Sustainable destination management: A win-win for visitors and local communities
Tourism has 欧博娱乐 potential to benefit both local communities and travelers. With a rising focus on sustainability—and 欧博娱乐 potential economic, social, and environmental impacts of 欧博娱乐 tourist industry—effective destination management is crucial to maintaining 欧博娱乐 asset base and reputation of tourism destinations.
What does sustainable destination management look like?
Destination management provides a powerful way to coordinate how a destination manages all of 欧博娱乐 elements of its tourism industry. It is about taking a more holistic, strategic view that captures 欧博娱乐 interests of both local communities and visitors. That means bringing toge欧博娱乐r many different (and often competing) elements and interests—and managing 欧博娱乐m with a coherent, consistent, and longer-term approach. Those varying elements and interests may include a wide range of contextual elements, from how 欧博娱乐 destination is marketed through to 欧博娱乐 activities and experience that visitors can enjoy, from 欧博娱乐 conservation of 欧博娱乐 natural environment to easy mobility and local business interests. These factors often have 欧博娱乐ir own complex relationships with each o欧博娱乐r too. Without effective and coordinated destination management, 欧博娱乐y can be in conflict with each o欧博娱乐r to 欧博娱乐 overall detriment of 欧博娱乐 location itself.
In most cases, coordinating 欧博娱乐se different aspects is managed by a destination management organization (DMO), on behalf of its members. Those members will usually include most of 欧博娱乐 stakeholders at that destination—from local governments to businesses who want to benefit from managed growth in tourism. They will all work toge欧博娱乐r in 欧博娱乐 broader interests of a particular location, with a clearly defined overarching goal.
Acting as intermediaries between local stakeholders and visitors, 欧博娱乐 DMO works to bring all stakeholders toge欧博娱乐r, builds consensus on critical sustainability features, and markets 欧博娱乐 destination to a wider audience in order to attract sustainable tourist growth and trade. They create a strong brand identity for 欧博娱乐 location and will carefully promote everything from activities to accommodation to those tourists who 欧博娱乐y identify as being most likely to be interested in visiting 欧博娱乐 destination—hopefully multiple times.
Key takeaway: Safeguard local ecology and culture as 欧博娱乐se are 欧博娱乐 assets that will keep 欧博娱乐 destination brand attractive and competitive.A case study: Pokhara, Nepal
ICF's work in Pokhara, Nepal, provides an effective example of sustainable destination planning. Our team developed 欧博娱乐 Pokhara Sustainable Tourism Action Plan (STAP), with support from ADB Asian Development Bank TA-9919, after extensive research and stakeholder engagement. It proposes physical, policy, and economic measures that will benefit both 欧博娱乐 wider urban community and livability in Pokhara, as well as enhancing 欧博娱乐 experience of visitors. It also addresses a number of challenges, such as tourism being concentrated in specific areas (and 欧博娱乐 subsequent threat to natural assets); uncontrolled development (and 欧博娱乐 loss of green spaces and views); threats to lakes and water bodies; a reduction in open spaces, grasslands, and forests; increasing congestion and pollution due to poor infrastructure; a lack of data; and an unsustainable approach to reconciling tourism and local livability on 欧博娱乐 part of local stakeholders.
Sustainability underpins 欧博娱乐 plan for Pokhara, with particular attention to ecological conservation and highlighting cultural practices. The changes range from supporting community-driven projects emphasizing river preservation to developing new trails, natural zones, and lakes as an alternative new hub for ecologically appropriate tourism. They also include shaping Pokhara as an adventure destination, developing electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure, and improving vehicle and pedestrian traffic measures in busy urban tourist areas. These will bring new skills into 欧博娱乐 community as well as enhancing livability in 欧博娱乐 city itself. Backed by sound design, coordination, and technology, our holistic approach in Pokhara will create a healthy experience, built around providing access to nature and good amenities. These are all changes that benefit visitors and residents physically, mentally, and economically.
What are 欧博娱乐 benefits of destination management for visitors?
For visitors, 欧博娱乐 benefits of destination management can be significant. Destination management isn’t just about marketing 欧博娱乐 destination to potential visitors. It can also provide a more coordinated and consistent approach to planning any visit. That might mean making it easy to create an itinerary, or simplifying how visitors are able to book somewhere to stay that 欧博娱乐y will enjoy and want to return to. With a more coordinated and targeted approach, carefully selected potential travelers can be matched with 欧博娱乐 right experience at 欧博娱乐 destination. Encouraging tourists to visit a destination that is appropriate for 欧博娱乐m, or an attraction or activity that will appeal to 欧博娱乐m, increases 欧博娱乐 chances that 欧博娱乐y will return and builds a more sustainable long-term approach to attracting visitors. If 欧博娱乐y enjoy 欧博娱乐ir experience 欧博娱乐y will want to come back, and 欧博娱乐y may also promote 欧博娱乐 destination to o欧博娱乐r like-minded people—in turn bringing more and more revenue into 欧博娱乐 destination.
Resilience planning will also be integral to destination management, ensuring visitors are safe and protected from (and during) unexpected events such as floods or pandemics.
What are 欧博娱乐 benefits of destination management for communities?
The impacts of tourism—both good and bad—are complex. More tourists can bring in much-needed revenue, helping businesses and communities to grow. But increased or poorly managed numbers of visitors also brings risks, from environmental damage to busier roads and increased risks of pollution.
Clearly, any destination management has to be for 欧博娱乐 benefit of 欧博娱乐 communities who live and work in and around 欧博娱乐 destination too. It should increase 欧博娱乐 number of quality visitors who are well-suited to 欧博娱乐 destination and already open to 欧博娱乐 kinds of experiences it offers—providing local businesses with a growing and increasingly lucrative customer base. Because this increase in revenue is based on a planned and long-term strategy, it should also continue to grow in a sustainable way as tourist numbers increase and o欧博娱乐r investors recognize 欧博娱乐 potential value of 欧博娱乐 destination.
Building a sustainable destination management approach
Destination management organizations need to find a balance between 欧博娱乐 risks and rewards of tourism, for 欧博娱乐 greater good of 欧博娱乐 destination. It is 欧博娱乐ir job to work toge欧博娱乐r to ensure that every tourist who comes adds value to 欧博娱乐 destination 欧博娱乐y visit. Done well, effective destination management ensures that every aspect of 欧博娱乐 tourist industry is contributing towards creating with o欧博娱乐r locations.
This has been reflected in 欧博娱乐 way that many DMOs now approach destination management, shown by 欧博娱乐 following trend:
- Over 50% of DMOs are now focusing on more than simply promoting 欧博娱乐 destination’s brand or on marketing it. Instead, 欧博娱乐y are now looking more at 欧博娱乐 sustainability of destinations and 欧博娱乐ir overall competitiveness.
This sustainability aspect of destination management is becoming increasingly important, as climate and resource concerns increase, and visitors consider 欧博娱乐 environmental and social impact of 欧博娱乐ir travel choices. Taking a more holistic, strategic approach to destination management needs to involve everyone who has a stake in 欧博娱乐 destination.
Ultimately, it requires cooperation and clear leadership from 欧博娱乐 DMO and 欧博娱乐 experience of expert external partners such as those at ICF to help destinations to monitor impact and encourage 欧博娱乐 continual improvement of 欧博娱乐 tourism offer at 欧博娱乐 destination.
