Tourism can contribute to preserving your locale—or to degrading it. These links and tools can help your community plan constructively.

These directories are far from complete. Please submit new entries by entering a comment or e-mailing info@destinationcenter.org, 50-word maximum.

General Destination Quality and Civic Initiatives

Change.org Provides a mechanism for residents and visitors to petition about anything affecting the character of the locale, from irresponsible developments to creation of parks or historic districts.

“Choices” The acclaimed 3-minute video (high-resolution version) ironically lays out in two parts the difference between well-stewarded destinations and places that aren’t. A good tone-setter for meetings.

Community Tourism Assessment Handbook An online nine-step guide designed to help determine whether tourism development is right for a given community. Published by the Western Rural Development Center, Montana State University Extension.

Gateway Community Toolkit for towns next door to U.S. national parks.

National Main Street Center This successful U.S. program concentrates on revitalizing downtown areas with an eye to historic preservation and lively commerce.

Travel Unity has curated globally recognized Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Standards for Travel and Tourism, which are the foundation for all of its work with the industry. 

UNESCO Creative Cities Network offers unparalleled opportunities for cities to draw on peer learning processes and collaborative projects in order to capitalize on their creative assets and use this as a basis for building sustainable development.

Links to Related Publications

Building a Community-Centered Destination Stewardship Initiative Care for communities that make up the fabric of destinations is critical. But how? A destination stewardship approach can help tourism stakeholders – including community members – create their shared future in a collaborative and mutually beneficial way. Samantha Bray, PhD candidate at the University of Waterloo, shares her expertise. This post was originally published on the Center for Responsible Travel’s website.

Sustainable Travel International – Empowered Communities “We make sure that local people reap the benefits of tourism and empower them to improve their livelihoods, share their heritage, and contribute to sustainable development.”

This Is How To Leverage Community-Led Sustainable Tourism For People and Biodiversity “Garrido’s Lodge in the Brazilian Amazon is one case where sustainable tourism has generated 18 local positions and thousands in annual revenue from craft sales.”

Tourism Development That Benefits Rural Communities Directly: Community Homestay Network Case Study“With the aim of maximizing tourism’s benefits for rural grassroots communities, Community Homestay Network (CHN) in Nepal invests in tourism products and value chains through participatory approaches where locals are both participants and beneficiaries in tourism development.”

World Tavel & Tourism Council – 8 Ways Responsible Tourism Benefits Local Communities 

These directories are far from complete. Please submit new entries by entering a comment or e-mailing info@destinationcenter.org, 50-word maximum.