We have been big fans of Copenhagen since 2014 when we first invited Oliver Schulze (formerly Director of Gehl Studios and Partner in Schulze+Grassov) and Klaus Bondam (formerly Mayor for Technical and Environmental Affairs and CEO of Danish Cyclists Federation) to take part in our seminar series Liverpool On the Move. And then again in 2019 when Klaus spoke at our seminar series Playing Our Part in the Liverpool City Region: Cycling and Walking – winning the argument. Then after Covid when in 2021 we involved Signe Jungersted (CEO and founding partner Group Nao) in the seminar series Destination Liverpool: Tourists versus Residents? when she spoke about Destination Copenhagen.
The thinking around the Visitor Economy in Copenhagen just goes from strength to strength and they are truly a world leader in progressive and sustainable tourism. Their latest initiative is to reprise their very successful programme from last year CopenPay. In CopenPay 2025 you can find out more about how they are rewarding tourists who arrive on the train, or get around by public transport or bikes, who choose to work in an urban community garden with the locals, stay longer in the city (4 days) and help out with collecting litter etc. The rewards are significant.
Copenhagen wants to encourage a different type of tourist to their city – one that is conscious of the impact tourism has on the planet as well as the local economy and the life of the residents. Yesterday in Liverpool at quick stroll by Concert Square in brilliant sunshine revealed hundreds of people, drinking to the beats of an outdoor DJ, including dozens of hen and stag parties spilling over from the Cavern Quarter, indicating the type of tourist our city attracts and values.
Who is promoting a discussion about the tourism offer in our city? Where can you have a reflection on the direction our Visitor Economy is heading? Who are the vested interests making sure this doesn’t happen? How does a city make the change from one type of visitor to another? Is Copenhagen a place we ought to be learning from or are we happy with the tourism we have? Of course there are others who head to the many visitor attractions in the city.
Engage has tried to be a space where wider Visitor Economy issues can be raised (see our seminar series page: Destination Liverpool) with little effect or impact so far. Involving residents in the discussion doesn’t seem to be a priority or even a good idea in our city! Following 3 months of reflection with residents in 2022 we published what we considered to be a significant contribution to the kind of city Liverpool could become for tourists: Day Tripper. We continue to be interested in promoting a serious contribution to the decision-making process in Liverpool supporting a more sustainable tourism destination.