THE POWER OF PEOPLE, PLACES & FIRMS
Reading Time: 4 minutesJapan’s tourism boom shows no sign of slowing. In 2025, the country set a new record, welcoming more than 40 million international visitors for the first time. While Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka remain the best-known destinations, other cities are working to put themselves on the map. How is Sendai seeking to grow its international profile, while ensuring tourism also strengthens the city’s resilience and delivers lasting benefits for local people?
Reading Time: 4 minutesEvery day, Alba Iulia both supports and draws strength from its rural surroundings. Thousands come into the city for school, work, healthcare and services, bringing skills and spending that support local jobs and businesses. But the relationship runs both ways. Rural businesses supply food and goods and help shape the visitor offer that makes Alba Iulia such an attractive place to live and visit. What lessons can be drawn on buidling skills, mobility and collaboration between rural and urban communities?
Reading Time: 4 minutesWhen fans travel to Northern Ireland to experience landscapes made famous by Game of Thrones, they are doing more than chasing a fantasy, they are fuelling a regional economy. Although the television series concluded in 2019, it still draws around 350 000 visitors each year, representing around one in six visitors from outside Northern Ireland. How can more regions reel in the benefits of movie stardom?
Reading Time: 3 minutesRural areas are revitalizing through green and digital transitions, contributing significantly to renewable energy and advanced manufacturing. Tailored policies, community engagement, and improved services are essential for maximising their potential in economic growth and resilience.
Reading Time: 4 minutesIn 2023 subnational governments across the OECD countries spent USD 13 trillion. But to get best value from this spending it needs to be aligned with the efforts of government and public agencies. A multilevel governance (MLG) approach seeks to achieve that. What lessons can countries learn from Poland’s experience?
Reading Time: 4 minutesGovernments around the world spend billions every year supporting innovation. Their investments generate breakthroughs that power economic and social progress. But are their investments in innovation reaching the places that need it most?
Reading Time: 4 minutesOver 30% of Americans live in economically distressed local labour markets. With the right policies, these distressed local labour markets can be boosted to higher employment rates at a reasonable cost per job. Such policies would not only help these local labour markets, but also boost the national economy.