When we look for inspiration and ideas that will help us optimize the success and sustainability of our own destinations, we often look to Europe. More than a decade ago, their early work on overtourism highlighted the need for a more engaged network of destination stakeholders who prioritized ensuring that tourism was a restorative and not a depleting force.

After the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, these insights further informed a lot of great work on how to build resilient local stakeholder and citizen networks to help harness the restorative power of tourism. One vehicle this happens through is CityDNA’s seven knowledge groups. 

Simpleview’s David Peacock talks with Pablo Ortega Novillo and Adil Abbach. Novillo is the head of promotion for the tourism offices of Catalunya in Spain. He is co-chair of the CityDNA Tourist Information Centres Knowledge Group. Abbach is the managing director of hospitality and products with amsterdam&partners and a Tourist Information Centres Knowledge Group member.