Titre : “Slow tourism”, towards a new model of European Capital of Culture? 

Auteurs : Marina Rotolo,  

Revue : City and Tourism 

Numéro : Issue 1 

Volume : 3 

Date : 2025/01/10 

DOI : 10.21494/ISTE.OP.2025.1253 

ISSN : 2976-5897 

Résumé : The article examines territorial and urban development through the prism of the “European Capital of Culture” label, with a particular focus on the tourism strategy, and in particular the adaptation of cultural tourism in a context of ecological transition. The candidacies of four French cities for the title of European Capital of Culture for 2028 are analyzed: Rouen, Bourges, Clermont-Ferrand and Montpellier. For these medium-sized and smaller cities seeking to assert themselves on an international scale, a new urban imaginary is proposed by those involved in the bid. In the age of the Anthropocene, the tourism narrative is part of this dynamic, with a common positioning for the four cities, through the notion of “slow tourism” and a focus on natural heritage. The case of the winning city in the national competition is explored in greater depth : Bourges and its cultural project based on the idea of a capital on a “human scale” outside the dynamics of metropolization. This discourse, rooted in the concept of “happy frugality”, raises questions about the urban policies implemented and the repositioning of the tourism offer. 

Éditeur : ISTE OpenScience