Cities need sustainable tourism more than ever. Too often sustainable tourism discussions focus on small scale, nature-based tourism. It is critical to remember that sustainable tourism principles can be applied to all parts of the tourism system. Indeed, although the pandemic has silenced many of the concerns about overtourism, sustainable tourism in urban destinations has never been more important. That is not to say it will be easy. Implementing sustainable tourism is a wicked problem. What does that mean? Wicked problems, like sustainable tourism, are complex, with many actors...

16 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 /

Regenerative tourism is having its moment. Through the pandemic year of 2020, there are have been strong calls for tourism to "build back better" – and regenerative tourism provides insights into what we should do. Regenerative Tourism at the Tipping Point While the term may seem new, it builds on several significant trends that have been around for some time. The regenerative movement is well established in agriculture, architecture, and even town planning. We already see regenerative approaches applied in tourism. Buildings that not only reduce negative impacts but contribute...

29 November, 2020 /

Sustainable tourism, at is simplest, is a set of activities designed to maximize the benefits of tourism.  Making sure we maximize the benefits of tourism, and minimize the negatives, particularly for host communities, is hard to argue against. So why don’t we see more great examples of sustainable tourism? Sustainable tourism is a wicked problem. Wicked problems are both complicated and complex. Sustainable tourism is complicated because, to achieve its promise, there are many things to do. Fortunately, over the last 4o years we’ve got a pretty good idea of what...

23 May, 2020 /

What will you change to help address the climate emergency? What are you doing to meet the Sustainable Development Goals? Traveling responsibly is a good place to start. If you are thinking about how you will make your travel more sustainable, consider the tips in the Travel Care Code. Your travel can be more sustainable with just a little mindfulness. Safe travels! ...

02 January, 2020 /

"With freedom comes responsibility" Eleanor Roosevelt. The ability to travel freely is an amazing privilege for a growing number of people. The growth of travel is a testament to both the lowering of barriers to travel and the increasing wealth of many around the world. As we wrap up the second decade of the 21st Century, I believe that the last decade has seen a growing awareness that, with the freedom that enables the growth of tourism, travelers and other tourism system members must take greater responsibility for...

01 January, 2020 /

It made a splash! Earlier this summer, the Business Roundtable (BRT) redefined the purpose of a corporation.  The corporations of the business roundtable stated: While each of our individual companies serves its own corporate purpose, we share a fundamental commitment to all of our stakeholders. We commit to: Delivering value to our customers. We will further the tradition of American companies leading the way in meeting or exceeding customer expectations. Investing in our employees. This starts with compensating them fairly and providing important benefits. It also includes supporting them through training...

17 October, 2019 /

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 /

My team in Purdue's Sustainable Tourism and Responsible Travel Lab are doing fantastic work. Check out this introduction to our work that recently aired on the Big 10 network...

19 August, 2019 /
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