topos 118 | tourism after lockdown

Barcelona, Hawaii, Venice – just three years ago, these and further places were struggling with the consequences of disproportionate tourism, with overtourism. Then the Covid-19 pandemic changed everything. Global tourism came to a standstill. The upside: Our cities had time to breathe again and with them their inhabitants. What impact did the Covid-19 have on tourism in our cities? What can we learn from these past experiences for the future? In discussions with mayors of international metropolises, CEOs of international tourism companies such as AirBnB, TripAdvisor and AIDA as well as renowned city planners, topos 118 sets out to find answers for sustainable tourism that does not cause eight percent of global CO2 emissions

TOPICS

A STILL LIFE – PANDEMIC LANDSCAPES
Picture series and text by Filip Wolak – Part 1

THE END OF TOURISM?
A look into the past, the present and the future of tourism

BOOSTING ALOHA IN TOURISM
The pandemic brought Hawaii’s tourism industry to its knees, begging international visitors to delay their visit

BARCELONA – WHEN A CITY IS A BRAND
The city of Gaudì between the tourist gaze and its search for a sustainable future

“BARCELONA IS NO HOLIDAY DESTINATION, IT’S AN URBAN EXPERIENCE.”
Interview with Xavier Marcé, the Councilor for Tourism and Creative Industries at Barcelona City Council

ACCESSING VOLCANIC LANDSCAPES
Iceland's tourism best practice – the Saxhöll stairway in Snaefellsjökull national park

THE NONCONFORMISTS
A portrait of FairBnB

THE CHALLENGES OF TOURISM – IN A NUTSHELL

PILGRIMS AND FOLLOWERS
Venice between the needs of residents and the demands of tourists

“USING DATA ALLOWS US TO (...) MAKE THE CITY MORE LIVEABLE FOR ITS RESIDENTS.”
Interview with Luigi Brugnaro, Mayor of Venice

CHANGING COURSE
Few tourism industries seem as controversial as the cruise ship industry. A reflection.

RECOVERY IN PARADISE
Thailand’s way to sustainable tourism

“MASS TOURISM IS NO LONGER THE ANSWER FOR OUR SUSTAINABLE FUTURE”
Interview with Yuthasak Supasorn, the Governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand

“WE DON’T STAY AWAY FROM DESTINATIONS THAT HAVE HAD LARGE NUMBERS OF VISITORS”
Interview with Tom Hall from Lonely Planet

A STILL LIFE –PANDEMIC LANDSCAPES
Picture series and text by Filip Wolak – Part 2

CONTRIBUTORS