Western Loudoun Destination Stewardship

A meadowful of McMansions exemplifies threats to "pure Loudoun" scenery and heritage.
You can reach this page directly via pureloudoun.org. It is donated  by the Destination Stewardship Center (DSC), Jonathan Tourtellot CEO, and is free for use by the people of Loudoun county, VA. 

Convening a destination stewardship council for rural western Loudoun

Western Loudoun is in trouble, and there’s something we can do about it.

All across North America the concept of destination stewardship has been growing in recent years. A collaborative network devoted to it could help save Loudoun’s rural countryside. The county’s stewardship organizations are robust but fragmented; the tourism agency’s mandate is for marketing only. The people and parts are already in place, needing only organization. It’s up to you.

What is destination stewardship? At its simplest, it means care for places where tourism occurs.

Most tourism is driven by the character of the locale. Here in western Loudoun, the appeal of our beautiful heritage landscape brings in money. What’s more, appreciative visitors – even those from around the corner – learn to value western Loudoun for its unique qualities.

And yet our landscape remains beset by unrestrained growth – a relentless increase in housing subdivisions, power-line threats, and, yes, tourism itself if inappropriate. Often we face a choice: Wisely planned, unobtrusive tourism, or even more houses.

This dynamic needs a friendly nudge towards preserving the western Loudoun we hold dear. We believe that requires a collaborative arrangement to push for better destination stewardship.

Below we present the rationale, concept, and steps necessary for doing this. When complete, this page will include:

  • Western Loudoun Destination Stewardship concept and proposal.
  • Rationale
  • Guiding Principles
  • Making it happen
  • Ancillary materials – short-term rental policy, appropriate scale, etc.
  • Explanatory PPT

This proposal content is free to use. Jonathan Tourtellot, DSC CEO and resident of western Loudoun county, initiated this process and is willing to assist pro bono any serious effort to move the idea forward. Se invite volunteer leaders to step forward. To participate or just stay informed, contact Jonathan@destinationcenter.org
The short-cut URL for this page is pureloudoun.org.


 

What's at stake?

Scenes like this, and more

A still-lovely view near Loyalty Road. Photo: Mouncey Ferguson

Why Does Western Loudoun Need Destination Stewardship Collaboration?

This concept sheet (1 pg, pdf) explains the idea, the rationale, and the basic proposal.

Destination Stewardship Guiding Principles for Western Loudoun

The principles do not prescribe specific policy actions but rather act as guiding stars for ensuring that actions follow a wise course.

  1. Take the Whole Picture into Account
  2. Protect Distinctive Destination Character
  3. Benefit Local Communities
  4. Choose Quality over Quantity
  5. Collaborate for Holistic Destination Management
  6. Educate Interactively
  7. Redefine Economic Success
  8. Reduce Tourism’s Public Burden
  9. Use Land Wisely
  10. Be a Responsible Global Citizen
  11. Operate Businesses Responsibly
  12. Evaluate Progress

To have real-world clout, the principles must be endorsed by as many pertinent enterprises and individuals as possible, thus creating a powerful collective request that they be heeded.

This document (pdf) presents the guiding principles, elaborated and in the form of a charter for signatories. Download it! If you wish to join the signatory list, please contact Jonathan@destinationcenter.org. (Sign-up form to come.)

Powerpoint deck "Taking Charge"

This deck of slides, with notes, lays out the challenges facing the relationship between Loudoun’s rural west and tourism activites that can help, or hurt. The presentation then offers a series of steps on what to do about it. Mr. Tourtellot is able give a version of this presentation at no charge, with Q&A, for suitable gatherings. Contact Jonathan@destinationcenter.org

Raising public appreciation

A Waterford Fair moment. Photo: Jonathan Tourtellot

The first catalytic project might be well advised to focus on public education for Loudouners and government officials, answering the question “What’s special about rural Loudoun?” Among possibilities being considered:

  • A rural-roads mapping project, laden with stories
  • A comprehensive “West of 15” festival
  • Video contest
  • A “Backyard Tourism Day” for Loudouners to discover their county
  • A stewardship survey of residents and visitors
  • School story-collecting project, etc

Making it happen

Content to come will include:

  • First steps
  • A resilient model, structured to last
  • Catalytic project options described

Ancillary material

 Content to come will include:

  • Short-term rental (STR) policy
  • Observations
  • Public information media – Wander magazine, etc.