From Urban Regeneration to Tourism Experience: The Strategic Integration of Aalborg's Waterfront in Destination Narratives
Author
Padalino, Andrea
Term
4. term
Education
Publication year
2026
Submitted on
2026-05-28
Abstract
This thesis examines how urban regeneration is strategically woven into tourism narratives and positioning, using Aalborg’s regenerated waterfront as a case. In a competitive context where medium-sized cities must align tourism with broader urban development goals, the study adopts a qualitative design that combines analysis of official tourism communication materials with semi-structured interviews with key actors in urban development and destination marketing. An analytical framework grounded in urban regeneration, place branding, and destination image is applied to assess how the waterfront is framed and communicated. The findings show that regeneration is not absent but is selectively, indirectly, and concisely integrated: the transformation is presented as a present-focused, lifestyle-oriented experience, while the complex process remains in the background. Stakeholders nevertheless see the transformation as central to explaining the city’s development and identity, revealing a tension between communicating depth and meaning and ensuring accessible, immediate messaging. Aalborg’s positioning appears flexible and inclusive, with no single flagship attraction; the waterfront contributes substantially to the destination’s identity but does not function as a primary anchor. The study advances understanding of how medium-sized cities translate urban regeneration into tourism value through selective representation and narrative framing, and points to future research on visitor perceptions and on balancing experiential and informational dimensions in tourism communication.
Afhandlingen undersøger, hvordan byomdannelse strategisk flettes ind i turismefortællinger og positionering med Aalborgs fornyede havnefront som case. I en konkurrencesituation, hvor mellemstore byer skal balancere turisme med bredere byudviklingsmål, anvendes en kvalitativ tilgang, der kombinerer analyse af officielle turismematerialer med semistrukturerede interviews med nøgleaktører inden for byudvikling og destinationsmarkedsføring. Med et analytisk rammeværk baseret på begreberne byomdannelse, place branding og destinationsimage undersøges, hvordan havnefronten indrammes og kommunikeres. Resultaterne viser, at byomdannelse ikke er fraværende, men integreres selektivt, indirekte og i kondenseret form: forandringen fremstilles som en nutids- og livsstilsorienteret oplevelse, mens den komplekse proces træder i baggrunden. Interessentperspektiverne fremhæver samtidig, at omdannelsen er central for at forklare byens identitet, hvilket skaber en spænding mellem dybde og mening på den ene side og tilgængelighed og umiddelbarhed i kommunikationen på den anden. Aalborgs positionering fremstår fleksibel og inkluderende uden én dominerende attraktion; havnefronten bidrager væsentligt til destinationsidentiteten, men fungerer ikke som primært anker. Afhandlingen bidrager til forståelsen af, hvordan mellemstore byer oversætter byomdannelse til turismemæssig værdi via selektiv repræsentation og narrativ indramning, og peger på behovet for at undersøge, hvordan besøgende faktisk opfatter disse fortællinger samt balancen mellem oplevelses- og informationsindhold.
[This abstract has been generated with the help of AI directly from the project full text]