverse aspects of a life in a city.

The "Sustainable Cities Index”, for example, focus on "balancing the immediate needs of today without compromising the demands of tomorrow”, and looks at the sustainability performance of 100 cities around the world based on the three dimensions of sustainability:

• People: Quality of life indicators on health (life expectancy and obesity), education (literacy and universities), income inequality, work-life balance, the dependency ratio, crime and housing and living costs.
• Planet: Environmental indicators on energy consumption and renewable energy share, green space within cities, recycling and composting rates, greenhouse gas emissions, natural catastrophe risk, drinking water, sanitation and air pollution.
• Profit: Economic health indicators on transport infrastructure (rail, air and traffic congestion), ease of doing business, tourism, GDP per capita, the city’s importance in global economic networks, connectivity in terms of mobile and broadband access and employment rates.

In addition to these sustainability indicators, cities around the world can follow these guidelines on sustainable urban development set by the New Urban Agenda, a global standard for how we plan, manage and live in cities. The New Urban Agenda address key issues such as accessibility, building resilience, climate actions and diversity, and promotes commitment by cities to supporting the Sustainable Development Goals.

Does Tourism Help or Hinder Sustainable Cities?

The Cape Town Declaration on Responsible Tourism calls on destinations and tourism stakeholders around the world to "take responsibility for achieving sustainable tourism, and to create better places for people to live in and for people to visit”.

Can tourism, when developed and managed responsibly based on these ideals, effectively support the sustainability agenda for urban destinations?

Tourism, for better or for worse, is a powerful economic force impacting various aspects of urban development, and thus the lives of local residents in cities around the world.

Recently, the negative impacts of tourism on popular urban destinations have often been under the media spotlight, from local activists in Venice protesting against cruise ship tourism to Barcelona's temporary ban on new hotel construction, to restrictions against Airbnb and other short-term rental agencies seen as contributing to urban livability issues such as rising property prices and a growing housing shortage in places like Berlin.

These developments confirm the perception that tourism can often be a "double-edged sword", which on the one hand offering economic opportunities while at the same time increasing the destination’s vulnerability to over-crowding and uncontrolled growth.

The risk of "overtourism" is a very real challenge facing all destinations; and no less so in the popular and well-known cities. On the other hand, cities, which are themselves an important part of visitor experience, as well as serving as hubs for other areas, can both help the sustainable development of urban destinations and benefit from greener and more responsible forms of tourism.

Berlin, Germany: Citizens' Advisory Council for Tourism

With the aim of encouraging an active exchange between city residents and tourism stakeholders, Berlin's Citizens' Advisory Council for Tourism "Bürger:innenbeirat Berlin-Tourismus" has been developed as an initiative of the Senate Department for Economics, Energy and Public Enterprises in cooperation with visitBerlin and the Berlin districts.

As a popular city for cultural tourism, meetings and events as well as business travel, Berlin is a successful destination with a global appeal. At the same time, its tourism success, when not managed well, can negatively impact the very essence of local life that attracts visitors to the city - such as its beloved and well-known diverse neighborhood cultures.

The Council consists of volunteer members representing all of the city's 12 districts, who contribute as an interface between politics, administration, and the city's community, and to advise on the development of tourism in Berlin through regular council meetings and supplementary public citizen forums.

Importantly, the development of the Council is based on many years of work actively listening to local voices.

Rethinking How People and Places Thrive

Amsterdam has developed a plan for becoming a thriving city by incorporating the Doughnut Economics framework - a framework for meeting the needs of all people within the means of the planet ("Planetary Boundaries"). 

With the Doughnut-based vision of becoming ‘a thriving, regenerative and inclusive city for all citizens, while respecting the planetary boundaries", Amsterdam works on pursuing a transformation through four ‘lenses’ – social, ecological, local, and global – creating a new perspective on what it means for a city to thrive. 

The Amsterdam City Portrait asks

• What would it mean for the people of Amsterdam to thrive?
• What would it mean for Amsterdam to thrive within its natural habitat?
• What would it mean for Amsterdam to respect the health of the whole planet?
• What would it mean for Amsterdam to respect the wellbeing of people worldwide? 

While these questions are not specifically related to or targeting tourism development or management, destination managers and city planners can consider these holistic approaches as part of understanding and re-defining the roles of tourism in a thriving city, and what it means for tourism to be part of a more regenerative system.

Visit Copenhagen: Showcasing the City’s Bike Culture

Bicycling is among the greenest, healthiest and often also least expensive ways for travelers to get around in a city. In Copenhagen, well-known as one of the world’s most bicycle-friendly cities, encouraging visitors to bike around town is not only about offering a fun and convenient way to see the city’s many attractions, but also about showcasing the local lifestyle, where “life is lived in the saddle of a bicycle”, as the city proudly promotes its bike culture.

From renting city bikes with built-in GPS and tourist information to joining many local bike tours, visitors have numerous options for getting around and discovering the city, while experiencing its authentic local life, cycling like the locals do.

In addition to exploring the city by bicycle, visitors who want to learn more about Copenhagen's green secrets have the opportunity to get local insights, on a bicycle, of course:

• Green Energy Tour: A 4-hour bike tour to learn about Copenhagen's environmental city planning and green energy practices, and to see first-hand how the city's plans to become carbon neutral by 2025 are manifesting in the local life, including green building and green transportation, sustainable energy initiatives, and climate actions. (Learn more)
• Cycling Embassy of Denmark: A guided bike tour provided by a local network of cycling professionals, focused on the story of how Copenhagen has developed its bicycle culture, and how the city's bicycle infrastructure works. Perfect for bike enthusiasts, city planners and destination managers seeking to gain expert insights into building a bike-friendly city. (Learn more)

Copenhagen's bicycle tourism example demonstrates that to promoting a sustainable lifestyle for local residents can lead to sustainable visitor experience, and help enhance the quality of the destination’s tourism offers by adding distinct local and authentic touch to the way travelers see and feel the city.

Tourism, when developed and managed responsibly, can become a positive force supporting sustainable urban development. Some urban tourism destinations have already began their journeys towards becoming "better places for people to live in and for people to visit". Learning from these examples, urban areas around the world have the opportunity to lead with and benefit from sustainability goals and actions, and to really be thriving places for both residents and visitors.