As you might note from some of our recent articles, academia has been stepping forward increasingly with practical approaches for meeting the challenge of destination stewardship. Marketing focused by a “get more tourists” mandate can be counterproductive in that regard, but some DMOs are pioneering methods for building pride in responsible travel. Purdue’s Dr. Jonathon Day offers a quick overview of what they are doing.
Yes, DMOs Can Market Responsibility: The State of the Art
Can marketing support sustainable tourism? Absolutely.
For many people involved in sustainability related work, marketing that is focused on driving growth for growth’s sake, and rewards the pursuit of visitor numbers while potentially overlooking the destination community’s needs, can be considered problematic. The good news is that by intentionally taking on a longer term perspective, DMOs can use marketing strategies to achieve positive outcomes for the destinations as well.
DMOs can use a collection of marketing tools that promote responsible travel by visitors and support destination stewardship campaigns. An initiative led by the Sustainable Tourism and Responsible Travel Lab at Purdue University and Miles Partnership, Travel with Care, examines the ways destinations are doing just that.
In a review of 275 programs, we found that 45% of DMOs had some responsible travel messaging on their websites, most with a landing page that guides travelers on best behaviors when visiting. Programs included regular news and blog postings about ways to respect the culture and environment. These communications reinforced destination branding and highlighted community values. A good example of this is Maine’s “Look Out For ME” guidance features prominently on the Visit Maine website, and its messaging aligns with Maine’s brand values.
Many of these programs also educate visitors on local issues and the best ways to behave to protect themselves and others. Wyoming’s WY responsibly provides pertinent information on how to be safe around wildlife, preparing for adventure travel, and ways to engage with the local communities. Take Care Tahoe includes friendly messages about good travel behaviors. They even feature an animated video that makes responsible travel fun for younger visitors (as well as the young at heart).
In addition to marketing communication, several destinations use pledges as commitment devices, reminding travelers of the expectation of good behavior and reminding them to be their best selves when visiting. (See “Helping Visitors Behave in DSR May-Aug 2025). Several of these pledges, including the Palau Pledge (Palau), the Tiaki Promise (New Zealand), and the Pono Pledge (Hawaii) incorporate references to Indigenous values based on community and environmental stewardship as the foundation for their commitments.
Other destinations have successfully inspired positive behavior through gamification tactics. Copenhagen’s CopenPay provides rewards and benefits for choosing low-carbon transportation options, staying longer, or doing good things – like picking up trash or participating in community volunteering. Benefits include free food and drinks, complimentary access to cultural sites, discounts, and even free guided kayak tours.
Placemaking offers still more tools for encouraging responsible travel. Destinations are designing shared spaces so as to encourage sustainable behaviors by integrating signage and safety guidelines. The signage along the Indiana Dunes Indigenous Cultural Trail includes both interpretive information on the environment and cultural heritage of the region and timely reminders of good behaviors for visitors as they explore the trail.
In coming editions of the Destination Stewardship Report, we will explore responsible tourism programs in greater detail, highlighting the key learnings from these programs. Destination stewardship depends not only on host communities, but on the travelers who visit these special places. Strengthening programs that encourage responsible travel behavior is therefore essential.
Dr. Jonathon Day is an Associate Professor and Doctoral Program Director at Purdue University.