ABSTRACT
Urban tourism has been an inseparable part of the transformation of many cities over the past few decades. The waterfront developments, repackaged culture and heritage and café culture that signalled a new direction for many northern cities have been echoed in east Asia and other global regions. Place wars, imagineering and mega-projects are equally widespread and contribute to new city images that both confirm the urban preferences of those residents and businesses that are winners in urban change, and impact on the choices of visitors.
