VENICE
In Venice – one of the most tourism-loaded cities, with an estimated 25 million foreign visitors a year – officials are using the pause to rethink “an entire Venice system”, with sustainability and quality tourism at its core, according to the city’s councillor for tourism. Part of the plan is to lure locals back to live permanently in the city. The mayor is in discussions with universities, aiming to offer tourist rentals to students and old buildings are being restored for social housing. Measures to control visitor numbers – including a tax on day trippers, which was due to be introduced in July – will go ahead next year, while the debate around cruise ships continues. City aims to “slow down” tourism, by encouraging visitors to stay longer instead of short term.
AMSTERDAM
City authorities in Amsterdam – which was struggling to cope with an estimated 18.3 million overnight tourist stays in 2019 – are also quietly hopeful that the pandemic will be a catalyst for change. Last week the mayor urged extreme caution in reopening to tourists, while nonprofit group Amsterdam&Partners believes the tourist hiatus pushes to the top of the agenda plans to cut numbers, give Amsterdam back to locals and attract the “right” kind of visitor, and has launched a sustainability taskforce to map the way forward. They are working with partners to discuss how it is possible to restart in a more sustainable and responsible way. The main focus is that stakeholders want a sustainable visitor economy that doesn’t harm the livability of the city. If there is the right balance between living, working and visiting, it is possible to have the right visitor economy. That’s what went wrong in the last years in the old city centre, and city authorities have to entice locals to discover their city centre again.
BARCELONA
The sudden absence of tourists in Barcelona has caused local businesses and the city’s tourist board to reassess their priorities. Mateo Asensio from the Barcelona tourist board believes the solution lies in a moderate approach. He believes their first objective should be to get locals back outside, then focus on the domestic market and their neighbouring regions. When the international market is ready to return, the board can then concentrate on certain sectors. Asensio believes this is an opportunity to alter the rules. The global situation, with social distancing and fear of crowding, means that over-tourism will not be a pressing issue for some time. Cities are also making changes to promote cycling and walking. Athens is set to create a car-free centre, Berlin is introducing 14 miles of bike lanes and Paris is expanding its cycling lanes to avoid overcrowding. Remote coastal and rural areas are likely to see a surge in visitors first, according to Patricia Yates, acting CEO of Visit Britain/Visit England. Cities will take longer to recover as people may be more hesitant to visit due to the associated risks. In order to further help the tourism industry, governments are being urged to provide economic relief to struggling businesses. This could include tax relief.
According to a firm spokesman, weekly consumer mood surveys revealed that the domestic market was concerned. To combat this, the team would concentrate on offering reassurance and marketing areas other than well-known tourist destinations. This would need destination management, since there would be a need to assure the satisfaction of both tourists and tourism-dependent enterprises.
Because of infection control efforts, the pandemic is expected to reverse some of the gains gained in sustainable tourism, with individuals preferring automobile travel and single-use plastic. Intrepid Travel CEO James Thornton, on the other hand, feels that clients will become more sensitive to the environmental and community effect of their journeys and will make more deliberate decisions. Intrepid intends to emphasise slower modes of transportation, such as train rides and cycling, as well as off-season departures and more local encounters. Trips to the wilderness and wellness centres are anticipated to be popular.
The 2022 collection of best practices has been derived from applications that cities submitted to the European Capital of Smart Tourism competition. The report showcases the selection of best practices in each category (Accessibility, Sustainability, Digitalisation, Cultural heritage and creativity).
Apart from showcasing exemplary practices by cities as tourism destinations in: Accessibility, Sustainability, Digitalisation, Cultural Heritage and Creativity, the European Capital of Smart Tourism initiative aims to establish a framework for the exchange of best practices between cities and creates opportunities for cooperation and new partnerships. The compendium aims at raising awareness about smart tourism tools, initiatives and projects, sharing the best practices in tourism implemented by cities and strengthening peer-to-peer learning and innovative development of tourism in the EU.
BEST PRACTICES IN DIGITALISATION
Cities Exploration and Digital Tours: Aarhus, Genoa, Pafos, and Seville
Aarhus: DETECt Aarhus App; Aarhus: DETECt Aarhus is a locative screen experience that includes three themed walking tours to explore Aarhus. By unlocking trailers, author interviews and ‘behind the scenes video,’ the app brings users behind the scenes of famous films and TV shows like the Danish crime thriller Dicte. On location, the DETECt app is mediated by the cell phone. Visitors may use the app using mobile data or download it over WIFI. This function was added to accommodate visitors from outside the EU who do not have access to free data roaming. One of the excursions explains the city’s secret silent film past, when Aarhus was a centre for silent film production in Europe and home to silent cinema pioneers such film producer Thomas S. Hermansen and his film factory 110 years ago.
Further information may be found at: https://www.visitaarhus.com/detect-aarhus
Tours and maps of the Metrominuto; Genoa: The Metrominuto Tour has numerous good consequences, including benefits to the environment, health and mood, as well as possibilities for meeting and socialising in public settings. Metrominuto Genova is a map designed for pedestrian routes, in which the most important places are represented as stops on various pedestrian lines connected in a network, demonstrating how convenient it is to leave your vehicle at home and walk to your destinations, without having to worry about traffic and parking, while enjoying the beauty of the city.
Further information may be found at https://www.visitgenoa.it/de/node/31887
Genoa: Rollindagando, which is short for “Cultural Mapping of the Old Town.” In addition, as part of the city’s ambition to digitalise its operations, the city of Genoa developed Rollindagando, which is a database containing information about the Cultural Mapping of the Old Town. The database contains information on each and every structure in Genoa, including the Rolli Palaces, dating from the city’s Prevailing/Antique period in the 12th century all the way up to the 20th century. In order to bring the database up to date, the 2020 the Rollindagando project was carried out in collaboration with the University of Genova. This project also performs a new survey in relation to the state of conservation and the interventions that have been carried out over the course of the previous 20 years within the Perimeter of UNESCO recognition.
Further information may be found at: https://geoportale.comune.genova.it/
Paphos: Smart App for Information About the History Unesco Park; Paphos: Kato’s Archaeological Park and Preserve
Paphos is considered to be one of the most significant archaeological sites in all of Cyprus, and it has been on the UNESCO World Heritage List ever since it was established in 1980. An intelligent app has been developed in order to guarantee that residents and tourists alike enjoy a full and fully digital experience when they are visiting the area. The app gives users access to helpful content and information about the various monuments located around the park, as well as an audio guide that is available in a number of different languages, multiple videos and tours that can be explored and a comprehensive photo gallery that can be taken with you.
Further information may be found at: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.unesco.pafos&hl=en&gl=US
Paphos: QR Codes for Creative City Tour; Old, static information signs in the city of Pafos have been replaced with new, smart signs that have QR coded on them as part of the city’s plan to digitalise its operations. Up to this point, more than thirty static signs in a variety of geographic areas, each indicating a unique point of interest, have been replaced with brand new intelligent QR coded ones. The providing of more information to the user, tourist, and/or inhabitants about the location of interest is one of the advantages; however, this is not an exhaustive list of all of the benefits. In addition to this, using a mobile phone allows for more involvement and engagement with the content being presented.
Further information may be found at: https://cyprus-mail.com/2020/12/03/interactive-smart-signs-for-paphos/.
App and Portal for the World Heritage Sites; Seville: By the use of a digital platform that is accessible to everyone, the Seville World Heritage app gives visitors and locals alike the opportunity to learn about and explore Seville’s world heritage sites. The application provides in-depth information on the world heritage site, including the many styles of architecture and the historical background of each of the 187 patrimonial items that are located inside the site and the 8 districts that surround it. By doing so, the city is transferring its historic legacy into a digital realm, which not only gives broader access to the material but also creates a virtual arena in which cultural exchange may take place.
Further information may be found at: http://sig.urbanismosevilla.org/Sevilla Patrimonio Mundial/index.html?lang=en