City tourism in Zurich to become more sustainable
Published: Thursday, Aug 29th 2024, 15:40
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Tourists in the city of Zurich should be able to feel like locals for a while. According to a new study, a broader understanding of city tourism should enable more sustainable development.
Tourism in the city of Zurich involves much more than overnight and day visitors, according to the study "Rethinking tourism" presented on Thursday. Locals also contribute to tourism, for example when they attend events or eat in restaurants.
The new approach, known in technical jargon as the "visitor economy", is intended to lead to the holistic development of tourism and prevent negative side effects such as the "overtourism" lamented in some European cities.
"Offering a better experience"
"We should not primarily attract more people, but keep visitors here longer and offer them an even better experience," said Guglielmo Brentel, President of Zürich Tourism.
Zurich should therefore not only be marketed as a tourist destination, but developed holistically. The entire visitor experience should be actively shaped.
According to Zürich Tourism, a rethink is needed to achieve this. "What is good for the population is also good for tourism, and not the other way around," said Brentel. In order to further develop the destination on this basis, however, one is dependent on politics in return. Today, tourism does not have the status it should have in politics, culture and other areas.
Zurich remains a hub for other destinations
According to Brentel, the new orientation is not a departure from the previous "hub strategy", i.e. that Zurich with its international airport is primarily used by foreign tourists as a starting point for excursions to other Swiss tourist destinations.
Visitors are also to be actively better distributed within the city and beyond its borders. The aim is not only to prevent too many tourists from congregating in one place, but also to offer them new, authentic experiences.
In the city of Zurich, for example, so-called "Neighborhood Guides" will be available for the first time next year, giving visitors an understanding of the characteristics and specialties of individual city districts.
The "Rethinking Tourism" study was conducted by the Hamburg-based consultancy Project M. Among other things, it is based on a survey of 500 residents of the city of Zurich and neighboring districts as well as interviews with experts.
The study was presented at the "Zurich Experience" city tourism congress, which was held for the first time on Thursday. The event at the "Circle Convention Center" at Zurich Airport was attended by more than 300 people.
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