The Future of Tourism: The intersection of city, citizen, and tourism as told by Gdańsk

Tourism leaders everywhere talk about alignment with residents, but far fewer build the systems that make it real.

On this episode of the Future of Tourism podcast, Łukasz Wysocki, CEO of the Gdańsk Tourism Organization, unpacks how the destination rewired tourism to function less like marketing and more like civic infrastructure.

From a powerful membership model to a citizen-first approach that reshaped trust with the city, Gdańsk offers a rare, practical blueprint for destinations grappling with growth, legitimacy, and resident sentiment.

This episode also explores accessibility as both a “deeply human” responsibility and a major economic opportunity, grounded in lived experience and better design thinking. If you’re rethinking the role of your DMO, navigating resident trust, or searching to serve the people who live in a place first — this is a conversation you won’t want to miss.

Tune in for big ideas

1. Tourism works best when it functions as civic infrastructure: Gdańsk reframes tourism from a promotional function into a form of civic infrastructure that supports residents, decision-making, and long-term city health. This shift gives tourism legitimacy with city leadership and relevance to everyday life, not just visitors.
    
2. “Residents first” requires systems, not slogans: Real influence comes from tools that change access, behavior, and incentives. Gdańsk built tangible mechanisms that embedded residents directly into how tourism operates.
    
3. The “Citizen Card” became a trust‑based decision engine: The “Citizen Card” created a rare feedback loop that delivered high‑quality, highly targeted resident insight. Because the data was trusted and acted upon, it became a credible foundation for policy conversations about tourism growth and limits.
    
4. Accessibility is an economic and design imperative: Accessibility in Gdańsk is treated as a substantial, growing economic opportunity. Small, thoughtful changes often deliver outsized benefits to residents, visitors, and businesses alike.
    
5. Credibility and human experience matter most: Technology enabled Gdańsk’s approach, but trust and restraint made it work. By listening carefully, asking only answerable questions, and closing the feedback loop, the DMO earned lasting credibility with citizens and leadership.