By Kristin Dunne, Director of Destination Wayfinder

Destination stewardship is the continuous pursuit of a net positive tourism ecosystem that exists in alignment with shared community values.

This concept has never been more prevalent, nor crucial, for the travel and tourism sector. We see stewardship principles as the chosen theme for countless conferences, research studies and strategic plans, and there’s no doubt that this growing interest and progressive discourse is inspiring to witness. At the same time, communities across the world—communities we are in a unique position to serve—are faced with unprecedented challenges, from the intensifying climate crisis to widening social inequalities.

We are at a pivotal moment that calls for us to move beyond theory into impactful implementation. This change will require systems-level action to effectively move from traditional destination marketing to holistic destination management that centres community in decision-making.

Below, we explore practical tips for how destination organisations and industry professionals can help shift mindsets and spark change to create long-term, sustainable outcomes within their own destinations.

Enabling governance

Stakeholder buy-in is a prominent barrier to adopting a destination stewardship approach, which is why enabling governance structures can foster collaboration, accountability, and inclusivity. With the right governance in place, destinations can develop solutions that are informed and supported by diverse stakeholders such as government entities, local businesses, nonprofits, and residents. While governance can range from local community councils to broad policy agendas, enabling a participatory model that supports a destination’s unique needs is a good starting point.

For inspiration, look to the Cook Islands, where governance is happening at a nation-wide level to ensure the destination’s long-term growth. Established by the Cook Islands Government and led by the prime minister, the Destination Stewardship Advisory Group will lead the nation’s transition to a destination stewardship model.

Ingraining stewardship

To truly change how we think and act, stewardship principles need to be embedded within our organisations’ DNA. From mission and vision statements, to processes and programs, integrating values that encourage sustainable growth and holistic community well-being can ensure that stewardship is not just an afterthought but a driving force throughout all of our work.

Adopting a growth mindset

Destination stewardship isn’t a goal, it’s an ongoing, and unchartered, journey. Often, we hear that destinations don’t know where to start or how to approach what feels like an abstract concept. We can confront this lack of knowledge or reluctance to enact change by adopting a growth mindset that encourages continuous learning, innovation, and adaptation, and leads to inventive solutions and tangible change.

In Queenstown, for example, three tourism organisations - Destination Queenstown, Lake Wānaka Tourism, and Queenstown Lakes District Council - embraced change and partnered together to develop a first-of-its-kind destination management organisation focused solely on implementing the region's regenerative destination management plan, Travel to a Thriving Future.

Reimagining success

Traditional metrics such as visitor numbers and economic impact only tell a part of the story, yet they continue to be leading measures of success—used to inform strategic direction and decision-making for many tourism organisations. To adopt a destination stewardship approach, we need to reimagine what success looks like and begin measuring the metrics that reflect not just the economic health of a destination, but its social, environmental, and cultural health as well.

Cuidadores de Destinos, an organisation promoting sustainable tourism development in Chile, offers insightful examples of what these new key performance indicators can look like, including the number of women who feel safe walking home at night or the percentage of public decisions that residents were engaged on.

Leading with courage

Reshaping our culture to accelerate the pace of change for destinations and the communities they serve requires bold leadership. Leadership that encourages debate, questions the status quo, builds relationships and has the genuine desire to protect places, people, and the planet.

Charting a course for destination stewardship

It’s these ideologies, and others, that sparked the change needed to develop Destination Wayfinder, an innovative platform that empowers tourism organisations to strengthen their role in stewardship. With a vision to build vibrant and flourishing communities, we brought together a group of industry leaders to develop a shared definition and framework for destination stewardship, providing a clear path for destination organisations to build capability and enhance outcomes for the places and communities they serve.

As we continue to chart a course for the future, we hope you’ll join us in propelling tourism to be a force for good, preserving places, cultures, histories and nature for future generations.  

We joined Destination Wayfinder's Kristin Dunne, LA Tourism & Convention Board's Adam Burke, and 4VI's Anthony Everett last year to explore a strategic approach to destination stewardship and the lessons they've learned along the way. Catch the full discussion here.