Copenhagen can be reached by a direct flight from Liverpool’s John Lennon Airport and we think it is a place well worth visiting. In our seminar series later this year we are so delighted to announce the presence of the CEO of Group Nao – Signe Jungersted, who was the lead-designer and responsible for Wonderful Copenhagen’s 2020 Strategy Development  – to share with us the vision that the Danish capital has for growing its tourism offer. Engage is honoured to be in touch with both Signe and Peter Romer Hansen CCO of Group Nao.

Like many European cities Copenhagen has seen its visitor economy grow exponentially and that has caused serious questions to be raised by politicians and citizens alike. In 2019 alarm bells were already ringing when the Lonely Planet website hosted an article entitled: Is Copenhagen the latest city to fall victim to overtourism? 21.08.19 This followed on the heels of an article in The Local.dk website: ‘Too little, too late’ as Copenhagen faces overtourism 12.08.19 Then in March last year this article appeared in CPHonline: Is year-round tourism in Copenhagen a blessing or a curse? 28.03.20

What is most impressive about Copenhagen is the response they have been making to this reality which has won them international recognition and admiration. Wonderful Copenhagen  is the official tourism body for the capital city of Denmark and they have launched a number of campaigns one of which is Localhood: The End of Tourism as We Know it and the other is Tourism for Good (summary) which links their approach to the visitor economy with the UN Sustainable Development Goals. However the post-Covid reality is now quite different but the questions raised in Copenhagen are as relevant as ever particularly for those of us who haven’t yet followed their trajectory of over-tourism. Our guest speaker Signe has been closely involved in all this inspirational work.

Group Nao is an impressive agency who are working closely with a number of cities on their tourism offer including Belfast and York in the UK as well as Hamburg, Munich, Barcelona, Seville and Antwerp amongst many. They also contribute articles about tourism and this one is so good: The End of Tourism? from March 2020 reflecting on the new Covid reality. We challenge you to find any analysis as good anywhere else.

Media Articles: