20 MILESTONES FOR 2020
Working in the wonderful world of place making and marketing has brought us together with so many talented colleagues who we’re proud to call friends. So, as we come to the end of this turbulent year, here at TOPOSOPHY we have even more reasons than usual to reflect on how far we’ve come, to celebrate our successes and above all, express our appreciation to all those people who have accompanied us along the way.
It’s in this spirit that we share with you our ‘20 Milestones for 2020’. The world may have come to a standstill in many respects, but we certainly didn’t. Our team worked more intensely than ever before to support our clients and partners through tough times, bringing them balanced, objective analysis and solid guidance on the way forward.
Read on to discover our proud list of achievements in 2020…
TOPOSOPHY TURNED TEN YEARS OLD!
This year we celebrated a very special 10th anniversary. The trust we’ve built among clients and partners over the years across multiple sectors has only continued to grow. In case you’ve been wondering what we’ve been up to all this time, we’ve wrapped it all together in this infographic!
OUR DESTINATION MANAGEMENT PLAN PUT GREEK TOURISM ON A MORE STABLE, SUSTAINABLE PATH
Having worked with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development on a Destination Management Plan, for Rhodes and Santorini in 2019, in early 2020 it was time to take it on the road, and help more Greek destinations to learn from our approach. Recent statements from the Greek government and the demands of post-Covid recovery mean that there’s never been a greater need for a plan like this.
WE CREATED AND LAUNCHED EDINBURGH'S 2030 TOURISM STRATEGY
“Towards 2030 we shall develop and nurture Edinburgh's Place, its People, its Environment, its Partnerships and its Reputation”. January saw the culmination of a year of research, consultations and debate as we launched the tourism strategy for Scotland’s capital. We’re credited with ‘changing how the city thinks about tourism’ and we’re proud to have presented a strategy like nothing the city has ever seen before.
WE DEVELOPED THE ACTION PLAN FOR SCOTLAND OUTLOOK 2030
In the opening months of 2020 we helped the Scottish Tourism Alliance, Scottish Government and Scottish Enterprise turn their vision into tangible actions with the National Tourism Strategy Action Plan. Our multiple consultations and in-depth research has made a plan that will help Scotland reach its goal as a ‘Leader in 21st Century Tourism’. Discover it here.
DINE ATHENS RESTAURANT WEEK HIT A NEW RECORD
Now in its 5th year, held in February Dine Athens Restaurant Week by Alpha Bank, scaled a new record by attracting 42,000 guests to 150 restaurants across the city over 3 weeks. The event brings immense value to the city’s restaurants (big and small), encouraging local residents and visitors to explore the city’s restaurants and eat well.
A FIVE-YEAR PARTNERSHIP THAT HAS FOCUSED ON FAIR PLAY
In 2020 we celebrated the 5th anniversary of our partnership with HOTREC, the umbrella association for hotels and restaurants in Europe. Our regular reports, regulatory updates, and webinars are helping hotel and restaurant associations across Europe to press for a fair playing field on the fast-moving collaborative economy.
A GUIDING LIGHT IN THE DARKNESS - THE COVID-19 DMMO CONTINUITY CHECKLIST
By early May, Covid-19 had taken hold, and urban life in Europe had changed entirely. During this deeply unsettling period we took the time to scan global events, collect evidence and consider the best approaches that DMMOs could take to help their cities respond to the crisis. We wrapped it all into a practical Continuity Checklist, released through our partnership with European Cities Marketing.
WE HELPED SET THE AGENDA FOR NATIONAL TOURISM RECOVERY STRATEGIES
Our practical, inspired approach helped guide, National Tourism Organisations too, as we produced the Handbook on Covid-19 Recovery Strategies for the European Travel Commission. Bringing together desk research, a survey of NTOs and interviews with leading CEOs, the Handbook guides NTOs on how to become agents of transformation in their own countries, all with the aim of helping Europe become the most sustainable destination in the world.
WE TOOK A DEEP DIVE TO UNDERSTAND GENERATION Z
How do Gen Zers (currently aged 8-24) see the world, and how could their values shape the future of travel in Europe? That’s exactly what we explored in the Study on Gen Z Travellers, produced for the European Travel Commission. Consumer research, expert interviews and desk research from across multiple sectors? It’s what you’d expect from TOPOSOPHY and it’s all in there.
WE SCANNED THE HORIZON FOR AMSTERDAM&PARTNERS
The City of Amsterdam has asked amsterdam&partners to issue recommendations on the future of the visitor economy. We supported amsterdam&partners through this process with a global trend forecast and best practices in place making and marketing. Our insights are included in ‘Vision 2025 | Redesigning the visitor economy of Amsterdam’, published earlier this month.
WE PLANTED THE SEEDS FOR RURAL ECONOMIC REVIVAL
Covid-19, combined with other trends such as remote working and a renewed popular interest in health and wellbeing is causing millions of us to take a fresh look at life in the countryside. This year we started working with Vamvakou Revival on a long-term project to develop the little village of Vamvakou in rural Greece, setting the scene for future developments of this kind elsewhere. The initiative was supported by Stavros Niarchos Foundation.
WE GUIDED GLASGOW'S REVAMPED TOURISM AND LEISURE STRATEGY
While Scotland’s biggest city has become an accomplished host for major events, the city aims to become established as a leisure destination in its own right. At the start of this year we reviewed the city’s recent performance and guided tourism stakeholders on boosting the city’s impressive assets and international reputation.
FROM SEVILLE TO SCOTLAND, WE HELPED PLACES TO ‘RESET AND RECOVER’
In May, the city of Seville invited us to become its exclusive international partner and advise on the city’s ‘Plan8’, recovery strategy. We also guided the Scottish Tourism Emergency Response Group on building connections between the country’s COVID-19 crisis recovery plans and the national tourism strategy Scotland Outlook 2030.
OUR FIRST APPEARANCE IN THE NEW YORK TIMES
In October the New York Times was keen to explore whether Covid-19 might trigger a long term trend in rural tourism and nature-based experiences, and how some destinations could turn this to their advantage. Our recovery strategies work for the ETC had confirmed this trend, which we were happy to explain in more detail.
WE ADVISED ONE OF THE WORLD'S BEST-KNOWN CONSUMER BRANDS
When Coca-Cola CEE wanted to understand the impact of COVID-19 on the global tourism sector, and work out what they could do to help, they turned to TOPOSOPHY. In May we delivered our insider tips on supporting tourism SMEs to the company’s teams across 7 CEE countries, and validated their creative ideas with our bespoke panel of international experts.
OUR VIRTUAL WORKSHOPS DELIVERED INSPIRATION AND VALUABLE INSIGHTS TO CLIENTS ACROSS THE GLOBE
In 2020 we switched seamlessly to delivering the high-quality keynote presentations and workshops that we’ve long been known for, online. Clients and partners including Coca-Cola, HOTREC, European Cities Marketing and ReformBnB have invited us to address their audiences across the world. We’ll be happy to curate our thoughtful and inspiring content for you too.
WE PARTNERED WITH THE HELLENIC CHAMBER OF HOTELS ON SHORT -TERM RENTALS
In September we took a deep dive into the world of short-term rentals (STR) in Greece. With a scan of the latest market and policy developments across Europe, we delivered recommendations on the mix of actions the Chamber can take to guide policy changes in Greece and support the creation of a robust framework for monitoring and regulating the STR market post Covid-19.
WE PARTNERED WITH MASTERCARD TO ENCOURAGE LOCALS TO ‘STAY IN ATHENS’
In October, together with our partner Mastercard, we launched 'Stay in Athens'. Combining high-end stays with additional guided tours, meals and spa experiences, this pioneering initiative helped to support the city’s hotels at a time when they needed it most.
WE SHOWED THAT ABOVE ALL, NOW IS THE TIME FOR FRESH THINKING
Have you taken a look at our Insights Blog recently? Just as you’d expect from us, it’s where you’ll find well-curated thought leadership on areas as diverse as hybrid accommodation, tourism resilience, food waste, going plastic free, and the differences between Gen Z and Millennials.
...AND, BEHIND THE SCENES, WE'VE PLANNED FOR THE NEXT TEN YEARS
At TOPOSOPHY we’ve always been proud of staying ahead of the game. After all, we’re strategists and analysts committed to delivering value to those who need it. This means that in 2021 we’ll be expanding our services beyond the visitor economy for clients engaged in urban planning, community engagement and real estate development among others. Stay tuned for a lot more in the opening months of 2021, a year that promises fresh possibilities for us all!
Want to know more about what we’ve been up to? Don’t forget to stay up to date by following us on Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram or ask us a question anytime at info@toposophy.com!
Finally, to everyone who has followed and supported our work, please accept our warmest wishes and season’s greetings. Join us, as we continue onwards and upwards for 2021!
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