In 2016, the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) penned the Global Report on the Transformative Power of Tourism about a paradigm shift toward a more responsible and conscientious traveler.
In his opening address, UNWTO Secretary-General Taleb Rifai wrote:
“Tourism is much more than a leisure activity; tourism holds an immense potential to set new paradigms of thinking, to encourage social and cultural changes, and to inspire a more sustainable behavior. With over one billion international tourists crossing borders every year, there are one billion opportunities for accelerating the shift towards a more sustainable future.”
How do we harness the regenerative power of tourism? Where do we start? Where can we look for inspiration, ideas, and tools?
Liverpool is as good a place to start as any. By the late 1970s, it suffered from skyrocketing crime and little in the form of new development. In 2008, less than 30 years later, in a remarkable transformation, it was crowned the European capital of culture, a recognition of the economic and cultural renaissance the city has undergone since the decline of traditional industries.
I sat down recently with Richard Veal, the managing director of Simpleview Europe, to talk about his own experience in transformative tourism development in his adopted hometown of Liverpool, England.
Keep Your Finger on the Pulse.
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