The future of tourism cities - editorial comments (original) (raw)

How has urban and city tourism changed in the past 2-3 years? Urban and city tourism has become increasingly important in recent years, particularly because of the raft of small and medium sized cities that are also now trying to use tourism to develop their economies and position themselves. One major change has been the shift towards co-creation with residents and tourists to develop and promote tourism experiences. Residents are now actively co-opted to promote their cities to visitors and to develop tourism services. Tourists increasingly seek out the 'local' as a means of gathering authentic experiences and distinguishing themselves from others. Which key issue in your view, is likely to change Tourism Cities over the next 10 years? Technological change is likely to be the biggest driver, with new information systems and digital technology adding to the possibilities for consuming the city and for cities to gather and use information about their visitors. What role should IJTC play as a new journal in addressing change in practitioner and academic thinking related to Tourism Destinations IJTC should play a role as a forum for discussing the implications of the latest trends, and bringing together academic and practitioner voices to develop different perspectives. The recent meeting of the ATLAS Cities and National Capital Special Interest Group in Canterbury provided many interesting examples of new areas of debate, including the role of 'hipsters' in urban development, the emergence of the digital nomad and co-working tourism, and so on.