Roos Gerritsma and Donagh Horgan, lableads of the Urban Leisure & Tourism Lab in Amsterdam and Rotterdam, contributed to the newly released book Tourism Interventions: Making or Breaking Places. This book discusses ways to positively influence tourism. It provides students, researchers, and academics with new ideas on how to sustainably develop and manage tourism so that destinations can better withstand future challenges.

Roos and Donagh wrote Chapter 9 titled: ‘The Urban Leisure and Tourism Labs as Incubators for Sustainable Tourism Interventions: Sharing Insights from Educational Research Perspectives on Regenerative Placemaking in Amsterdam and Rotterdam.’

This chapter describes a case study in the Netherlands, where the first tourism living labs were established in Amsterdam and Rotterdam. These labs offer a unique environment for creating positive tourism interventions and involve a wide range of stakeholders. They encourage collaboration between the public, private, and community sectors, and view students as key partners. The chapter discusses the challenges and opportunities of the labs in their early years and showcases some of the most impactful ideas, such as the BMX-routes Zuidplein and the Inclusive Welcome Path. It emphasizes the importance of collaboration, experimentation, and continuous feedback for successful urban tourism interventions.