The summer is upon us and holiday plans are booked in the calendar, tourism is tentatively making a return. At Invisible Cities, we know that tourism can be a force for good in the world. We felt that now, more than ever, was an appropriate time to talk about ‘Doing Tourism Differently’. How can we travel with a greater social impact?
There is no disputing the value of the tourism industry, from the economic advantages tourism brings to host communities, the meaningful interactions that bridges gaps across cultures and the enjoyment that tourism brings for tourists themselves. It has the capacity to facilitate economic regeneration, employment creation, place promotion, increased connection between cities, wildlife protection and help create identity in the globalised system. Afterall, tourism is one of the world’s largest industries, responsible for 10.4% of global GDP in 2019 and employing roughly one in 10 people on the planet.
However, as with any industry, tourism can also cause its share of problems, such as social issues, loss of cultural heritage, economic dependence and ecological degradation. There are countless examples of the tourism industry taking advantage of the economic vulnerability causing local communities to accept unfair and exploitative agreements or profit going directly into the hands of shareholders with no trickle down for the local economy.
Given the pause on all tourism, in a post-pandemic world we have a responsibility to start travelling again but this time with an awareness to do so consciously. So this leaves us with the big question, how can we do tourism differently? With such high stakes, we have no doubt that tourism can be a force for good and change the world.
The purpose of our event is to contribute to a crucial discussion on how we are going to navigate tourism in the post-pandemic world in the age of faster travel and cheaper holiday deals. We will shine a light on trailblazers in the social and impact tourism industry. The speakers will showcase organisations from around the world leading in social tourism, explore different themes within this industry and encourage collaboration between participants.
Stay tuned on our social media accounts to learn more about the event and the speakers joining us. Taking place on Zoom, we are hoping to bring together key industry players, academics, students and individuals interested in this topic for an insightful conversation. Tickets are just £5 for general admission with all proceeds going towards supporting Invisible Cities or alternatively you can make a donation of your choice. If you are based in the UK, we have an add-on option to purchase a sustainable tourism box full of goodies and further content about the sponsors and speakers. Looking forward to seeing you at the event!
Taking place on Monday June 28th 18:00 – 19:30, join our event by clicking here.
