Post-COVID-19 urban tourism research

Abstract

Unquestionable, is the current COVID-19 pandemic one of the most impactful events of the 21st century and has also tremendous effects on urban tourism. Since urban tourism is often associated with crowding and multiple shorter trips, it is especially vulnerable to health risks and is thus logically less attractive than more social-distance-friendly rural or coastal tourism. In addition, will the crisis probably have long-term effects on urban travel demand, travel supply and urban tourism policies. Therefore, the pandemic questions some of our basic assumptions, theories and our existing tourism research as such. Obviously, not all of our knowledge and foci will become obsolete, but this chapter questions some of our assumptions and discusses the evolving realities of the urban landscape in this regard. Thereby it gives some guidance of a future post-pandemic urban tourism research agenda.