Sustainable Tourism Planning in Copenhagen; How Copenhagen uses a sustainable tourism model to create a liveable city

Abstract

This research focuses on Copenhagen’s tourism planning. Over the past decades, the number of tourists in this city have grown exponentially. This trend expects to continue, with many experts believing tourism numbers to double by 2030. Therefore, the importance of a sustainable tourism model is of utmost importance. There is a necessity to re-imagine tourism and this study investigates how the city of Copenhagen changes the narrative from attracting mass tourism, to one that focuses on liveability of the city for both residents and tourists alike. Increased tourism is a two-fold issue, on one side it brings economic benefits into the city, while on the other side, it negatively impacts the city and its users. Using secondary data, this research analyses Wonderful Copenhagen’s strategies to prevent Overtourism. This paper contributes by providing a study with which to better understand the origins of Overtourism, its implications, and predicted future perspectives in respect to the issue. It brings to light progressive and experimental tourism models that seek to create sustainable tourism. This research found tourism planning in Copenhagen, a city not yet facing excessive tourism, has boldly taken steps towards re-imagining how tourism is marketed and dealt with. Significant effort in tackling or reversing the negative impacts of tourism has resulted in Copenhagen becoming a world leader in sustainable tourism practises and a role model for other cities to follow.