World Tourism Cities

A Systematic Approach to Urban Tourism

Alastair M. Morrison, Cristina Maxim

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2021
• Print ISBN: 9780367629137
• eBook ISBN: 9781000468021
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Business
• Subtopic: Hospitality, Travel & Tourism Industry
• Index: Business

World Tourism Cities: A Systematic Approach to Urban Tourism is a unique and contemporary textbook that addresses the particular situation of urban tourism destinations in the 2020s by reviewing key issues, trends, challenges and future opportunities for urban tourism destinations worldwide, as well as city destination management.

The book is divided into four parts, with Part I providing background chapters on world tourism cities. It begins by clearly defining world tourism cities and explaining the impacts of globalisation and urbanisation on these cities. The subsequent chapter explains the urban tourism phenomenon and traces its growth. Part II presents city destination management, planning and development and the marketing and branding of cities, offering practical solutions and approaches. Part III discusses major issues and trends in world tourism cities including resident well-being and quality of life, sustainability, smart tourism, crises and the rise of tourism in Asian cities, and the final part identifies the future opportunities for city tourism.

Written in a student-friendly tone, the book is richly illustrated and contains several engaging features, including Sweet tweets (snippets of information on cities) and Short breaks (detailed case studies on cities). This will be essential reading for all tourism students.

Part I

Background

DOI: 10.4324/9781003111412-1

Part I begins by defining tourism cities and world tourism cities. Fourteen criteria and features of such cities are identified. The term world tourism city is treated as being aspirational rather than as fixed forever. They act as transport gateways and are influential, impactful, cosmopolitan and recognised. They must also be practitioners of sustainable tourism, launching efforts to enhance economic, socio-cultural and environmental sustainability.

Part I provides a rationale for considering world tourism cities and shows how globalisation and urbanisation are accelerating the rate of change in urban areas. It highlights that urban tourism has been somewhat neglected in the recent past; however, now it is a topic receiving much greater attention from city leaders, industry practitioners and academic scholars. Others are engaging in a broader debate about the merits of developing tourism within cities and the commentators include proponents of tourism as an economic sector and an anti-tourism lobby. These conversations have been lively and have spawned new expressions such as overtourism, touristification and gentrification. The COVID-19 pandemic and its drastic consequences have only heated up this discussion, with many asking for a “new normal” and more sustainable future for city tourism. Rather than deepening the debate, the authors choose to segue into how city tourism can become more professional in the future in Part II.

Chapter 1 identifies the characteristics of tourism cities and world tourism cities and provides clear definitions of the two terms. There is no universal consensus on which urban areas are world tourism cities. So, the relevance and roles of various city rating schemes are considered. Several organisations representing tourism cities are profiled.

Chapter 2 highlights how the process of globalisation affects cities, tourism in general and world tourism cities in particular. The glocalisation concept is also discussed as how cities and tourism companies have adapted global concepts and ideas to better fit local circumstances. The connection of globalisation and world tourism cities is reviewed, and a summary is provided of the advantages and disadvantages of globalisation for tourism and world tourism cities across eight dimensions and perspectives.

Chapter 3 has a focus on urbanisation and how it contributed to the development of towns and cities around the world. It discusses urban tourism, which has been neglected by researchers and academics until only a few decades ago. It also reviews the complex nature of urban tourism and the evolution of this field of study.

Unique concepts in Part I:

• Definition of world tourism cities – 8 + 5 + 1 (Chapter 1)
• PESTEL-RV dimensions of globalisation (Chapter 2)
• Evolution of urban tourism studies (Chapter 3)

Short breaks: Part I

1. 1. Orlando
2. 2. Cape Town
3. 3. Dubai

Sweet tweets: Part I

1. 1. WTTC reports on the economic impact of tourism on cities
2. 2. Gothenburg, Sweden, tops the Global Destination Sustainability Index
3. 3. More megacities on the horizon
4. 4. Newly emerging first-tier cities in China
5. 5. The Historic Urban Landscape approach
6. 6. The GDS-Index (GDSI)
7. 7. UNWTO-World Tourism Cities Federation (WTCF) city tourism performance research
8. 8. Preserving culture in a major world tourism city (Shanghai)
9. 9. Jollibee rules fast food in the Philippines
10. 10. Migrant workers in the hotel industry
11. 11. The man who drove McDonald’s out of Iceland
12. 12. Exporting Las Vegas
13. 13. Transnational urbanism and tourism in New Delhi
14. 14. What is economic globalisation?
15. 15. The World Trade Organization
16. 16. The C40 network
17. 17. The Nature Conservancy and Hong Kong – building healthy cities
18. 18. Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) policies
19. 19. Capital cities significantly contribute to the country’s GDP
20. 20. The transformation of the city of Pittsburgh
21. 21. New technologies and tourism in cities
22. 22. Tourism as an inextricable part of the life of the city
23. 23. Urban tourism – an under-researched area

Chapter 1 What is a world tourism city?

DOI: 10.4324/9781003111412-2

Abstract

This introductory chapter identifies the characteristics of tourism cities and world tourism cities and provides clear definitions of the two terms. Eight criteria that underpin tourism cities are identified. World tourism cities are described as transport gateways and as influential, impactful, cosmopolitan and recognised. They are also places that have great concern for the sustainable development of tourism. Examples are provided so that readers have a clear understanding of world tourism cities.

Recognition is one of the factors that defines a world tourism city. As such, the concept of a World Heritage (List) city via UNESCO designation is also reviewed, as is UNESCO’s Creative Cities Network (UCCN). Cities also receive recognition from the media and other sources including travel magazines. Social media customer engagement is specified as a further indicator of recognition.

There is no universal consensus on which urban areas are world tourism cities (or even tourism cities). So, the relevance and roles of various city rating schemes are considered. These systems produce results that often do not match as the criteria applied are dissimilar.

Several organisations representing tourism cities are profiled. One of these is the World Tourism Cities Federation (WTCF) based in Beijing and another is European Cities Marketing with its offices in Dijon, France.

Keywords: Global Cities Index (GCI); Global Destination City Index (GDCI); Global Destination Sustainability Index (GDSI); tourism city; UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN); urban tourism; World Heritage (List) city; world tourism city.

Learning objectives

Having read this chapter, you should be able to:

• Explain the concept of urban tourism.
• Define a tourism city and world tourism city.
• Explain the concept of a World Heritage city.
• Identify and profile various city rating schemes....

Table of contents

• Cover
• Half-Title
• Endorsements
• Title
• Copyright
• Dedication
• Contents
• List of figures
• List of tables
• Preface
• List of abbreviations
• Part I Background
• Part II Management, planning, development and marketing of world tourism cities
• Part III Trends, issues and challenges for world tourism cities
• Part IV The future for world tourism cities
• City index
• Subject index