CULture, TourIsm, reGENeration through innovative digital solutions and governance platforms
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As one of Europe’s fastest growing metropolitan destinations, the City of Copenhagen faces a pressing need to manage tourism flows sustainably and prevent over-tourism. In response, they launched CULTIGEN, creating a community-driven, data-centric governance model to balance local and visitor interests. A participatory photo-voice app combines quantitative and qualitative data and generates insights on urban experiences. Supported by local ambassadors, CULTIGEN promotes tourism dispersion, enhancing the cultural appeal of non-central neighbourhoods and boosting local economies. Overall, the aim is to foster sustainable, inclusive balanced tourism.
About
Copenhagen is one of Europe’s fastest growing tourist destinations, with more than 11.7 million overnight stays annually and an expected 24% increase in visitor numbers from 2023 to 2030. While this growth strengthens the city’s global appeal and economic vitality, it also increases the risk of over-tourism, puts pressure on key areas, and strains relationships with local communities. Introducing innovative tools such as the Urban Listening Toolkit (ULT), the CULTIGEN project aims to develop sustainable strategies to manage tourism flows, prevent over-tourism, and align residents’ needs with visitor expectations. By including both Copenhageners and tourists, the project seeks to build a collaborative, inclusive and sustainable tourism management model.
Through hyperlocal destination development, the project is designed to promote the city’s surrounding neighbourhoods, thereby promoting sprawl and reducing pressure on popular hotspots. Upon completion, the project is set to provide Copenhagen with deeper insights into both visitor needs and resident concerns. Collaboration between stakeholders – local communities, the private sector and visitors – enables the development of scalable, innovative solutions. Through dialogue driven processes for sustainable tourism planning, management and monitoring, CULTIGEN will help ensure that Copenhagen remains a city for all.
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About this resource
The European Urban Initiative is an essential tool of the urban dimension of Cohesion Policy for the 2021-2027 programming period. The initiative established by the European Union supports cities of all sizes, to build their capacity and knowledge, to support innovation and develop transferable and scalable innovative solutions to urban challenges of EU relevance.
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