PhD candidate Shirley Nieuwland and dr. Mariangela Lavanga publish on the role of creative entrepreneurs in sustainable tourism development in Rotterdam. The research is part of the Vital Cities and Citizens program ‘Sustainable and Just Cities’ and is published in the Journal of Sustainable Tourism.
For this research interviews were conducted with creative entrepreneurs in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. The study shows that creative entrepreneurs who focus on engaging with the city and local people first, could lead to more sustainable tourism because it does not lead to touristification of the city (e.g. only souvenir shops). However, inclusivity of the diverse groups of residents in the city need to be considered to avoid exclusion and growing inequality.
Furthermore, the study shows that urban development strategies and tourism strategies are highly connected. Policy makers should thus not consider them as separate things. If sustainable tourism is the aim, inclusive and sustainable urban development policies need to be created.
Read the full article here: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/09669582.2020.1841780
- PhD student
- Assistant professor
