Here at Sustainable Tourism, we work with all sectors of the tourism industry to help them meet and exceed their sustainability goals. One thing we’re excited about launching in the coming months is a Sustainable Destination Framework that we’ve been developing with and for tourism destinations.
What is the framework?
What we’ve noticed throughout this process is that there is a gap in how destinations are able to assess the sustainability of their region or city, without going for a full certification. We’re working to bridge that gap! We’re in the process of developing a sustainable tourism destination framework that will enable local, regional, and even provincial destination management and destination marketing organizations to assess their destination through a lens of sustainability.
Through this lens, we can ensure that these destinations are aligned with not only the Global Sustainable Tourism Council criteria, but also UN Sustainable Development Goals and the UN World Tourism Organization indicators for sustainable tourism destinations.
Why destinations?
It is not enough for tourism operators to be sustainable, if the region they are surrounded by is not taking the steps necessary to become sustainable as well. Luckily, we already have some champions on-board who are spearheading this initiative and helping us co-create the framework. The Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association (TOTA) has been winning international awards left, right and center, and we’re thrilled to have them on-board. Recently, we also brought on the Kootenay Rockies Tourism Association. Our goal in working with these progressive tourism associations is to formulate and test a variety of sustainability indicators that any tourism destinations can use.
Get involved!
There will be a few different ways to get involved, so we are putting out the call to any local, regional, and provincial destinations that may be interested in taking part. If you’re a tourism destination and want to know more, send us an email and we’ll connect you with the information you need.