Destination 2030
Global cities' readiness for tourism growth
Marking a first-ever assessment of cities’ readiness for tourism growth, WTTC and JLL have teamed up to launch a brand new way of evaluating and delivering on solutions to foster sustainable growth in tourism activity.
The research analysis covers a deep dive into the current scale and concentration of visitor activity, an index of urban readiness, and an assessment of engagement related to tourism policies. The newly created index brings together a board spectrum of destination practices and community attributes to determine a level and type of readiness, and an action plan to drive proactive growth going forward.
In partnership with:
Status and readiness
Scale vs concentration
- Visitor activity
- Visitor attractions
- Connectivity
- Tourism economy
- Accommodations
- Convention space
Leisure vs business drivers
- Visitor activity
- Corporate environment
- Visitor attractions
- Connectivity
- Wealth
- Accommodations
- Convention space
Urban readiness
- Labor availability
- Urban infrastructure
- Environment
- Stability
Policy engagement
- Economic development plan
- Citizen engagement policy
- Tourism flows management policy
- Sustainable tourism growth plan
- Home sharing policy
- Tourism development tax legislation
Levels of city readiness
Where does my city rank?
Click through below to see the five levels of city readiness based on urban infrastructure, tourism assets and city-level policy.
Managing momentum
- High growth momentum driven by leisure travel
- Visitor volumes and activities with potential to cause strain on the city
Cities involved:
- Amsterdam
- Barcelona
- Paris
- Prague
- Rome
- San Francisco
- Stockholm
- Toronto
- Vancouver
Mature performers
- Strong leisure and/or business travel
- Visitor volumes and activity increasingly testing cities’ readiness for additional growth
Cities involved:
- Auckland
- Berlin
- Dublin
- Las Vegas
- Lisbon
- London
- Los Angeles
- Madrid
- Miami
- New York
- Seoul
- Seville
- Sydney
Balanced dynamics
- Cities often are financial hubs with lower share of leisure travel
- Additional runway for visitor growth without straining cities’ urban landscape
Cities involved:
- Beijing
- Chicago
- Dubai
- Hong Kong
- Munich
- Osaka
- Shanghai
- Singapore
- Tokyo
- Washington, DC
Emerging performers
- Growing tourism momentum and increased pressures
Cities involved:
- Bangkok
- Cape Town
- Delhi
- Ho Chi Minh City
- Istanbul
- Jakarta
- Mexico City
Dawning developers
- Slower tourism growth, and lower visitor concentration—for now
Cities involved:
- Bogota
- Buenos Aires
- Cairo
- Chengdu
- Kuala Lumpur
- Lima
- Manila
- Moscow
- Mumbai
- Rio de Janeiro
- Riyadh
Does my city have the right policy setting?
Economic development plan
Does the city’s economic development plan reference tourism? Tourism is one of the key priority areas in Osaka’s economic development strategy. It plans to boost urban appeal by promoting a ‘City of Water’ identity through revitalizing waterways transportation; and transforming the Osaka Castle Park Area into a tourism hub.
Citizen engagement policy
Does your city have a process for measuring local views? Sydney actively engages their citizens and community through online platforms and meetings, which helps them shape a strategic direction of the city.
Tourism flows management policy
Does the city have a policy to manage visitor flows in response to increased strains on the city? 'Connectivity and dispersal’ is one of the key focus under Auckland’s Destination AKL 2025 plan. The objectives are to help smooth flows of visitors by improving connectivity through effective public transport, and by reducing seasonality with a calendar of events spread evenly across the year.
Sustainable tourism growth
Does your city have a policy on fostering sustainable growth levels? Berlin has issued a sustainable and city-compatible tourism plan which lays out action points to promote long-term moderate tourism growth.
Home sharing policy
Has the city government passed legislation to regulate home sharing? The City of Los Angeles council recently passed an ordinance to legalise home sharing. The regulations are intended to curb the negative effects of short-term rentals on neighbourhoods and the housing stock, while establishing a legal framework for responsible home sharing.
Tourism development tax legislation & promotion
Has the city passed legislation for a tourism development tax (or similar)? In Barcelona, a tax is charged on all overnight stays in the city’s tourist accommodation. The local government reinvests this amount into many tourism-related projects. i.e. remodeling pedestrian areas; promotion of culture and fight against illegal accommodation.