Urban tourism: designing a tourism space in a city context for social sustainability

A town, city or urban region has a potential which stems from its own natural form, sense of place, sense of history, spirit and ethos. Nowadays, in addition to the primary demands of life, many urban areas are facing an increasing population and a growing demand or expectation of the city for tourism activity. However, whilst increasing tourism activity is an important economic backbone for certain cities, tourism facilities are responsible for a substantial increase in environment degradation due to tourists' rising expectation for services and facilities. The structure of this research is first to present the general overview of urban tourism in Kumamoto City through literature. This study will analyze the potentials of Kumamoto City in the creation of urban tourism, with case studies of other cities, to meet the need of integrative urban planning. The aim of this research is to review and evaluate the importance and influence of sustainability of the city through the view of making a tourism space for people. This analysis seeks to illustrate the phenomenon of urban tourism in the scale of a Japanese city. The conclusion discusses the importance of urban tourism in proposing social sustainability, and the potential for development in the current conditions.