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 /

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 /

Which jobs in tourism require knowledge of sustainability? All of them (At least in the United States). When the Dept of Labor, working with The National Travel and Tourism Office of the Dept of Commerce and a team of experts from across the industry, developed the job competency model for Hospitality, Tourism, and Events, sustainability was a required competency right across the industry. Sustainability is included with other industry-wide competencies such as operations management, marketing and sales, safety and security, and understanding of key industry principles and concepts. It is...

22 July, 2021 /

As someone who came of age in the 80s, I have spent my entire life waiting to see the benefits of trickle-down economics. The consensus these days seems to be that I shouldn’t hold my breath in anticipation of those policies creating the outcomes that were promised. But we can learn from the past. And it hasn’t been lost on me that many of the thought leaders I followed in the 80s and 90s – Kotler, Porter, and Senge, to name a few - have all advocated for interventions...

20 March, 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 /