To many, tourism is an economic savior that can bring jobs and opportunity. Indeed there are tourism opportunities everywhere and markets for most any type of experience. But not all markets are the same and not all destinations have the ability to service the markets they want to attract. I have been thinking a lot about the  "human traffic jam" on Everest this week and the tourists who undertake this type of travel. The market for this type of experience is somewhat limited by all sorts of factors - money, health, access,...

28 May, 2012 /

Deadwood, South Dakota is dealing with many of the challenges inherent in tourism today. A recent USA Today article - Ghost Town or Gambling Haven outlines the issues of  balancing growth, fuelled by gaming, while maintaining the character of the destination. Heritage Tourism "lives" on a continuum from Disney's Main Street to the most faithful recreations of historical locations and events. As each destination struggles to balance the "here and now" with "what we were" and "what we want to be", they need to find their place on that continuum. And...

21 May, 2012 /

The Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC)  is currently developing criteria for destinations. These criteria are important because they represent a baseline for destinations to undertake to ensure destination sustainability - the very minimum that place managers should consider when developing tourism for the long term...

15 May, 2012 /

Brand USA, the new national tourism office of the United States, launched the new campaign Land of Dreams this week. The feedback in the industry so far seems to have been pretty positive - view the first ad for yourself at Land of Dreams ...

26 April, 2012 /