Toward Sustainable Urban Tourism: Our Decalogue
By Cristina Garrido, Manu Fernández, Tatiane Martins Carrer & Sergio García i Rodríguez
Tourism undeniably influences cities socially, economically, and environmentally—but with proactive management and a long-term perspective, it can help regenerate urban dynamics and bring lasting benefits to both residents and visitors.
We believe these 10 principles can make that possible.
What you will find in this insight
- A vision for sustainable, regenerative urban tourism: Tourism has an impact on cities—from (re)shaping local identity and daily life to putting pressure on housing or public services, and it’s clear that urban management and tourism development must go hand in hand. Here’s our approach.
- 10 essential practical points: Drawing on our experience and expertise, we’ve identified 10 principles to guide balanced, resilient urban tourism. These go beyond sustainability to create a regenerative impact, benefiting both residents and visitors while being socially, economically, and environmentally sustainable.
- International best practices: from Copenhagen to Lloret de Mar, Barcelona to Buenos Aires, explore examples that demonstrate how to build a tourism model that integrates into city life, preserves local identity and enriches urban dynamics.
‘For us, urban tourism should not only be sustainable or resilient, but regenerative: fostering cultural understanding, safeguarding local identity and opportunities, supporting biodiversity and enabling economies to flourish and adapt over time. These ten points can help cities move toward that horizon, ultimately benefiting everyone — whether as visitors or as residents.’
