Destination Stewardship Center

Extending the work of the National Geographic Center for Sustainable Destinations.

Main menu

Skip to primary content
Skip to secondary content
  • Collaborative Blog
    • Guide to Website Content
    • News and Notes From All Over
    • Video
      • Western Balkans videos
      • Sierra Gorda Video
        • Sierra Gorda: Producer’s Message
      • Wisc. Trout Stream video
  • D S Report
    • Destination Stewardship Report – Winter 2022
    • Destination Stewardship Report – Autumn 2021
    • Destination Stewardship Report – Summer 2021
    • Destination Stewardship Report – Spring 2021
    • Destination Stewardship Report – Winter 2021
    • Destination Stewardship Report – Autumn 2020
    • Destination Stewardship Report – Summer 2020
  • Our Mission
    • Who We Are
    • Partners and Collaborators
  • Destination Watch
    • Destination Monitor
    • Exemplary Stewardship Councils
    • Featured Destinations & Map
      • Austria: Wachau/Melk Abbey
      • Cambodia: Angkor/Siem Reap—”C-“
      • Cuba: Old Havana – C
      • Italy: Florence
      • Norway’s Fjords— “A-“
      • U.S.A.: Cape Cod—”C”
    • NatGeo Destination Survey Ratings
      • Highest-Rated Destinations: Grades A to B+
      • Destinations Doing Well: Grades B to B-
      • Destinations In the Balance: Grades C+ to C
      • Destinations That Are Slipping: Grade C–
      • Destinations in Trouble: Grades D+ to F
      • Destination Ratings by Country
  • Stewardship Resources
    • Resource News and Notes
    • Community and Civil Society
    • Valuing Sense of Place
    • Managing Tourism
      • Nature & Ecotourism
      • Cultural Heritage Tourism
      • Gastronomy and Agritourism
      • Voluntourism and Experteering
      • Indigenous Tourism
    • Sources of Funding
    • Destination Appeal
    • Academia & Training
    • Library
  • Geotourism
    • Geotourism News and Notes
    • The Geotourism Principles
      • The 13 Principles Discussed
      • Geotourism Code for Enterprises
    • First Steps in Geotourism
    • Geotourism Around the World
    • Geotourism Map Guides
    • Geotourism Magazine
  • Geotravelers
    • Geotraveling News and Notes
    • Volunteer Travel

Category Archives: Findings

Overtourism, Airbnb, and the Numbers Problem

Posted on June 10, 2018 by Jonathan Tourtellot
1

Yet another voice in the overtourism discussion, this time from an Airbnb report with a Foreword by Destination Stewardship Center director Jonathan Tourtellot. Also, a re-post of his National Geographic Voices blog on the topic. Continue reading →

A First: 440 Destinations Rated by Nat Geo Experts Compiled in One Place

Posted on March 19, 2015 by Jonathan Tourtellot
2

There has been nothing like them, before or since. For seven years, from 2004 to 2010, National Geographic’s landmark Destination Scorecard surveys recorded experts’ opinions on stewardship for hundreds of places around the world. Now, for the first time, the results are amassed here, with easy-to-understand letter grades. Continue reading →

World Heritage: Will It Really Bring More Tourism to the U.S.?

Posted on June 25, 2014 by Jonathan Tourtellot
3

Poverty Point just became the 22nd U.S. World Heritage site. The much-desired designation raises tourism opportunities and a few concerns. Continue reading →

Beach & Cruise Tourism: Volume vs. Value

Posted on June 20, 2014 by Martha Honey
Reply

Research reveals serious economic questions about mass beach- and cruise-tourism impacts. Next month’s CREST-sponsored symposium in Grenada will address solutions. Continue reading →

Challenging Hit-and-Run Tourism in Cultural Heritage Sites

Posted on October 23, 2013 by Engelbert Ruoss
Reply

Cultural Heritage sites facing Hit-and-Run Tourism need to elaborate targeted strategies in order to balance tourism and heritage conservation, to define limits or find solutions in order to protect natural and cultural heritage and to mitigate negative impacts. In a … Continue reading →

Study Says Scenic Beauty Pays

Posted on April 3, 2013 by Jonathan Tourtellot
Reply

Minnesota’s Paul Bunyan Scenic Byway generates $21.6 million for local economy Minnesota research demonstrates the tourism economic value of scenery and scenic routes, says Max Ashburn of Scenic America. For more such studies, go to Scenic America. A recent study … Continue reading →

Cruise Numbers Overwhelm Small Ports

Posted on March 15, 2013 by Jonathan Tourtellot
Reply

Carnival’s latest crises have relatively little impact on destination quality, but their circumstances do. At this writing, Carnival’s third embarrassing malfunction of the year is underway in St. Martin, where the Carnival Dream is stuck with a bad generator. The … Continue reading →

Ski Industry Snow-Blind to Climate Change?

Posted on December 10, 2012 by Jonathan Tourtellot
Reply

Roger Millar of Smart Growth America relays this news report published in the Aspen Times: A University of New Hampshire study shows two low-snow years can cost ski destinations as much as a billion dollars. The lower the resort’s elevation … Continue reading →

So How Many Jobs Does Travel Create?

Posted on September 17, 2012 by Jonathan Tourtellot
1

The U.S. Travel Association released on 26 August 2012 some data you can use to make a case for taking better care of special places: the number of jobs generated by travel and tourism. USTA is an advocacy organization, so … Continue reading →

Log in and post

Log in to submit a DSC post. Be sure to read editorial guidelines first. New user? Register here.

Get the Destination Stewardship Report

It’s free! Subscribe to the quarterly D.S.Report by e-mail HERE.  Previous issues:

Winter 2022
Autumn 2021
Summer 2021
Spring 2021
Winter 2021
Autumn 2020
Summer 2020 (Inaugural)

Choices

Make a point with this ironic two-part Nat Geo video on stewardship

Video

Show the world your destination success story, as in our Sierra Gorda pilot.

View posts by category

RSS Destination Center News Feed

  • Maasai Eviction for Tourism Meets a Big "No" | Africa News
    Ecotourism benefit to locals not apparent.
  • Latest Taj Mahal Threat? Politics | Skift
  • Scottish Island Tames Campervan Crunch | Guardian
    Tiree’s Croft Camping scheme does the trick.
  • UAE’s Ras al Khaima Loses Sustainability Cred | Skift
  • Activists Warn Maya Train Would Hurt Yucatán Heritage, Nature | Art Newspaper
MORE NEWS

Destination Stewardship Center

sponsored by Focus on Places LLC

For Information and Participation

Please contact us or register.

Header photos

by Jonathan Tourtellot