The Rotterdam way: a new take on urban tourism management

While most of the popular urban tourism destinations of North-Western Europe are famed for their historic city centres, a growing number of destinations, such as Rotterdam, challenge the conditionality of having a picturesque historic centre for being a successful tourist destination. The city of Rotterdam, which is shaped by its industrial past as well as a significant scar left by carpet bombings during World War II, is currently witnessing an urban revival. While just decades ago the city was mostly shunned because it was described as rough, edgy and even boring (Kasteleijn & Maas, 1995), present day visitors appreciate the diverse and iconic modern architecture, as well as the creative and vibrant atmosphere in which the roughness and edginess actually seem to work in Rotterdam’s favour (Richards & Wilson, 2004). In this light, the city is acclaimed by the international media as a must-visit destination, with Rotterdam featuring in Lonely Planet’s “best in travel list” of 2016, describing it as a “metropolitan jewel of the Netherlands riding a wave of urban development, redevelopment and regeneration” (Lonely Planet, 2016).