What is the role of tourism in the city? The Positive Tourism Festival in Amsterdam explores how tourism can contribute to a more liveable, inclusive and future-proof city. For two days, residents, entrepreneurs, researchers, policymakers, students and everyone who feels connected to Amsterdam come together to rethink the visitor economy. Expect inspiring examples, lively conversations, interactive workshops and new perspectives on tourism. Together, we explore what positive tourism can look like in practice, what needs to change and what our role can be. The festival is a place to exchange ideas, make new connections and turn inspiration into action.
ConnACT is funded by EU CERV Networks of Towns.
Welcome & registration
Opening & Keynote presentation
- Amsterdam as a Living Lab: Tourism is changing. Amsterdam is a living lab for exploring what positive tourism could look like and how tourism can contribute to a city’s quality of life. During the keynote we’ll explore what does positive tourism means in practice? What we can learn from the experiments happening across the city and which opportunities and challenges we face.
- Inspiration Explosion: A fast-paced, visual journey through dozens of inspiring examples of how visitors in Amsterdam and beyond are being invited to contribute positively to the places they visit. In a short time we showcase a mix of initiatives, ideas and experiments that rethink the relationship between visitors, residents, local businesses and the city.
- The Pledge: What if every visitor to Amsterdam was invited to make a promise to the city? Meet the Pledge. From your role as a resident, entrepreneur, student, policymaker or visitor, make a personal promise to the city.
Interactive sessions #1 (pick one)
- Session 1: Hoe maken we betere keuzes over toerisme? (NL) – by Ko Koens (InHolland)
- Session 2: De Toerist als Amsterdammer, de Amsterdammer als toerist (NL) – by Buurthotel & Amsterdam Gastvrij
- Session 3: Tourism Frontrunners: Put your business to the test (ENG) – by Jimena Diamint
- Session 4: Design Tours with Play-Doh: Accessible Tourism in Amsterdam (ENG) – by Veroniek Maat & Iris Kerst (InHolland)
Interactieve sessions #2 (pick one)
- Session 1: Van Europees inzicht naar lokale impact (NL) – by Maya Janssen & Kim van Doorn (amsterdam&partners)
- Session 2: Inclusive Tourism: why and how to? (EN) – by Elyzabeth Gorman (Badass Tours)
- Session 3: TikTok en andere platformen (NL) – by Justus Uitermark
- Session 4: Show & Share Ontmoet me in het Hart van Amsterdam Noord (NL/ENG) – by Urban Leisure & Tourism Lab Amsterdam, New Urban Tourism, Design Thinking en Media, Technology and Society.
Mini-fair Exhibition by Amsterdam Gastvrij, Tours That Matter, Badass Tours, Welcome Home Amsterdam, The Pledge
Evening programma (Spoken language will be Dutch with live English translation)
Presentation of the new vision for Amsterdam’s visitor economy developed by the municipality of Amsterdam. How can we ensure that, in the future, tourism generates more value for Amsterdammers than it does today? Inspired by the ideas, examples, and conversations from the festival, we look ahead. What do we want to preserve, what needs to change, and what choices are required to enable the visitor economy to create greater value for the city and its residents?
Here you can read more and register for this event!
09:30-10:00 | Introduction & Gathering
10:00-12:00 | Positive Tourism expeditions
- Get to know Buurthotel (NL/EN)
- Join a Tour that Matters (NL/EN)
- Wandeling met gidsen en bewoners door Stadshart Top (NL)
- Bezoek een Home Exchange Host (NL/EN)
Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.
