It is fantastic to see so many people talking about various types of sustainable and ethical tourism. The energy and enthusiasm for positive change is starting to gain traction and all around the world, there are destinations, companies, and people making a difference. As we race forward it is important to remember the work that has already been done so we avoid "reinventing the wheel". For instance, did you know there is a Code of Ethics for Tourism? The Code of Ethics has 10 “articles” and outlines...

14 July, 2021 /

While there are many great initiatives that can be taken to achieve sustainable tourism, it is important to remember that sustainable tourism requires a policy framework to achieve its objectives. Policies that enable sustainable tourism are often developed by folks that do not consider themselves part of tourism, and many of the policies are not tourism or hospitality related. So what policies does the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) say are required for a sustainable destination? In a recent analysis of the GSTC Destination Criteria I carried out with...

09 July, 2021 /

Uzbekistan, a central Asian Nation located along the Silk Road, is becoming a popular destination for visitors from the region and beyond. While cultural heritage has been a strong attraction for many travelers, Uzbekistan’s environment and natural places have the potential to draw visitors. Purdue’s Sustainable Tourism and Responsible Travel (START) lab is working with scholars from Urgench State University (UrSU), Uzbekistan, to support the development of ecotourism practices. The first project, supported by a grant from the American Council for International Education’s Central Asia University Partnership Program...

24 January, 2021 /

Sustainable tourism management requires careful planning according to our recent study of the GSTC Destination Criteria. Core to sustainable tourism planning is the development of a Destination Management Strategy designed to support the long-term sustainability of the destination community. These strategies should be: Suited to the scale of the destinationDeveloped with stakeholders and publicly availableBased on sustainability principles andAlign with other sustainability plans in the community. So what things should destinations be including in their plans? Our review of the destination criteria suggest that plans should be in place to: Protect the...

10 January, 2021 /

Sustainable tourism management incorporates a wide range of tasks – from environmental performance management to regulations supporting social justice. The Global Sustainable Tourism Council organizes their criteria into 4 categories - sustainable management, socio-economic sustainability, cultural sustainability, and environmental sustainability. In a recent analysis of the GSTC Destination criteria, undergraduate researcher, Jennifer Romanchek, and I examined the criteria from a different perspective.  We categorized the criteria as: People and TeamworkPlanning for Sustainable Tourism in DestinationsPolicy Framework for Sustainable TourismPrograms in the Destination that support Sustainable TourismPerformance Management to achieve...

02 December, 2020 /

The summer of 2017 a new term - Overtourism - burst into discussions about tourism. While the issues of overtourism have been around for some time, the folks at Skift named it and featured it in their 2017 megatrends. People in some of the most popular destinations, frustrated with the negative impacts of tourism, reached their tipping point, and a tourist backlash began. There is no question that overtourism is a problem. But overtourism is a symptom of a bigger challenge - sustainable destination management -...

08 September, 2019 /

Conversations about sustainability in tourism can seem a little vague. This is particularly true for sustinable destinations. Often there are general conversations about the environment, social issues, and economics that seem to lack action steps or measures. Too often these conversations fail to move to practical steps to getting started. Sustainable tourism management is both actionable and measurable. The good news is that no destination needs to "start from scratch". Over the years several organizations have developed sets of actions required to achieve sustainability in destinations. These criteria...

20 August, 2019 /

We live in a world of big hits and long tails and it has a big impact on tourism. It was linguist, George Zipf that noticed that the most common word is used twice as much as the second most common word, three times a frequently as the third most popular. It is called inversely proportional. When you graph this relationship with the most popular thing on the left and the least popular on the right, you get a line that is starts high, drops quickly, and but never seems to end as it...

04 August, 2019 /

Monterey is a leader in promoting responsible travel. Their "Sustainable Moments" tips help travelers minimize the negative impacts of travel. Monterey County Convention and Visitors Bureau (MCCVB), the Destination Marketing Organization (DMO) for the region, has been an important catalyst in developing this program. They work with the destination community, particularly the tourism industry, to help them encourage responsible travel. While sustainability is always a team effort, MCCVB shows some of the ways DMOs can make a difference. Enjoy this video featuring their groundbreaking program. https://youtu.be/1xY9bh-Ns3A Credit...

09 June, 2019 /

It has become common for calls for sustainability in tourism. But what does that mean ? The definitions of sustainable tourism don't help answer this question much. Most definitions these days include the Triple-Bottom-Line (People, Planet, Profits), TBL, and the importance of taking a long term view - considering both today and tomorrow. These definitions are conceptually appealing but frustratingly vague. In some ways, sustainable tourism requires three-dimensional thinking. On one dimension, there are the activities required for each component of the TBL. For example, the simplest...

07 June, 2019 /
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