A new approach to city tourism in NRW

Researchers call for an ‘ecosystem of hospitality’

March 8, 2022

The elimination of boundaries in current tourism thinking has been called for by researchers and marketing strategists in the publication Towards an Ecosystem of Hospitality – Location:City:Destination, which they presented on Tuesday at the ITB Berlin Convention. This has been created with the involvement of Tourismus NRW (representing tourism in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia), and focuses in particular on new perspectives in city tourism. “Maybe we should not even call it tourism, but instead treat it as an ‘ecosystem of hospitality‘”, stated, Professor Harald Pechlaner, the incumbent of the Chair for Tourism at the Catholic University Eichstätt, who led the conference that addressed this topic.

For the general manager for Tourism at Tourismus NRW, Heike Döll-König, the negative impact of the coronavirus pandemic on tourism offers an opportunity for a redefinition, taking into account the various aspects of resilience. “What we are calling for is a new dimension for added value in tourism”, according to Heike Döll-König, “not only to generate more overnight stays but, in cities in particular, as a driving force for an improved quality of life”.

Commenting on the promotional video for North Rhine-Westphalia, which not only concentrates on the best aspects of the major cities between the Rhine and the Weser, Döll-König stated: “We reject the idea that cities are only interesting if they are visually attractive.” They should also encourage creativity.

Pechlaner pointed out that it is not only a matter of generating added value but of stimulating an appreciation of these cities, thereby attracting a new ecosystem that benefits everyone, the keywords being: co-working and co-living. Just as increased digitalisation and the demands imposed by the pandemic have brought working and living closer together, so management and marketing should seek to eliminate the boundaries between the inhabitants and tourists. The same applies to city tourism and travel to the countryside. (This publication is available under ISBN 978-1802581867)