Challenges for Urban Tourism in a Post-Pandemic World

Abstract

Urban tourism has particularities that distinguish it from other forms of tourism. The urban tourist wants to enjoy the city, its monuments, its environment, its cuisine, its events. The tourist will always be an outsider to the city, someone who will enjoy an area that is not designed specifically for tourism. But the tourist does not have to be a stranger in the city. The pandemic affected urban tourism in a more “violent” way. However, the pandemic has not affected the pull factors of cities – the cuisine, the monuments, the events, the vibe are still there waiting to be enjoyed. They will be, and city tourism will return with full vigor. This chapter argues that the quest for sustainability and change supported by a disruptive set of new technologies and the consequent skill shifts will possibly affect urban tourism intensely. These new trends have the potential to give rise to different solutions than those that have been attempted in the past. We will see if we can better reconcile cities with their tourists to the benefit of all.