Invisible Cities is a global social enterprise that trains people affected by homelessness to become walking tour guides of their own city. We offer alternative walking tours to tourists and locals, corporates, schools, public sector groups raising awareness of the issue of homelessness while providing development opportunities for those we work with. Starting in Edinburgh in 2016, we have now expanded to Glasgow, Manchester and York. Visit our website www.invisible-cities.org
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
We started working on the idea of Invisible Cities in 2016, and officially incorporated as a Company Limited by Guarantee on February 26th 2016. As of June 2019, we are now a Community Interest Company (CIC). The catalyst for our creation was taking part in the Good Idea Academy, the social enterprise incubator by The Melting Pot in Edinburgh. We started our first round of training in March 2016 and delivered our first tours to the public in the summer of that year. However, we consider our first full year of trading to be 2018- between 2016 and 2018- we were volunteer led, with only sporadic income only.
VISION
A world where people are given the opportunity to be everything they want to be, no matter where they come from or where they live.
MISSION
To use the cities we are in as backgrounds to create a space where tourists and locals can engage in a meaningful way with people who have experienced homelessness.
APPROACH
To offer high quality training for people who have experienced homelessness to gain confidence,self-esteem and transferable skills. To offer opportunities for people to engage in a positive environment and shift from "service users" to "actors of their communities". To provide real development opportunities to people, no matter where they want to go.
Why is our work important?
It is estimated that 150 million people are homeless worldwide and a further 1.6 billion people around the world live in "inadequate shelter." Habitat for Humanity, 2015 Research of the general public found that 41% of people were "fearful" of approaching people who are homeless Street Soccer Scotland, 2017 There were 50 deaths on the streets of Manchester in 2018, the highest number of deaths in the UK.
The Guardian, 2019
Market Opportunity
Tourism is one of the world’s largest industries. In 2012, the number of international tourist arrivals surpassed, for the first time, 1 billion, and is forecast to reach 1.8 billion in 2030, according to the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO). With continuing growth in travel, there is increasing recognition among both travel professionals and consumers of the importance of responsible travel — and though there are several definitions of responsible travel, they all emphasise that tourism, if done well, brings positive benefits for conservation and host communities, and is educational as well as enjoyable for the traveler.
“With more than one billion international tourists now traveling the world each year, tourism has become a powerful and transformative force that is making a genuine difference in the lives of millions of people. The potential of tourism for sustainable development is considerable. As one of the world’s leading employment sectors, tourism provides important livelihood opportunities, helping to alleviate poverty and drive inclusive development.”
— United Nations Secretary-General, Banki-moon, on World Tourism Day, 2015
Invisible Cities: Emmerging Market Leader
In just five short years, we are already established as a brand leader in the sustainable tourism industry and garnered industry recognition through various awards including:
- Winners in Women in Hospitality & Tourism Awards 2019 - Tourism Business of the Year Category
- National Winners in Thistle Awards 2019- Innovation in Tourism Category
- Winners in Social Entrepreneur of the Year - Barclays Awards 2019
- Winners in Women in Business Awards 2019- Social Enterprise of the Year
- Invisible (Manchester) Shortlisted in Spirit of Manchester Awards 2019
- Shortlisted 'One to Watch' Social Enterprise UK Awards 2019
In October 2020, we were awarded Best Community Tour in the World by Lonely Planet for their BEST IN TRAVEL LIST 2021
