Sustainable Development through Tourism and Destination Stewardship

Improving the quality of life in the community through sustainable tourism development is one of the key challenges of sustainable tourism. Tourism has the potential to support sustainable development but must be carefully nurtured to ensure that it generates benefits for the community while reducing the potential negative impacts tourism can bring. Protecting and enhancing the unique assets of each destination community through Destination Stewardship is critical to ensuring tourism contributes positively to our world.

Click through to learn more about the STARTlab work on Sustainable Development through Tourism and Destination Stewardship.

Riffs and Rants on Sustainable Development through Tourism and Destination Stewardship

Bright Spots
One of my favorite methods for encouraging positive change is finding a bright spot. The Heath Brothers – Dan and Chip – introduced me to the idea of bright spots in their book “Switch: How to Change Things When Change is Hard”. They describe a bright spot as “a successful effort worth emulating”. Rather than telling people what to do, they share how it is way more helpful to show people what is working for other people and letting folks learn from the example. Sometimes it is as......
10 May, 2025 Managing Sustainability Sustainable Tourism Management No comment
Promoting Responsible Travel: Purdue STARTlab’s Travel with Care Initiative
The tourism industry is striving to achieve a balance between the need for economic growth with the responsibility to protect destinations and cultures. To address this challenge, the Sustainable Tourism and Responsible Travel Lab (STARTlab) in the White Lodging-J.W. Marriott Jr. School of Hospitality and Tourism Management at Purdue University, in collaboration with marketing consultancy, Miles Partnership, launched Travel with Care, a free industry education resource designed to empower tourism professionals to educate travelers on sustainable tourism practices. As a scholarly initiative grounded in research, Travel with Care......
20 April, 2025 Sustainable Tourism Management Travel with Care No comment
Fair Tourism – Sustainable Tourism in the Tourism Supply Chain
One of the most interesting aspects of researching sustainable tourism is learning how different groups apply the principles of sustainable tourism in their businesses. In Korea, there is a growing Fair Tourism movement of tour operators committed to ensuring their businesses contribute positively to the destinations that host their clients. Winter Chung explored this phenomenon in her Master’s thesis. Her work is published in the journal –Tourism and Hospitality. Here’s the abstract – and a link to the article. Link here Abstract: Fair Tourism (FT) is an......
08 March, 2025 Corporate Social Responsibility Fair Tourism Managing Sustainability Supply Chain Management Sustainable Tourism Companies Sustainable Tourism Management No comment
Sustainable Tourism Is …
Sustainable tourism in tactical and strategic, optimizes the triple-bottom-line, and is collaborative. ...
08 June, 2024 Sustainable Tourism Sustainable Tourism Management No comment
Unpacking – Corporate Entrepreneurship and Innovation in Tourism and Hospitality
Launch of new Book - Corporate Entrepreneurship and Innovation in Tourism and Hospitality...
18 May, 2024 Sustainable Tourism Management No comment
Island Tourism and the Climate Crisis
Traveling to islands can take us to new worlds and allow us to experience completely different ways of life. Escaping to an island can be rejuvenating and inspiring. Yet small island states face great challenges as we enter the middle decades of the 21st century. In a recent annotated review [1], I highlighted a number of challenges, including habitat preservation, pollution issues, and, of course, climate change. Islands are facing some of the greatest climate crisis challenges – from more powerful hurricanes and cyclones to rising sea levels.......
09 October, 2023 Climate Change Sustainability Sustainable Destinations Sustainable Tourism Sustainable Tourism Management No comment
Trends in Tourism Sustainability
Sustainability has been an important topic in tourism for decades. It is exciting to see the ways groups from around the globe are tackling the wicked problem of ensuring tourism is a force for good. In a chapter I contributed to the Routledge Handbook of Trends and Issues in Tourism Sustainability, Planning and Development, Management, and Technology (catchy title, isn’t it??), I tackled the question – What are the trends in Tourism Sustainability? Here’s what I see as some of the important trends (Chapter spoilers ahead). If you......
17 September, 2023 Future of Tourism Managing Sustainability Sustainable Tourism Management No comment
Disasters, Tourism, and Resilience
The summer of 2023 will be remembered for the devastating fires impacting communities around the world. The images of destruction from Maui, Canada, and the Greek Islands are each seared in our minds. Many of these fires took place in communities that welcome visitors, highlighting the intersection of natural disasters and tourism. As we think about how these places will rebuild, I recall lessons from Australia’s Bushfire Season of 2019. The fires that Summer (Southern Hemisphere) ravaged much of the country, including Lamington National Park in Queensland.......
04 September, 2023 Managing Sustainability Sustainable Destinations Sustainable Tourism Sustainable Tourism Management No comment
Sustainable Tourism and Responsible Travel
Ensuring that tourism is truly sustainable – improving the lives of travellers and people in the destination communities – is a team effort. All the tourism system members must contribute in their own way to achieve the best possible outcomes. Travellers must be part of the solution. As Jane Goodall says, “ You cannot get through a single day without having an impact on the world around you. What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make”. Each......
25 June, 2023 Responsible Travelers Sustainable Tourism Sustainable Tourism Management 1 Comment
Field Notes: Glasgow Convention Bureau – Creating Value through Tourism
Conventions come, conventions go, and except for the money the conference attendees spend, too often, these meetings have little impact on the community. But what if it was about more the money the conference and its attendees contribute to the economy? What if conventions were a catalyst for learning and skill development beyond the walls of the conference center? What if conventions positively changed the destination community and improved the quality of life? The Glasgow Convention Bureau (GCB) has a program designed to do just that. GCB encourages......
03 June, 2023 Sustainable Destinations Sustainable Tourism Sustainable Tourism Development Sustainable Tourism Management No comment