Industrial heritage and tourism development in the Ruhr metropolis*

This article addresses an experience of cultural and environmental valorization related to tourism in the Ruhr metropolis, a German industrial region with a long tradition in coal mining and steel production that, until the end of the past century, had neither major tourist attractions nor any intention of developing them. To this end, the article emphasizes the role of industrial heritage, which has been the flagship of the region’s successful tourism development in recent decades, and its connection with the ecological recovery of the Emscher River. However, the main objective of the article is to show that industrial tourism can drive other dimensions of tourism that broaden the scope of regional opportunities, particularly in industrial areas like the Ruhr metropolis.

Regional transformation; Tourism development; Industrial heritage; Ruhr Metropolis