Navigating urban tourism planning in a late-pandemic world: The Copenhagen case

This work explores the ways in which COVID-19 has affected the discourse on public tourism planning in Copenhagen and how policies meet the challenges of the climate crisis. Inspired by the concept of ‘governmobility’, we explore changes in discourse on how urban tourism policies aim to ease and control access, mobility, and circulation. The implementation of the DMO Wonderful Copenhagen's ‘localhood’ strategy has tried to cope with issues of over-tourism by engaging locals who also have access to the attractions and experiences offered to tourists. Meanwhile, the planned growth in international tourism, despite the COVID-19 lockdowns, has not been dismantled but rather reaffirmed. This includes plans for major extensions of Copenhagen Airport. Development corporations in tourism and urban development thus try to reconcile sustainable development with economic growth, which is apparent in the 2022 ‘Comeback Copenhagen’ and ‘Planet Copenhagen’ strategies. Copenhagen aims to become the most sustainable tourist destination, without taking into consideration that the main greenhouse gas emissions come from the ways tourists travel to and from the destination. •Copenhagen's strategy addressing over-tourism does not target the climate emergency.•In urban tourism development, locals must gain advantages from tourist attractions.•Copenhagen's post-pandemic strategy reaffirms pre-pandemic tourism growth strategies.•Tourism growth policies are supported by entrepreneurial development corporations.•Climate change mitigation in tourism seems impossible but remains the only realistic option.