If you start with two terms that aren’t well understood its not surprising that combining them into a single term can lead to confusion. “Sustainability” is term that is frequently used but seldom understood. “Tourism” is a complex activity and - while many have traveled – few have thought about the many moving parts of the tourism system that contribute to make a successful trip. Which brings us to sustainable tourism. It doesn’t help that we often use the term “sustainable tourism” in two very distinct ways: Sustainable tourism: This...

07 January, 2023 /

Looking at the definitions of the terms “sustainable tourism” and “regenerative tourism”, you may be hard-pressed to see a difference.  And the outcomes, if implemented as originally envisioned, would be similar. In some ways, the excitement for regenerative approaches is a reaction to what sustainability has become to a large group of people. For many, sustainability has become a set of things to do not to make things worse. It is perceived to bounded by specific sets of criteria. For many, the term “sustainability” lacks inspiration – to sustain...

12 November, 2022 /

Planning for (Sustainable Tourism) Success Sustainable tourism is about maximizing the benefits of tourism while minimizing negative impacts. It’s easier said than done. Sustainable tourism requires planning. But what needs to be planned for in a good sustainable tourism plan?  The Global Sustainable Tourism Council Destination Criteria talks a lot about planning for sustainability success. Plans included in the GSTC criteria: Visitor ManagementSafety and Security PlansWorkforce DevelopmentCultural heritage protectionEnvironmentEncourage Tourism Businesses to Adopt Sustainable Tourism PracticesRisk and Crisis ManagementClimate Change Adaptation and Mitigation Check out our analysis of the GSTC Destination Criteria....

24 October, 2022 /

Stewardship is not a frequently used word. Stewardship means “taking care of something.” Wikipedia says, “Stewardship is an ethical value that embodies the responsible planning and management of resources.” In recent years, the term has become more common as the notion that we are the stewards of our planet and everything on it gains traction. Recognizing that we are stewards and responsible for our outcomes is important as we mature in our thinking about our actions. For tourism, discussions about destination stewardship are coming to the fore. So what...

11 October, 2022 /

Over the years there have been many discussions about what constitutes sustainable tourism. There is no doubt that these are important conversations, and yet, I am amazed at how little time we spend on addressing how to implement sustainable tourism in businesses and destination communities. Introducing sustainability in tourism requires a wide range of skills. The following list is far from comprehensive but gives a flavor of knowledge and abilities required by sustainable tourism practitioners. Change management skillsInternal and external communication skillsStrategic planning Ability to execute tactical actionscommitment...

05 October, 2022 /

In recent weeks I've been inspired by James Clear's Atomic Habits. One quote that stands out to me is "You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fail to the level of your systems". Sustainable tourism is complex and complicated. Certifications create systems that help businesses and destinations work through the complexity and achieve their goals. ...

20 September, 2022 /

One of the most compelling ideas in sustainability has been Elkington’s “Triple Bottom Line”. The idea has its origins in accounting – where income minus expenses reveal “a bottom line” that shows either a profit or a loss. The idea that we could consider positive and negative outcomes from economic, social/cultural, and environmental impacts to give us a sense of whether we doing well or not has become ubiquitous. While there are issues with the TBL (Elkington himself tried to “recall it”), it certainly helped conceptualize the challenge...

27 August, 2022 /

Simon Sinek, who wrote the book on infinite games, contrasts finite and infinite games as follows: Finite Games are defined by known players, fixed rules, and an agreed-upon objective. Infinite Games have known and unknown players, the rules can change, and the objective is not to “win” but to keep playing the game. Infinite games include business, careers, marriages, geopolitics… you get the idea. Unfortunately – too often we play infinite games as though they are finite games. Tourism is an infinite game. What could be a better way to achieve...

19 May, 2022 /

It is always smart to start with Why. Simon Sinek says that to ensure our work is meaningful, it is critical we understand our purpose. We must be able to answer the “why” of our work. The answer to why we do something is far more important than what we do or how we do things. This is true for destination marketing organizations. While many DMO managers are very effective at promoting tourism to their destinations, it is less common to embed the purpose of our work in what we...

16 May, 2022 /

Should I travel if my travel contributes to climate change? Tourism certainly contributes to climate change. Air travel in particular generates significant amounts of greenhouse gases. It is important that the industry acts and uses all its influence to change parts of eth tourism system that contribute to the climate crisis. To make significant change requires system change. We need to change our sources of energy from fossil fuels to renewables, we need to improve the energy efficiency of hotels and other buildings, and we need to transition our...

06 January, 2022 /
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