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010924 LTAC Meeting Packet
Enjoy o rt.......... rr i r nsen Lodging Tax Advisory Committee Meeting Tuesday, January 9, 2023 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. City Hall, 540 Water Street City Council Chambers Join virtually at 1h.t. : .�.iiim. elbiina r..co.irn enter the 9 digit Webinar ID 541-580-195 Join by phone in listen -only mode (360) 390-5064 ext. 5 access code: 510-029-822# Submit public comment to be included in the meeting record to: .1P ./1.p.2.L, a .o.!Tp,�a e..n.;�o.fJj...u..' .c2,m./�u fp:t. Call to Order II. Approval of Agenda III. Approval of Minutes- October 10, 2023, October 16, 2023 IV. Public Comment- On Agenda Items (3 minute per person) V. Budget and Workplan Refresher VI. Chamber and Main Street Scopes of Work and Contract Updates i. Reports from Chamber and Main Street on 2023 VII. Chamber Event Reader Board Maintenance Needs i. Background on the Reader Board ii. Discussion of need, budget, or other solutions VIII. Marketing Work Group Update IX. Grant Schedule and Meeting Schedule and Other Event Invitations i. Webinar Scheduling, Criteria and App Edits, RFP ii. January 11, 2023 5-7pm at the Chamber, LTAC and Chamber Lodging Mixer iii. January 30,2023 Time TBD, at the Cotton Building, Arts and Culture Plan Roll -Out Event X. Discussion of Reading Materials as they Relate to our Work i. Responsible Tourism Handbook ii. Grants Provided by SWT for Tourism XI. Public Comment- Not on Agenda Items (3 minutes per person) XII. Set Agenda for Next Meeting: March 12, 2024, 3:00pm XIII. Adjourn LTAC regular meetings are held every other month on Tuesday at 3 p.m. Next regular meeting: March 12, 2024 from 3 to 5 p.m. Mark your calendars and save the dates! cn W D Z Z LU LULUW H O U cn 0 X F - Z O J M N C) N 0 0 0 U r cu n C co E a) V a c6 Y c6 O � U .o U Z � n3 U � > co � J Y W 75 L m ") cnO> W m LU c a w O_ c: c: •C 4) m E 0 O L 0 co Z co O Z . 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This begins nearly 6 months before the start of the subsequent year and includes state -mandated statutory milestones and deadlines. o .. 1. January 10 — Contracting, Review, Call for Proposals. The City initiates agreements with LTAC funding recipients in accordance with current -year budget, including terms, deliverables, insurance requirements, and scope of work. LTAC reviews previous year reporting and assesses current year projections. LTAC reviews the RFP for allocated grant funding. 2. March 12 — Spring Grant Application Review. Review first cycle applications for LTAC funding, including Q&A with funding applicants, and make decisions on grant funding. Depending on revenue forecasts and quality of proposal, LTAC may decide to hold funding awards until Fall Cycle. Advertise for new LTAC members (appointments through May on rolling cycle). May 14 - Budget Priorities and Plan/Project Review — In the May/June time period, LTAC receives a call from Mayor/City Manager to LTAC (and all City advisory boards) for workplan items and budget request. Note that the overall LTAC budget is forecasted by the City Finance team; LTAC makes a formal recommendation to City Council for use of those funds. LTAC reviews progress on the 2024 workplan, reviews data, marketing, and project progress. 4. July 9 - Call for Proposals, Budget Priorities. The City, on behalf of LTAC, advertises a call for proposals for the second half of (or the remaining) allocated grant funding for the year. LTAC considers priorities for next fiscal year and suggests a preliminary LTAC budget. LTAC weighs a range of objectives within the scope of the criteria to determine a recommended budget. 5. September 10 — Fall Grant Application Review, Budget Recommendation to City Council. LTAC reviews proposals for the second half of the allocated grant funding of the year. LTAC votes on a budget and submits a recommendation to City Council in advance of a decision on the final City budget. City Council may choose to approve/incorporate or may send the recommendation back to LTAC for further discussion. 6. November 12 — Annual Review. LTAC reviews progress on the 2024 workplan, 2024 marketing and visitation data, hears from grantees, partners, and contractors on annual work, plans annual meeting schedule, plans 2025 grant deadlines, and ties up loose ends in discussion. City ° it" 250 MadisonStreet, Suite 2 N Poon. Townsend, WA. 98368 � 36 : 7° 5f 7 1 www.cityofpt.us a of 11M Townsen'd ADMINISTRATION Attachrnent A: General IIITAC In"forma"tion City of Port Townsend Lodging Tax Fund Overview Port Townsend's Lodging Tax Fund is the primary source of City funding for activities, operations, and expenditures designed to increase tourism. The fund has been used to market Port Townsend; construct and maintain tourism -related infrastructure like public restrooms, winter lighting and garbage facilities; offer sponsorships for events and organizations; pay fee waivers for use of City facilities; and pay debt service, among other things allowable by state law. HIGH PRIORITY will be given to tourism activities that: • Have a demonstrated potential or high potential to result in overnight stays by tourists in lodging establishments within the City of Port Townsend. Preference may be given to stays during shoulder season. • Promote Port Townsend and/or events, activities, and places in the City of Port Townsend to potential tourists from outside Jefferson County. • Have demonstrated or high potential to result in documented economic benefit to Port Townsend. • Have a demonstrated history or success in Port Townsend or are proposed by a group with a demonstrated history or high potential of success with similar activities. • Minimize duplication of services where appropriate and encourage cooperative marketing and/or includesan element of cooperation or partnership. • City Facilities are available on a first-come; first -serve basis. Please ensure that your selected dates are available by checking the City website. A facility -use scholarship will not give you priority to use your selected facility or bump another event from the reservation calendar. State Law Excerpts RCW 67.28.1816 — Use of Lodging Tax Fund. CitYo£ Porto 11M Townsen'd ADMINISTRATION 250 Madison Street, Suite 2 I Poort'Townsend, WA 08368 � 360.379rv50 7 V www.cityofpt.us Lodging tax revenue under this chapter may be used, directly by any municipality or indirectly through a conventionand visitors bureau or destination marketing organization for: a. Tourism marketing; b. The marketing and operations of special events and festivals designed to attract tourists; c. Supporting the operations and capital expenditures of tourism -related facilities owned or operated by a municipality or a public facilities district created under chapters 35.57 and 36.100 RCW; or d. Supporting the operations of tourism -related facilities owned or operated by nonprofit organizations described under 26 U.S.C. Sec. 501(c)(3) and 26 U.S.C. Sec. 501(c)(6) or the internal revenue code of 1986,as amended. RCW 67.28.080 — Definitions. • "Municipality" means any county, city or town of the state of Washington. • "Operation" includes, but is not limited to, operation, management, and marketing. • "Person" means the federal government or any agency thereof, the state or any agency, subdivision, taxing district or municipal corporation thereof other than county, city or town, any private corporation, partnership, association, or individual. • "Tourism" means economic activity resulting from tourists, which may include sales of overnight lodging,meals, tours, gifts, or souvenirs. • "Tourism promotion" means activities and expenditures designed to increase tourism, including but not limited to advertising, publicizing, or otherwise distributing information for the purpose of attracting andwelcoming tourists; developing strategies to expand tourism; operating tourism promotion agencies; andfunding marketing of special events and festivals designed to attract tourists. • "Tourism -related facility" means real or tangible personal property with a usable life of three or moreyears, or constructed with volunteer labor, and used to support tourism, performing arts, or to accommodate tourist activities. • "Tourist" means a person who travels from a place of residence to a different town, city, county, state, orcountry, for purposes of business, pleasure, recreation, education, arts, heritage, or culture. Resolution 24-001 EXHIBIT A Contractor Subject 2024 Contract Amount (not to exceed) Port Townsend Main Street Community beautification, $125,000 economic development, and maintenance Port Townsend Main Street* Creative District Support, $33,400 Winter Lights and Winter Marketing Jefferson County Chamber of Web/Social Media Services Commerce* for EnjoyPT and Visitor $83,400 Information Center operations *Lodging Tax Funding aannnoo� m u� � cMAl011M�4 m reuuuwnn UYN � �u� c AN "N�....�.�. 2) S E 0 0 C_ > 0 4-1 E0 co ran 0 LO 03 < 0 Lj C 0 EE E 0 E U) air 0 0, . 12 E cl EE mC5 0 0 t5 C) w o) I'D a> C) (1 . 'C- 0 ca On 6 — (1) 6 a3 M "s U) co U 4-1 In CD c C) co W c) 0 rX Ntt - z co EE (D 14- 0 E LL < u) Al, 4 . . . . ......s� c 0 CL 1: L- W, ( 4� u w �f OD t5 1 w C: 4-1 4-1 o aww w CC m 32 �� S 00 1115-1 �� (D1" 4—m OD CD OD Www CD 0 m Sa L N CO m�u T C 0 3 Z4 CD E2 22C2 15 cu) cl, C) CD Ln CA 2 d, 5. 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CL b V� V� 6D F- co ------ u CLIIII. co C= cr� 0 Q u' " a '- 4-J -o c a Cir ' N , ' ' L- n v n + c C- o- > ';D < (3) FCU 0 (a) L-� m J 4-5 biD Wo , E C 0 mJ tai 0 'C t- -0 m w .■�■■ a C i O yr q) Q) L' o 4-� � v a b a a O ■ ■ > t U � 0 0 E C- �: ") n U qJ O t� 0 ` b0 C I— v7 4-1 V) (� 0 � 4— C ■ 0 u 0 V) m 4--J u 4-J V) a, IRA Ln V) V) 4---1 — Co V) (a) (1) U -0 C- E Ln E C- E C- 0 0 u u C- m _0 VT c 0 -z; Vi > 0o E V) v) m C- 0 n _0 m 0 0 V) c- ci 4--1 (A r 0) C- G) 4-J m > E (A as V Ln 4-- (A W E -0 0 u C) V) 0 4--1 c 4- C) (1) c C- 0 v) > co 0 CU E E P cf) u4- _0 E CU 0 C) L4- r) co n V) U CO Q) (1) 0 0 0 0 U) a) 0 0 co (n 0 co m 0) E m 0- CO c6 CY) 00 co NQ L .0- N 0 '0 +--1 (n 0 CIO U) 0 CO C) Cll 0 U) +1 5 E o C C7 0 (0 0 Q- () 0-0 G) -CCU 4-10 > Q- U) 0 -0 0 U� 0 0 a) E 0 uj E 0 C) (- U) (Y) 5 CU@ > c 0 T— -I C: o 0 >1 0 CU E a) a) 0 L�) 0 DRAFT 2024 PORT TOWNSEND MAIN STREET PROGRAM WORKPLAN Mission Statement: Our mission is to preserve, promote, and enhance our historic business districts. Vision Statement: Port Townsend will be recognized locally and globally as a prosperous and engaged community with thriving cultural and historic districts, a diverse entrepreneurial spirit and a small town quality of life. Target Audience: Our primary focus will be Downtown and Uptown businesses, property owners, residents, and visitors to our community. Our secondary focus will be community organizations and local government partners. COMMITTEES' GOALS AND ACTIVITIES ORGANIZATION COMMITTEE: Increase involvement in the Main Street Program and ensure financial stability and the overall health of the organization •3 Review and Evaluate Existing Funding Sources • Continue Main Street Tax Incentive Program prospect cultivation • Solicit Tax Incentive Program contributions from local businesses and municipality (CAP raised to $213,333) Continue to apply for grants and implement awarded grant projects successfully • Main Street orientation for new staff and board members • Supervise office program coordinator on program billings and membership activities • Board continues membership cultivation and outreach • Offer member perks on program offerings and website • Develop the annual budget • Solicit and build on successful sponsorships to underwrite events • Create and update program policies ❖ Monitor Government Planning Processes; give input as needed Attend city meetings when appropriate; serve on Lodging Tax Advisory Committee (nonvoting) ❖ Increase Awareness about the Port Townsend Main Street Program • Communicate with stakeholders (City, LTAC, Main Street members, property owners, realtors, business owners) • Engage with constituents through PT Main Street e -newsletters, website and social media • Host annual member and volunteer recognition gatherings to honor constituents Hold annual board elections and annual retreat • Hold monthly board and committee meetings • Enhance web presence and offer opportunity for member visibility 4 • Provide reports for City, WA State Main Street Program and ArtsWA: attend meetings as requested and as scheduling permits. • Write annual newsletter and post online • Attend Main Street trainings and networking meetings to connect with colleagues • Promote Uptown and Downtown Historic Districts via website and social media •3 Increase Overall Community Involvement • Collaborate with community groups according to work plans (Chamber of Commerce, PT Artscape, Centrum, Jefferson Museum of Art & History, Jefferson County Farmer's Market, Olympic Peninsula Steam, Port Townsend Arts Commission, Port Townsend Creative District, Jefferson Healthcare Foundation, Key City Public Theatre, PT Film Festival, EDC Team Jefferson, Port Townsend Kiwanis, Kinetics, Port Townsend Public Library, Jefferson County Community Foundation, Rhododendron Festival Association, Northwind Art, KPTZ 91.9 FM, Olympic Neighbors, and Port Townsend Rotary) • Cultivate volunteer pool and provide volunteer recognition; hold volunteer training meetings when appropriate • Oversee staff and assist with coordinating summer Concerts on the Dock event series, solicit sponsors, create marketing plan, line up bands, vendors, supplies, supervise event staffing and volunteers • Deliver community posters for Taylor Street bulletin board to Rotary contacts at Homer Smith Insurance ❖ Collaborate with Stakeholders on Common Economic Development Issues • Continue to be a resource for businesses by sharing business resources • Work with the City of Port Townsend and community partners (Chamber of Commerce, LTAC, EDC Team Jefferson, Jefferson County PUD, Port of Port Townsend) on relevant issues • Update strategic planning document for 2024 ❖ Continue To Address Uptown Needs • Coordinate Uptown Street Fair • Attend Uptown business meetings when scheduled/requested, if possible send Uptown board representative PROMOTION COMMITTEE: Promote Uptown and Downtown as the city's social, cultural, and economic centers for Events ❖ Enhance Marketing for Historic District Business and Encourage Foot Traffic • Use website and social media to market the districts (ptmainstreet.org) • Evaluate promotions, offer new angles, research promotion concepts/ideas that could be adapted here • Promote and tie into existing events to increase the economic opportunity for businesses • Encourage store window themes; Art Wave, Girls' Night Out, Holidays • Participate in community parades when possible and time allows; Rhody Festival, Uptown Street Fair Parade, lead Main Street Downtown Trick or Treat Parade. • Encourage merchants to use social media: Facebook, E -news alerts, sign up for electronic newsletter, merchant news section in our e -newsletter, promote website ❖ Encourage Local Shopping and Dining and Connection with Local Residents • Art Wave: displays children's art in district businesses to raise awareness for PT Artscape art in schools program Work with PT Artscape to enhance arts in the public schools Girls' Night Out: a well -orchestrated retail event that raises funds for local women in need to get cancer screenings through the Jefferson Healthcare Foundation and supports local businesses and our program • Downtown Trick or Treat: A fun and safe event for children and families that brings people downtown, encouraging local patronage and local customer cultivation • Offer "Haunted Histories & Mysteries" event to educate about town history and bring business in 4t" quarter; • Coordinate Holiday Promotion Marketing Campaign: Tree Lighting and Santa Visit, Small Business Saturday, caroling, and entertainment and nonprofit events under the Tyler Plaza Tent. • Assess capacity for future promotions such as "Find Your Heart in PT" retail promotion. •3 Manage at Least 5 Community Building (non -retail based) Events/Activities: • Concerts on the Dock (8 concerts) • Uptown Street Fair and Parade • Downtown Trick or Treat & Costume Parade • Haunted Histories & Mysteries of Port Townsend • Tree lighting & Santa Visit ❖ Manage Retail Promotions • Art Wave: Children's Art in stores in May • Girls' Night Out, October event • Holiday Promotions; Small Business Saturday, Window Decorating Contest, nonprofit events under the tent ❖ Attract Quality External Shopping to Historic Districts • Promote visiting groups (social media/newsletter) • Create email marketing list based on names collected at events • Social networking to promote events/activities Enhance Successful Promotions • Evaluate effectiveness of the promotional calendar on an annual basis and revise as needed • Debrief events • Evaluate Main Street retail promotions and track input • Encourage merchants to measure effectiveness of their marketing efforts • Provide tips and suggestions to businesses; share "success stories" in e -newsletter • Girls' Night Out; promote businesses' offerings • Winter Holidays Promotion: focus on events and retail promotions, promote Holiday Windows, post on social media, post on Main Street web page, decorate the Haller Fountain, Adams Street Park, the Tyler Street Plaza event tent and community Christmas tree, continue to collaborate with City of Port Townsend LTAC, partners and merchants to enhance the promotion throughout the historic districts. ❖ Collaborate with the City's Marketing Efforts • Director attends meetings with City, Chamber and other meetings as schedule permits • Executive Director serves on LTAC committee (nonvoting) and attends meetings ECONOMICS COMMITTEE: Strengthen and broaden the economic viability of the commercial historic districts •3 Coordinate Meetings with Community Partners - Creative District • Participate with partners to implement a Creative District Arts and Culture plan for Port Townsend to pursue sustainable funding and work with the Creative District Subcommittee to apply for grants. Implement the Artists' Directory. Examine feasibility of applying for future infrastructure grants. The Port Townsend Main Street Program is the lead on this project to promote a year-round economy through the arts. 4 ❖ Communicate Historic Districts' Disaster Preparedness Information • Use program website to list resources ❖ Coordinate and Oversee LENT Microloan Program (Light at the End of the Tunnel) Fund • Offer resources for businesses in historic districts through microloan program • Subcommittee meets twice a year to review applications received—Spring and Fall ❖ HUD Revolving Loan Program Subcommittee • Focus is on historic districts' commercial building improvements which enhance public safety • Publicize application deadlines • Meet Spring and Fall to review applications received • Make recommendations to the city regarding applicant funding Provide Vacancy and Sales Information on Historic District Properties • Help commercial historic district businesses reach target markets • Help attract appropriate target businesses for historic districts ❖ Timing TBD Communicate City of Port Townsend parking management plans to stakeholders DESIGN COMMITTEE: Enhance the character of the historic districts through good design and public amenities compatible with historic features •3 Educate About Good Design and Historic Preservation in the Commercial Historic Districts • Connect with property owners and provide design information and resources • Provide information to business and property owners on issues that affect them • Encourage good design and mentorship through design committee members • Educate members about the importance of the character of the historic districts • Research options related to design projects which enhance the historic districts • In collaboration with Jefferson County Historical Society and Olympic Peninsula Steam, continue to add content to the "Hidden History Signage Project" website over time through the committee • Explore ways to create connections between Washington Street, Water Street and Uptown •3 Continue and Maintain Public Improvements • Give input into new streetscape amenities • Continue to enhance the Adams Street end parklet project as funding allows. • Pursue placemaking grants • Fundraise to replace Main Street benches in Adams Street Park. • Coordinate annual Earth Day cleanup and beautification day; date to be determined • Give input to city Development Services Dept. re: Streetscape Improvements (improve lighting and public restrooms a priority downtown) • Outline volunteer projects for cleanup and planting projects downtown • Support the continued improvements of Adams Street Park (parklet); work with the City ❖ Support Decorative Lighting in Winter Months 9 • Continue to work with Uptown and Downtown businesses and property owners to light exterior of buildings and store windows • Help coordinate Uptown winter lighting with stars and snowflakes • Decorate Haller Fountain area, Adams Street Park and community tree in December • Hang oversized wreaths by ferry Dock, City Hall, and Haller Fountain during winter holiday season • Implement LTAC Winter Lighting Plan for LED lights in trees downtown and Uptown, LTAC budget dependent • Encourage merchants and property owners to light their business windows and building exteriors • Roofline lighting at three City buildings (City Hall, Cotton Building, and Pope Marine Park Building), ❖ Give Input as Needed into Design Review Process • Attend Historic Preservation Committee meetings as needed • Attend Arts Commission meetings as needed • Attend city design charrettes as needed (board, staff, committee members, stakeholders) Coordinate the Continued Creation of Attractive Historic Districts • Assess, manage, and maintain spring through summer hanging basket program; budget dependent on partnership with participating businesses • Manage maintenance contracts for year-round portolettes at Tyler Street end near stairs • Manage maintenance worker contracts for downtown bed planting on Water and Washington Streets, including bulb -outs, rain gardens, Adams Street Park, parklet plants and Tyler Street Plaza plant pots, Cotton Building planters, and weeding of tree wells (excluding tree planting and maintenance). • Give input on scope of work and plans • Continue to collaborate with property owners to implement bird abatement strategies in the historic commercial districts and to engage in seasonal bird waste cleanup • Sidewalk pressure -washing as needed in summer months depending on budget and water conditions. Subject to Change 2024-2025 Lodging Tax Request: Renewing the Port Townsend Main Street Winter Lights Project The Port Townsend Main Street Program respectfully requests that The City of Port Townsend Lodging Tax Advisory Committee renew its commitment to fund the Port Townsend Main Street Winter Lights Project in the amount of $15,000 per year for 2024 and 2025. In 2019, we began implementing the winter lighting plan. We have received much positive feedback on the winter lights program and people have commented on what a difference it has made to make Port Townsend feel brighter and more welcoming. In mid-October, we start the process to have the street trees be illuminated in November -February. There are a total of approximately 95 trees to light downtown. Last year, we expanded the lights in the trees program by adding lights to 10 more trees in Uptown. While the lights are up, our lights coordinator checks on them often and troubleshoots. In February, we remove the lights and store them again for future use. We replace the burned out strands. We also hang stars and snowflakes Uptown, decorate the downtown tree at Haller Fountain, the Tyler Plaza tent, and Adams Street Park. The winter lights project is funding dependent. • We will continue to donate our office/staff time to coordinate the winter lighting plan if it is funded. Port Townsend Creative District LTAC Funding Continuation of Three -Year Commitment Begun In 2023 Thank you for your support of Creative District activities. The Port Townsend Main Street Program respectfully requests that the City of Port Townsend Lodging Tax Advisory Committee renew its commitment to fund the Port Townsend Creative District projects as outlined below for the years 2024 and 2025. 2024 /2025 REQUEST Implementation of the Arts and Culture Plan: $3000 per year Operation of Artists Directory: $2400 per year Soundcheck support: $3000 per year Ptcreativedistrict.org. ptsoundcheck.com 2024 WINTER MARKETING CAMPAIGN We are grateful for the LTAC Commitment for $10,000 to 4t" Quarter marketing in 2023 to be split with the Chamber and we request this funding again for 2024. We collaborate on the marketing plan with The Chamber. The Chamber outlines and coordinates the regional marketing. The Port Townsend Main Street Program (PTMS) is coordinating the decorating, lining up the volunteers, and events under the Tyler Street Plaza tent in November/December. PTMS will use part of these funds for radio ads in Seattle/1-5 corridor. We plan to have Small Business Saturday events, swag -making, ornament -making, caroling, and visits with Santa in the heated tent. We also will work with other nonprofits such as Olympic Neighbors to offer last minute gift -wrapping for customers. We request that this LTAC funding continue in 2024 and 2025 to spread the word about visiting merry Port Townsend. 7 DRAFT 2024 JEFFERSON COUNTY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE SCOPE OF WORK This document outlines the collaborative efforts between the City of Port Townsend (referred to as "the City") and the Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce (referred to as "the Chamber") to enhance visitor information services and promote tourism in Port Townsend. THE PRIMARY OBJECTIVES OF THIS COLLABORATION INCLUDE: Visitor Information Materials: Acquiring and distributing tourism -relevant rack cards and brochures for the Visitor Information Center and tourism -based partners Online Presence: Updating and maintaining Port Townsend event and contact information on the www.enjoypt.com web platform and various social media platforms. Data Collection: Providing statistical data from the Visitor Information Center, enjoypt.com website, and Port Townsend tourism -related postings on Chamber -related social media platforms. Physical Facilities: Providing and maintaining physical space for the Port Townsend Visitor Information Center, tourism -related information, and public access restrooms. Quarterly Reporting: Participating in and providing quarterly reporting for Port Townsend City LTAC meetings. Collaboration: Coordinating City Visitor Information Center efforts with related tourism entities. Visitor Services: Providing guest/visitor services, including in-person inquiries, telephone calls, email, and USPS services. Office Hours: Maintaining consistent, published office hours. Information Accuracy: Ensuring reasonable care in maintaining current tourism -related information and contact information. Digital Assets: Providing yearly licensing for Chamber -owned digital assets, with storage locations to be provided by the City. ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES: The City's Responsibilities: The City will provide financial support as agreed upon to facilitate the operation of the Visitor Information Center and collaborate closely with the Chamber. The Chamber's Responsibilities: The Chamber will manage the Visitor Information Center and execute the tasks outlined above to promote tourism and support local businesses. Communication: Both parties commit to maintaining open and transparent communication channels to address any operational needs, adjustments, or improvements related to the collaboration. Evaluation and Review: Regular evaluations will be conducted to assess the effectiveness of the tasks and service improvement based on feedback and data. OLYMPIC NATIONAL PARK* 2022 2022 % 2023 2023 % vrn rhanna YTn rhanna Jan 65,419 65,419 0.10% 72,149 72,149 10.29% Feb 76,448 141,867 -0.17% 80,672 152,821 7.72% Mar 112,010 253,877 0.03% 138,706 291,527 14.83% Apr 89,156 343,033 16.93% 95,032 386,559 12.69% May 129,113 472,146 25.90% 231,410 617,969 30.89% Jun 217,537 689,683 22.69% 317,543 935,512 35.64% Jul 445,755 1,135,438 14.38% 440,209 1,375,721 21.16% Aug 610,456 1,745,894 12.84% 791,005 2,166,726 24.10% Sep 322,881 2,068,775 10.83% 406,681 2,573,407 24.39% Oct 151,732 2,220,507 9.72% 321,353 2,894,760 30.36% Nov 107,847 2,328,354 9.13% 225,109 3,119,869 33.99% Dec 79,1981 2,407,5521 8.90% 01 3,119,8691 29.59% PORT TOWNSEND VISITOR INFORMATION CENTER 2022 2022 % 2023 2023 % YTn Channe YTD rhanne Jan 816 816 186.32% 848 848 3.92% Feb 1,129 1,945 321.91% 788 1,636 -15.89% Mar 1,592 3,537 210.81% 907 2,543 -28.10% Apr 1,990 5,527 174.98% 1,086 3,629 -34.34% may 2511 8,038 163.63% 3,100 6,729 -16.29% Jun 2,605 10,643 138.15% 580 7,309 -31.33% Jul 2,755 13,398 103.59% 643 7,952 -40.65% Aug3,209 10,322 16,607 90.93% 1,130 9,082 -45.31% Sep 3,484 20,091 85.50% 906 9,988 -50.29% Oct 3,296 23,387 83.23% 343 10,331 -55.83% Nov 2,223 25,610 62.84% 273 10,604 -58.59% Dec 1,7071 27,3171 66.20% 01 10,604 -61.18% FORKS VISITOR INFORMATION CENTER 2022 2022 % 2023 2023 % YTD rhanna YTD rhanna Jan 1,408 1,408 1.69% 1,753 1,753 24.50% Feb 1,930 3,338 -12.85% 1,903 3,656 9.53% Mar 3,141 6,479 34.39% 3,244 6,900 6.50% Apr 3,284 9,763 119.67% 3,680 10,580 8.37% May 3,928 13,691 276.47% 5,341 15,921 16.29% Jun 7,259 20,950 273.37% 9,299 25,220 20.38% Jul 10,827 31,777 194.29% 12,824 38,044 19.72% Aug9,037 10,322 40,814 137.35% 10,265 48,309 18.36% Sep 7,129 47,943 119.00% 7,195 55,504 15.77% Oct 4,121 52,064 104.63% 4,885 60,389 15.99% Nov 2,618 54,682 105.77% 2,950 63,339 15.83% Dec 1,5551 56,2371 103.14% 2,1671 65,5061 16.48% NEAH BAY CULTURAL MUSEUM/ VIC 2022 2022 % 2023 2023 % YTD Chanae YTD Chanae Jan 0 0 #DIV/0! 459 459 #DIV/0! Feb 0 0 #DIV/0! 531 990 #DIV/0! Mar 305 305 #DIV/0! 1,071 2,061 575.74% Apr 949 1,254 #DIV/0! 1,730 3,791 202.31% May 1,792 3,046 #DIV/0! 2,541 6,332 107.88% Jun 2,932 5,978 #DIV/0! 3,927 10,259 71.61% Jul 3,916 9,894 #DIV/0! 5,515 15,774 59.43% Aug4,749 10,322 14,643 #DIV/0! 5,702 21,476 46.66% Sep 4,150 18,793 #DIV/0! 3,470 24,946 32.74% Oct 1,801 20,594 #DIV/0! 1,854 26,800 30.13% Nov 767 21,361 #DIV/0! 757 27,557 29.01% Dec 4421 21,8031 #DIV/0! 7241 28,281 29.01% I he Makah Museum is open all year round but the VIC is closd in the shoulder season. PORT ANGELES VISITOR INFORMATION CENTER 2022 2022 % 2023 2023 % YTn rhanna vrn rhanna Jan 20 20 #DIV/01 1,120 1,120 5500.00% Feb 669 695 #DIV/0! 1,395 2,515 261.87% Mar 1,935 2,630 #DIV/0! 2,133 4,648 76.73% Apr 2,040 4,670 206.23% 3,094 7,742 65.78% May 2,985 7,655 179.48% 4,661 12,403 62.02% Jun 6,604 14,2591 135.30%M44,379 687 19,890 39.49% Jul 9,936 24,195 144.05% 8911 29,742 22.93% Aug 10,322 34,517 159.02% 835 39,690 14.99% Sep 7,563 42,080 166.46% 398 47,654 13.25% Oct 3,974 46,054 165.99% 327 52,033 12.98% Nov 2,882 48,936 177.46% 269 53,171 8.65% Dec 926 49,862 -100.00% 0 53,171 6.64% OLYMPIC PENINSULA GATEWAY VISITOR CENTER 2022 2022 % 2023 2023 % YTn Channne YTn Champ Jan 193 193 27.81% 258 258 33.68% Feb 230 423 98.59% 330 588 39.01% Mar 340 763 51.69% 292 880 15.33% Apr 384 1,147 25.63% 390 1,270 10.72% May 541 1,688 15.78% 649 1,919 13.68% Jun 575 2,263 1.12% 687 2,606 15.16% Jul 8231 3,086 -2.06% 8911 3,497 13.32% Aug746 1,044 3,832 -1.64% 835 4,332 13.05% Sep 541 4,373 -7.04% 398 4,730 8.16% Oct 323 4,696 -5.40% 327 5,057 7.69% Nov 249 4,945 -6.59% 269 5,326 7.70% Dec 212 5,1571 4.85% 337 5,6631 9.81% SEQUIM VISITOR INFORMATION CENTER 2022 2022 % 2023 2023 % YTD Channe YTD rhanna Jan 418 418 257.26% 230 230 -44.98% Feb 257 675 192.21% 237 467 -30.81% Mar 364 1,039 111.18% 471 938 -9.72% Apr 425 1,464 55.91% 471 1,409 -3.76% May 511 1,975 35.37% 626 2,035 3.04% Jun 683 2,6581 21.59% 926 2,9611 11.40% Jul 1,589 4,247 10.69% 1,854 4,815 13.37% A uq 1,044 5,291 9.79% 1,151 5,966 12.76% Sep 780 6,071 9.98% 816 6,782 11.71% Oct 413 6,484 9.95% 429 7,211 11.21% Nov 171 6,655 8.81% 249 7,460 12.10% Dec 2001 6,855 9.38% 228 7,688 12.15% DUNGENESS RIVER AUDUBON CENTER 2022 2022 % 2023 2023 % YTn rhanna YTn rhanna Jan 0 0 #DIV/0! 1,636 1,636 #DIV/01 Feb 0 0 #DIV/0! 1,300 2,936 #DIV/01 Mar 0 0 #DIV/0! 1,658 4,594 #DIV/01 Apr 0 0 #DIV/0! 1,979 6,573 #DIV/0! May 0 0 #DIV/0! 2,758 9,331 #DIV/01 Jun 0 0 #DIV/0! 3,323 12,654 #DIV/0! Jul 1,6231 1623 #DIV/0! 4,2661 16,920 1180.10% Aug1,815 3,438 #DIV/0! 3,856 20,776 602.79% Sep 1,590 5,028 #DIV/0! 3,386 24,162 436.48% Oct 3,992 9,020 #DIV/0! 2,812 26,974 229.61% Nov 4,270 13,290 #DIV/0! 2,757 29,731 123.71% Dec 1,694 14,984 #DIV/0! 0 29,731 -100.00% QUILCENEIBRINNON VISITOR CENTER 2022 2022 % 2023 YTD Chanqe RAILROAD BRIDGE - OLYMPIC DISCOVERY TRAIL 2023 % 2022 2022 % 2023 2023 % YTD Chanqe YTD Chanqe YTD Change Jan 74 74 #DIV/0! 6291 629 750.00% Feb 129 203 #DIV/0! 561 1,190 486.21% Mar 170 373 #DIV/0! 757 1,947 421.98% Apr 388 761 942.47% 1,040 2,987 292.51% May 531 1,292 258.89% 1,621 4,608 256.66% Jun 876 2,168 330.16% 1,927 6,535 201.43% Jul 1,627 3,795 422.73% 2,937 9,472 149.59% Aug878 4,673 399.79% 2,508 11,980 156.37% Sep 663 5,336 382.90% 2,193 14,173 165.61% Oct 824 6,160 359.70% 1,268 15,441 150.67% Nov 1,260 7,420 300.86% 1,287 16,728 125.44% Dec 9061 8,3261 209.98% 0 0 -100.00% Jan 1 13,3441 13,344 -22.96% 21,2161 21,216 58.99% Feb 13,382 26,726 -10.05% 14,938 36,154 35.28% Mar 16,955 43,681 -7.05% 19,542 55,696 27.51% Apr 17,790 61,471 -9.36% 23,364 79,060 28.61% May 18,724 80,195 -11.14% 29,306 108,366 35.13% Jun 17,849 98,044 -13.65% 29,928 138,294 41.05% Jul 0 98,044 -31.70% 38,115 176,409 79.93% Aug0 98,044 -42.68% 34,6471 211,056 115.27% Se 0 98,044 -50.62% 29,353 240,409 145.21% Oct 0 98,044 -54.92% 24,207 264,616 169.90% Nov 15,033 113,077 -52.01% 29,515 294,131 160.12% Dec 31,253 144,330 -44.01% 0 0 -100.00% Railroad Bridge dosed for repair July 2022 -October 2022 c E o 0 N tD o 7 do C M 0 o N of wa W o N c d) Ro W 0 o R o o Ro 0 0 y c L 7 0 0 M N of r Q) O) q r L M cD �D r m M M r o0 O7 M O7 L M r r �D c0 I� O 7 (D (D of CD O O L m 7 7 m�� r } r o0 N r N V r r O7 M V r r N r V N r o0 N r r V r c0 r r V r (D M o (p N o 0 o r N r (Dr N M a a0 (0 0 M o r 0i O a N N N N o M a O M M r 0 r N r O) r O) M N Q7 (D a r M M M M (O N M N O M r (D (D M O M r N O r o0 O O M CD N N O r M V 0 W (p W N O O V N ap MM M M N M O cO O O N M c Q r M r O O W r r R (D O M M N Q r R (D o0 W O N N (O M M O O O V r Q a M M (D co (D O� O M r a0 �D r Q O N N NLQ a0 O O M O M N M W O (D M (D O F t0 V o0 W J r F O O T r O W r (O F OI M M m o0 O N } F W r M W M N O FQ i F O N (D m V V M V r EA EA EA EA EA � M MEA EA EA EA M EA EA EA EA EA EA EA M EA EA EA EA M fA M M EA EA M MEA EA EA M EA EA EA EA EA EA EA � fA fA M M 14 O N - 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O h O) O) M Q M D) N O W h h h r MMMM M (D O r"T OD Q) (D Q N (D N M N r r r fAMMMMMEA EA M M M M N M M Q IA M M M M MEA fAMMM M W O t0 CD h 0 N CD a7 M N W M of O"T M"T O M Q O W O O N g a O) O � W M N oD cD cD W W N O"T� O 4 CD 6 N M cD 'c ` r 0 cD W O oD � c6,47 M N M N N M h cp O) 4) W h h rL r � � fA fA fA fA V3 O N"T M N r r r rL fA V3 EA V3 V3 V3 V3 V3 rL Wi EA EA EA EA EA M M fA fA t"1"TD7 W O N h 0 0"T M O"TM"TN N"T� O O O N M O OJ N O 1 r W (D r O W (D M W N N"T O"T r"T r A h h r N N N O M O O O r N N N N r r"T O N c6N N N N (D O h O V M N N M N n"T LLL r M M M M M M M M N M M M M M M M M LL d LL I� O M m"T h m N D7 N h 0 (D (D N N"T m W NO"T M N N D) (D O O O IT IN M fA di di di fA fA fA fA fA fA fA fA C O 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 C7 N N N N N N N N 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 '2 N N N N N N N N L 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 fq N N N N N N N N N Q N M rl - N ~ O N v O O 2 � bA <D d n 3 s o 0 a o O O s 3 LL 0 O O Y E 3 o � 3 v -O O O O > a+ O � bq ,� 3 v O i 3 u v � N O � � � O � o C O 0 L no > 7 d O EF N i O N N E O O Q C m ii V N O 0 V citya ort INNTownsena ADMINISTRATION Spring Round 250 Madison Street, Suite 2 0 IPort Townsend, WA 08368 � 360.379m5047 � www.cityofptaus 024 Clrwain t IC;: eadllliirnes Monday, January 22 — Call for Proposals Tuesday, January 30 — Recorded Grant Webinar Friday, February 23 — Spring Grant Deadline Tuesday, March 12 — LTAC Grant Application Review Fall Round Monday, July 22 — Call for Proposals Tuesday, July 30 — Recorded Grant Webinar (tentative) Friday, August 30 — Fall Grant Deadline Tuesday, September 10 — LTAC Grant Application Review Updated August 2023 Does the -proposal --- Increase number of visits and overnight stays as per RCW 67.28? Y: proceed N: ineligible Provide additional visitations to Port Townsend in the offseason? ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 3 Provide a new (<3 yr) offering to Port Townsend? ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 2 Create local jobs or utilize local vendors? 3 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Reflect partnerships with organizations and businesses? ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 2 Leverage matching or in-kind funds? ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 2 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Is the proposal from an organization that... ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Does not have a board or staff member represented by the LTAC? ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 Is a non-profit? ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1 Has a track record of project success? 2 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Did not receive funds the previous year? ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Is the project/event projected to attract visitors/attendance... ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Occuring over more than one day? 2 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Of at least 100 participants? 1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Of over 250 participants? ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 2 ..and include a free attendance option? ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1 Updated August 2023 LODGING TAX ADVISORY COMMITTEE (LTAC) PROCESS FOR A GRANT REQUEST Supporting New Ideas The City of Port Townsend Lodging Tax Advisory Committee (LTAC) invites proposals for funding LTAC-related activities. LTAC will review proposals for funding with an intent to award grants totaling $20,000 split between spring an fall cycles. We anticipate that funding requests for new projects or initiatives part of this application process to be awarded between $1000 - $10,000 each cycle. LTAC may decide to award partial funding to entities based on their proposal. I All proposals must meet the minimum statutory requirements of RCW 67.28. Event organizers must demonstrate that they have appropriately mitigated any potential impacts and acquired any required permits. Further information and guidance can also be found at:.ht'tp5JLrn irsc. o rQL1H o rn eLEx p 11 o ire ................ In addition, proposals will be evaluated against these following weighted criteria, although proposals need no! earn points in all categories: Criteril a ........................................... Application Overview and Deadline The spring 2024 round of grant applications are due Friday, February 23 by 5:00PIVI PST. Applicants who received Lodging Tax Funding within the last year are asked to wait one year to reapply. Applications may be submitted online using the link to the application form below. If you need assistance with your application, please email LTAC@cityofpt.us to set up an appointment. Appointments cannot be made on the day of the deadline. Please note that you will want to compile your digital materials and have them ready to upload as the application portal does not save draft applications and submissions must be completed in one sitting. Start compiling your proposal materials early. The application portal will allow for three uploads and you may need to combine documents. There are no word count limits in the application portal, less is more. • Description of the event or project being proposed for LTAC funding including a detailed project budget • (if applicable) 501 (c)(3) non-profit status documentation • (if applicable) Marketing materials from relevant projects and events Your proposal and all documents filed with the City are public records. The City may choose to post on its website copies of the proposals and attached documents as examples for future applicants. I OROWIPT-04", � �8, A �L I �@L City Staff are working on a grants FAQ page and, in 2024, a virtual webinar to help applicants with the Lodging Tax application process. In the meantime, please direct questions to LTAC@cityofpt.us and we will get back to you as soon as possible. Z 0 0 0 z z 0 0 a 2 0 0 NN d, ZO—0 0 0 0 —mo0 0 0 0-0 0 N 2 0 Vf to VI 9 Z z z .0 0 0 -t E 0 w 0 n � � a m 0 1 w 1 0 0 w 0 � � -m m I o m m n n , m 7w 16 E 0 1p 01 N w w o w -i m m m Ic! 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W, O o u o Ed E 8 Iz o o -o o' o 2 o o o co 2 u o M z -o o u LN E >m w J> u o , ,o < , , x < <' 6� 4 * - < u Activity/Grant Amount Max Request Webinar Application Period Application Closes Rural Tourism Marketing & Production $355,000.00 $ 50,000.00 1/23/2024 2/1/2024 02/29/24 Sports Incentivization $150,000.00 $ 30,000.00 1/30/2024 2/15/2024 03/14/24 Rural Tourism Research & Data $152,000.00 $ 25,000.00 2/13/2024 3/1/2024 03/30/24 Arts and Culture $162,500.00 $ 30,000.00 2/28/2024 3/15/2024 04/14/24 Rural Tourism Support (RTS) Program N/A N/A 3/14/2024 4/1/2024 04/30/24 Indigenous Tourism Marketing & Production $100,000.00 $ 50,000.00 3/13/2024 4/1/2024 04/30/24 Technical Assistance $75,000.00 $ 15,000.00 4/2/2024 4/15/2024 05/14/24 Tourism Regeneration $390,000.00 $ 50,000.00 8/14/2024 9/2/2024 09/30/24 Tribal RTS Program N/A N/A 9/18/2024 10/1/2024 10/21/24 SWT Grant Dates and Deadlines check out the recording of the webinar Their.. You can also see the slide deck 1.erre. In the coming weeks, you'll also be able to find more information and links to the grant application portal as they open on our industry website there.. Please let me know if you have any questions or reach out to my colleague Matthew Ozuna Ima:ttlhew stateofwatoudsirn„corn. ...................................................................................................................................................... Thanks, Mike Moe (he, him, his) Director of Strategic Partnerships and Tourism Development c: +1425 444 0589 mike0stateofwatourism.com www.stateofwatourism.com STATE L -, SHIGTCi TOURISM 011 imte 'its s 1. Introduction 4 4 Message from the Port of Seattle 4 Message from State of Washington Tourism 4 Message from the Travel Foundation and Tourism Cares 5 Aims and Goals of this Handbook 6 How to Use this Handbook 2. Why Take Action 8 The Challenges Today and Ahead 8 COVID-19 Recovery 9 Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Accessibility (DEIA) 13 Impacts on Indigenous Lands and People 16 Building Climate Resilience 20 Responding to Shifts in Demand 23 Balanced Measures of Success 23 Destination Stewardship and Global Sustainability Standards 3. Towards i I Inclusive 27 Tourism in Washington 27 Challenges & Opportunities 29 Diverse Communities in Washington 31 Indigenous Peoples and Tourism in Washington 35 Disability & Accessibility in Washington Tourism 37 Taking Action to Improve Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility (DEIA) 42 Environmental Stewardship in Washington Tourism & Outdoor Recreation I,� ui nei ica SIla.y Rkle, 11 flislisy II aauriiirow, lld, Courtesy of Visit "idl�:xflla a,nc, . Your Organization and 45 Community's nt t 45 What Do You Want Tourism to Achieve in Your Community? 45 What are You Already Doing Across Your Destination and Within Your Organization? 47 Applying Destination Stewardship `lenses' to decision- making and planning 47 Understanding your organization's context, mandate, and sphere of influence 48 Identifying Potential Partners and Collaborators 5. Understanding, urland 52 Managing Tourism's Impacts 52 The Role Of Data In Measuring And Monitoring Impacts 56 Impact Management 56 Managing Changes In Visitor Spend And Behavior Patterns 59 Planning Impact Management Responses Oweir lumu,rge Courtesy ufV !is t qu.uallr I Na.aonliplraalli II31 adh, 11 e P;ndel ona a;a:aw best' )f wain Vuuaii hall au ds Vstair II3w eau a II imte 'its 6. Product Development 63 63 Responding to Evolving Market and Consumer Demand 7. Responsible Marketing Communications r i 70 Reviewing Your Current Marketing Strategy 71 Optimizing Visitor Spend S. Supporting Businesses and Build sill 75 Financial Support 75 Technical Support 77 Strengthening Collaboration and Partnerships 79 Ensuring That Strategies Are Inclusive and Equitable 82 Planning Business Resilience Support G ru Ilr 71 w e IfE: 16in , c qui te'sy 0� vkiitS1110l11kaire 9. Creating n Action Plan: Setting targets to measuren nit r progress 85 Step]: Clarify your vision and ideal outcomes to create goals 85 Step 2: Map It Out 86 Step 3: Prioritize Actions 87 Step 4: Set Targets with Key Performance Indicators to Monitor Success 88 Step 5: Implement and monitor your plan 89 Plan Preparation: Questions Checklist Acknowledgements Annex 1: Global Destination• Planning SIlrca1,1m1ne 11:6vel i f ir1r,1uut I11Air11k:, l IBei t .iri a, a�;.� iuuu test' ofus'i�t': Ijia1l1lkan e IIIIIII Ilu�lyti III�J IIIIII.... �'"°J NNN�NI I�IU��lll� 'IU�UIIOIPIIII� C"�NJ111DOf III����lY IIIIIII ��ff0llill' IICOp Ammov Message f rom the Port Port AMMEMEW Seattle When the Port of Seattle ofSeattle- introduced its Century Agenda in 2012, it created a clear vision for the organization to be a positive force for Washington's economy and its people. Among the ambitious goals outlined in the plan are promoting tourism, becoming the greenest port in North America, and becoming a model for diversity, equity and inclusion. With those goals in mind, the Port's tourism department sponsored the State of Washington Tourism's Responsible Outdoor Travel Summit in 2022 to advance conversations around tourism's impact on the environment, destination stewardship and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). The Port brought in the internationally recognized experts at the Travel Foundation and Tourism Cares to help bring those messages to Washington's tourism industry. Developing this Responsible Tourism Handbook is a follow-up on commitments made at the Summit to take action. In it, you will find inspiration and practical guidance on how your organization, region, or community can help usher in a better version of the tourism industry that works for all Washingtonians. We hope the contents of this handbook will be a foundational tool that will help your organizations drive the positive impact of tourism notjust economically but also environmentally and socially. Washington II�eeIrAwaIra s, I(a�Iii;:lian,aVaIIIlle , a o aurtes)aof State �� gta°. n llrau.ul "li^sum� NnaNa, nab aillm �STAI'FMessagefrom State of Washington Tourism Washington's statewide tourism 4J'AfItA <© program was re -built amid the COVID-19 pandemic, informed by tourism's deep need for recovery, visitation management and stewardship planning and development. State of Washington Tourism (SWT) adopted a strategic position around responsible travel, beginning with a values -based destination brand platform and consumer campaigns targeting responsible travelers. Robust destination development and management programs were created to bolster the tourism industry and rural and underserved communities. And SWT inaugurated the Responsible Outdoor Travel Summit, with foundational sponsorship from the Port of Seattle, to convene thought leaders in travel and tourism, recreation and conservation. We lookforward to continuing and expanding these partnerships and hope this Responsible Travel Handbook provides a framework for your initiatives. theTravel Tourism FoundationyCares and Tourism Cares Congratulations on taking this step! At the Travel Foundation our mission is to support tourism leaders like you in having the tools you need to ensure your community is truly benefiting from tourism. And at Tourism Cares, we unite the travel industry to be a catalyst of positive social, environmental and economic impact for the people and places of travel. This handbook, alongside the associated worksheet exercises, offers you the building blocks to help you identify ideal outcomes and incorporate tested approaches to creating a more responsible, inclusive, sustainable, and vibrant future of tourism in your community. What the COVID-19 pandemic taught us, and what our changing economic, environmental, and social E challenges are constantly reminding us, is that we have to be prepared for uncertainty. If tourism is to do its part in contributing to vitality and prosperity, it is essential to support the small businesses that fuel the travel experience, the environmental resources, and the diverse and vibrant communities that we all depend on. It will also be critical to innovate and fund adaptation strategies which respond to changing trends and expectations from local, national and global influences, as well as develop a deep understanding of the varied impacts tourism has on our communities. There are three crucial factors to this adaptation which we cover in this handbook. First, the shift towards a stewardship model, where community needs are placed at the center of tourism planning and management. Second, new, balanced measures of success beyond a focus on visitor numbers to a focus on the value that tourism brings, including its contribution and impacts on the natural environment and community wellbeing. Third, collaboration - we all need to align towards more collective action. This handbook explores these three elements more deeply and offers advice and tips that will help you build resilience into your organization's plans and day-to-day decision making. The time to adapt is now. By working through this manual and by coming together to solve the challenges we all face, we can help to ensure that tourism is part of the solution, and truly a force for good for our communities and our world. This guidebook provides details and tools that can help tourism organizations including destination marketing and management organizations (DMOs), government IM1w9Ili ,i�;!iu,nII°21i�,ttoayI1p„illiuntuung,4:;cnjatarstofVo,ikIssaquah departments and agencies, chambers of commerce, trade and industry associations, and tourism businesses within the state of Washington to develop and promote responsible tourism and enhance knowledge and skills in destination management. The handbook provides tourism professionals and volunteers alike with professional development resources that can help them understand and deliver on new and evolving challenges and opportunities in sustainability, responsible outdoor recreation, diversity, equity, inclusion, accessibility and destination stewardship. This handbook will assist organizations to ask and answer the important questions and provides guidance on identifying and addressing impacts through action planning, better enabling them to respond to local and global trends and becoming more resilient to future shocks. In particular, it aims to: 41, Build capacity of organizations responsible for tourism marketing and management. Equip readers with the knowledge and skills required to develop action plans. Build overall destination stewardship capacities Address destination vulnerabilities. Build resilience to the threats of climate change. Ensure ongoing impacts are understood and strategies are in place to better manage future impacts. Facilitate the development of tourism product offers to meet changing market demands. Vancxwvei�.� ��rl`aIli ouilluin�iu"w�"I�uII��,� III���I��:,II+: �.ouiiito oG Establish the foundation for enhancing tourism products and marketing in line with equity and destination stewardship principles. Create greater opportunities for all community members to benefit from tourism. Build stronger and resilient local supply chains. Align marketing and promotional strategies with impact management, inclusivity, and stewardship. Foster greater collaboration amongst tourism organizations and community members. This handbook provides a wealth of up-to-date information and practical guidance to equip readers with the knowledge and tools needed to develop an action plan — and start taking action immediately. °(fi'�i�`i�/>1����j�1V I 11114i�"SIIIIIII III' 1"" There is a companion wor that includes activities to you to put e information and learning into practice. When you see this icon, that's an indicator a ere its a It starts with background information on the concepts of global challenges facing tourism, diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA), sustainable tourism standards and destination stewardship principles. An overview of the current situation in Washington tourism is provided for context as well as lists of organizations doing work within each important area of responsible travel in the state so that organizations can turn to local partners to get started on new initiatives right away. An in-depth section on DEIA is included and readers can choose to go straight there if that is the immediate priority. Likewise, readers may choose to focus on sections regarding managing impacts or developing an action plan. The most important way to use the handbook is as a reference tool — both a starting point and something to go back to for ideas over time. In the immediate onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Travel Foundation along with Tourism Cares and four other international tourism NGOs including the Center for Responsible Travel (CREST), Sustainable Travel International, Green Destinations and the Destination Stewardship Center, set up a coalition to align industry behind a shared vision for a better future of tourism. The Future of Tourism Coalition (FOTC) sets out 13 guiding principles to guide efforts by tourism businesses and destinations to make the better future of tourism a reality. Tourism organizations can become signatories to the Guiding Principles, enabling them tojoin the community platform which provides a space for knowledge -sharing, toolkits, and connecting with others on theirjourneys. Learn more at bit.ps;f/www.futureoftourism.or.Z Throughout the handbook, these icons appear, referring to how the topics are related to each guiding principle. 6 =I =I � � it 111 � 1� 6�i4iU�h (hao, nrcrc' uJ'II16oc otIIID IlllllMDill owiuiep ou Tourism destinations are vulnerable to shocks, crises, trends, degradation, and changes in visitor patterns, particularly if they are dependent on external factors and sudden shifts occur, such as changes in visitation from specific source markets or extreme weather events. The COVID-19 pandemic exposed these vulnerabilities and, unfortunately, is unlikely to be the last shock that communities face. Identifying and developing strategies to address these vulnerabilities is vital for responding to immediate challenges, adapting to trends and new realities, and identifying new opportunities. Additionally, considering how to address longterm potential impacts, such as social and environmental degradation, effects from overtourism, and other threats such as climate change and volatile economic situations, helps organizations build resilience for the future. It's also about The Port of Seattle commits to taking a lead role in regional and national efforts to achieve equity and social justice. We are identifying and dismantling structural barriers to ensure that historically oppressed communities, particularly communities of color, have access to the resources they need to thrive. Bias and oppression are embedded in our society, systems, and our organization. By failing to acknowledge inequities, we play a role in perpetuating them. We can and must do better. In order to achieve equitable outcomes for all our communities, we must be accountable for equitable policies that ensure racial, social, and economicjustice are achieved in strategies, practices, and projects. Our Vision is to develop a Port that mirrors — throughout its breadth of operations and services and within its leadership structure — the diversity of our community, instills principles of equity in its culture, and ensures a fair and intentional distribution of opportunities to expand economic development and quality of life for all. Diversitv and Inclusion for oand doing the right thing. Residents and visitors alike are demanding more from tourism — more positive and less negative impacts — and there is no time like the present to commit and act! The Challenges Today and In addition to being better prepared to respond to a specific crisis, integrating inclusivity and sustainability into your organization's decision-making and improving the resilience of your organization and destination will also support you to be more successful as you continue to adapt. It is useful to consider a selection of these challenges and concerns reported by tourism destinations and communities across the globe when planning new activities. This will also help to provide context to the guidance provided in this handbook: Increase in extreme weather events due to climate change such as wildfire, smoke, floods, extreme heat, lack of reliable snow in mountain resorts, etc. Increased tourism and recreation impacts on lands, habitats and cultures, including impacts to Indigenous peoples and lands and Tribal rights. • Exclusion and inequity (minimal benefits and often more negative impacts) for marginalized and underrepresented people and communities). • Lack of accessibility for people with different abilities • Economic leakage (not enough tourism revenue remaining in the destination) Low margins Seasonality Blending of leisure and corporate travel; remote work Workforce shortages Housing crisis (surge in property values, demand for short-term rentals, lack of housing for residents/ workers) Overcrowding of hotspot areas Changes in demand and market segments Strained visitor -resident dynamics The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on tourism destinations highlighted the need to strengthen the resilience of the tourism sector against ongoing and M future shocks. The pandemic exposed the fragility of the travel sector as global travel virtually came to a standstill overnight. The subsequent widespread lockdowns resulted in the permanent closure of significant numbers of tourism businesses and drastically impacted the economies of tourism destinations worldwide, especially those where tourism makes a substantial contribution to GDP. And yet, for several communities, the years preceding the pandemic were marked by increasing resentment towards tourism as popular places witnessed extreme overcrowding, locals being priced out, environmental degradation, excess pressure on infrastructure and services, and resident protests, among other things. For some destinations, particularly in outdoor recreation communities like many rural destinations in Washington, the pandemic years marked record visitation and led to, or exacerbated, some of these issues that were rising pre -pandemic. Now, with international travel available again, numbers are down in many places and uncertainty continues to loom. The disruption of the sector caused by the pandemic also provided an opportunity for the tourism industry to re-evaluate the purpose and management of tourism to ensure that it is resulting in positive benefits for the local community and environment. Many organizations decided to use this opportunity to reset, strengthen resilience to future shocks and create a more balanced tourism product; one that would continue to deliver economic benefits, but also address negative impacts. Building awareness and skills in these areas will enable you to tackle broader issues that impact on the long- term sustainability of your destination and futureproof it against further crises as well as respond and adapt to ongoing changes. 011 uaullria,N ii ll�,rir urrlu,��ouuirtosyoV°State ofWas�hfiumg�q:oin Rsuuu°usin Prioritizing Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility (DEIA) in the management of tourism within a destination is an integral component of tourism's sustainability and deserves urgent attention in most tourism destinations. Most people in communities will be impacted by tourism, if not through direct employment by the sector, then indirectly through the shared use of services, businesses, spaces, and infrastructure with visitors. The benefits of tourism are typically not equitable across diverse and underrepresented communities. At the same time, negative impacts often disproportionately impact marginalized communities. For example, tourism and recreation impacts on lands, ecosystems, fisheries, and forests important to Indigenous peoples affect cultural practices and livelihoods. Without intentional diversification of tourism businesses as well as source markets and support for diverse enterprises in the tourism supply chain within destinations, a lack of diversity and equity often persists. From a visitor perspective, many activities and destinations are not perceived as welcoming or inclusive to all people. "Being welcomed is not the same as being invited." (DBC DEIA Strategy 2023). Many travel experiences are not accessible to people with different abilities, which means that groups already marginalized in society become further marginalized by tourism. Addressing diversity and inclusivity in marketing is one step, but it is one step towards a much broader effort and direct actions that organizations need to take. Wes 'u:o t a 1111 V S Il m e IIIfiis l i Co !i ���6wairi , Ca:muta yc!i�rfSaunJasaunlIsllandsVlsu i�ii's11l3uuirr,rau Diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility must also all be addressed from the supply side and that will involve assessing your own organization as well as the broader delivery of tourism services and activities across your business or community. For example: What are the challenges and barriers to recruiting a more diverse workforce? How can you change your organization's internal policies and procedures to ensure that employment and growth opportunities are inclusive and equitable? What kind of training is needed to learn more and identify new strategies? "Research has shown that by supporting andpromoting a diverse and inclusive workplure, ci!;mpanies experience benefits including greaterprofitabilitj6, incivased creativity andinnovinion, and a happiiin�Ivorkforce Afheriil:!'d�lIoP mpkpYees feel free andsate to be IIIAfhol theY arie. ftp good for business, enabling these iI to serve its chents andstakeholders be�t,t,et; anditis the n4ht thing ti!) do � ' LP!Lorld Travel n d To �urism �Co un �cil To truly embed sustainability based on the triple bottom line of people, profit and planet, it is vital that tourism is designed and delivered in a way that is equitable and inclusive for all groups in society and creates a space for all voices to be heard. ee�l�ing Welcoii,�ne: rliie coiricq�,,,,Avi of safety &bew lor)�gh,ilg aind cifll'ta,iiralV We all know that welcoming people is at the heart of the hospitality and tourism industry. If a person doesn't feel i avell I in g W11h 1 Ile 1:qaxd< welcome in a store, or a restaurant, or a hotel, would they ever go back? It's customer service 101. But what does providing a welcoming atmosphere entail? Simply saying "everyone is welcome" and leaving it at that without checking if people really do feel welcome is potentially having an adverse impact on some of your visitors — and residents alike. Why? Feeling welcome is more than just customer service. It's about f eel ing safe, both physically and mentally, and about a sense of belonging. In tourism we place a lot of emphasis on ensuring guests will be safe physically, and therefore will feel safe (mentally) fry physical harm. But what is meant bY emotional safety? Feeling emotionally safe is to feel comfortable to ask questions, share concerns, and show up asyour full self (The M Mountaineers: nee �rs: E �motion�al Safety el -earning Course}. The Mountaineers, right here in Washington, provides an e -learning course on this very subject, recognizing that to have more successful and safe experiences in the outdoors, for all people, they needed to invest in training their leaders on the concept. Sometimes this concept is met with a reaction, such as "Everyone is welcome in the outdoors." But it's not enough to be told all people are welcome. It must be demonstrated through action. Readmore: Meet BIPOCGr) os Workin!p-, to Make Outdoors Accessible. Hear from Washington's Chevon Powell about the history of why Black and other People of Color sometimes feel unwelcome in the outdoors, her personal journey, and what she and others are doing about it. "'lailissa Solfi� 1131hotogralphy, Courtesyc) Nsabled 11 1110 Creating elco a sometimes means being explicit i your communications, and marketing, like statements about inclusivity right on your website or signs at your entrance. But it also means doing the work to ensure the leaders and the frontline staff delivering the experiences understand the concepts, the importance, and are able to deliver that welcome. age is an important component otic Sometimes communities hold events, festivals, or promote activities to residents. But often these are promoted only in English. In places where other languages are spoken, promoting events and activities in other languages signals to speakers of those languages - residents and visitors alike - that they are welcome. What o cultural competency? How does that improve elco is delivered? Building cultural competency is another part of creating a welcoming atmosphere for diverse, multicultural and other marginalized groups including Indigenous people, LGBTQ+ community members and people with disabilities. It's about being empathetic and challenging your own assumptions. Sometimes it translates into simply being more polite because you are more aware of, and appreciative of, differences, and therefore a little more careful about what you say and how you say things. Cultural competency needs to be learned, it's not something we're born with, particularly if we live in a place that is not very diverse. It requires a definitive commitment to learning and being vulnerable. So, Cultural Competence is the ability to understand, communicate, and effectively interact with people across cultures, also known as Cultural Intelligence, Cultural Fluency, or Cultural Quotient. Cultural (w`orrspetency errr°,iDnWasre.s b6ng ` h ms oo ping rnr rri�vrrrsµ r°i rine.ownicior ° View, r �� �.c,, u posi'dw! at"trtur°lr'Ps trrtria ds" cultural "tl l ififfer ien "es; r°wndgaibing knawledge of"ircrriow; cu tural practices and world visevirs. Within the travel and tourism industry, and our everyday lives, being able to understand and communicate with people of various cultures is a must skill. Cultural Competency enables you to establish and build professional relationships with partners, suppliers, buyers, vendors, colleagues, and everyone you come into contact with. Readmore: What is Cultural Cam etency and Why - it Matters to Your Business "inll,pun,ufie,CaruunaSkirc)lbec,Id w r:hn, Courtesy ofState a,y WasNington"'�"'rauoiru,um we need to spend some time diving into our biases, assumptions, and the best part of being in the tourism industry — experiencing the glorious diversity of humanity — and all the cultures we may not have had the opportunity to interact with before. From an Indigenous perspective, this also means learning about the land you're on, what Indigenous cultures are in or close to your location, who the Tribal government is, and what their guidance is in regard to tourism impacts on their land and cultural traditions. More on this in the coming sections. " �dleuatrrrg the lnrp{ortani�se of' DEI and s!rrrsurrrrg itis woven into the core of "hi * industry is vital for t1u, future of traiml,and" our irrorkforcem „�lls ivvi? rebuild the travel indust"Y folloiwing t°he yfCl"-h9 pandernic', Itis essential f'ot°our future growth and success to support prograins that inisrease diversity and upioard mobility throughout and airross all sectors of the industry. .m« 'yd f"ravel Aso dati orr In the context of tourism, the terms diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility carry specific meanings. Dr11ieer srt.,1't rrr 7burisin Diversity in tourism refers to the representation and engagement of a wide range of people with varied backgrounds, identities, and characteristics in all aspects of the tourism industry, including tourists, service providers, and destinations. It encompasses differences such as cultural, ethnic, racial, gender, age, ability, and socio-economic backgrounds among those who participate in and contribute to the tourism experience. • 0 l • 1 MNITY • 0 0 • Cultural lerit ge TOURISM DSV R NT MATTERS c ciiI.su'tesy 0f II,u^liill , II I11ik :C11u I 11,11aad,Gueg113alllnuur,ti,ou.uirtesyo'f:Sa inau'f Wad inttr,un iii:wiriisin 4;nuuitte }gyp of I1111liIIm 11 uI'a(:la.uib Travel Unity is a US -based non-profit organization that works with organizations in the world of travel to broaden their diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts, including aligning with best practices for DEI. In 2020, Travel Unity assembled over 100 individuals and organizations from inside and outside the travel industry to collaboratively engage in a process to create living standards for diversity; equity, and inclusion in the world of travel and tourism. These Standards are meant to engage the travel industry in an ongoing dialogue and encourage the sharing of best practices in DEI. Resource: Travel Unity Standards Blacks in Travel & Tourism is a membership organization that designs and delivers programs, initiatives and training focused on advancing opportunities for Blacks in travel and tourism and building better destinations. It is an initiative of the Cultural Heritage Economic Alliance whose vision is to create broader access, diversity, inclusion and equitable opportunity for small BIPOC businesses to fully participate and profit in the global travel and tourism industry. Through their Diversity Tourism Academy they offer masterclasses for small travel and tourism businesses and tourism professionals to access tourism business enhancement and readiness trainings to help build sustainable businesses. Tourism Diversity Matters (TDM), founded as the collaborative leader of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives and concepts that can address the gaps of ethnic disparities and provide decision -makers in the tourism and events industry access, resources, and tactics to develop more effective Diversity & Inclusion strategies that will engage and retain a diverse workforce. TDM focuses on four primary pillars of activity to benefit the Tourism Industry: Apprenticeships, Workforce Development, Diversity Equity and Inclusion, Research and Data. The team and partners can work with all sizes of organizations, from small community DMOs to large companies, providing assessments and advice to help tourism organizations reach DEI goals. E(J,Lms"t''y 1'r? 7�,°ssssmisrn Equity in tourism involves ensuring fairness, justice, and equal opportunities for all individuals involved in the industry. This includes addressing historical and systemic disparities that might exist among different groups of people. An equitable tourism approach seeks to provide equal access to benefits, resources, and opportunities regardless of factors like socio-economic status, race, or gender. Inclusion ily Inclusion in tourism focuses on creating an environment where all individuals, regardless of their diverse backgrounds, feel welcomed, respected, and valued. It involves actively involving people of all backgrounds in decision-making processes, designing experiences that cater to their needs, and fostering a sense of belonging for both tourists and those working in the tourism industry. sips;°r; ess ibif ',y in °Rrr.ssigns ; Accessibility in tourism pertains to making travel experiences, destinations, accommodations, and activities available and usable to everyone, including those with disabilities or different needs. This involves removing physical, cognitive, and informational barriers to ensure that all individuals can fully participate and enjoy tourism offerings. These concepts collectively contribute to creating a tourism environment that is not only diverse and inclusive but also strives for fairness, equal opportunities, and broad access. When these principles are effectively integrated into the tourism industry, they enhance the quality of experiences for all, provide economic opportunities for diverse communities, and foster a sense of harmony and mutual understanding among people from different backgrounds. Inclusion and Accessibility for detailed guidance . resources on this topic, including basedWas hi ngton- organizations to partner with and learn from. Tourism can have both positive and negative impacts on Indigenous lands and people, and these impacts can vary widely based on factors such as the type of tourism, the cultural context, and the specific practices of the tourism industry. Therefore, it's important to understand the specific context in your tourism destination to start taking action right away to reduce negative impacts tourism may be having, and work towards positive impacts. Tourism is often seen as a positive because it provides employment, income and entrepreneurship opportunities as well as can be a source of cultural celebration and pride for Indigenous communities. It can also lead to increased awareness about diverse Indigenous cultures, traditions, and issues, leading to better understanding and relationships among visitors and locals alike. On the other hand, what often happens is that tourism has both exploitative effects and destructive attributes, including commodification and misrepresentation of Indigenous cultures, as well as degradation of sacred sites, undermining the spiritual and cultural significance of places that have been important since time immemorial. Another potential negative impact tourism may be having in your destination is habitat and ecosystem degradation, which often impacts Indigenous lands, livelihoods, and ways of life. It's important to note that the impact of tourism on Indigenous lands and people is complex and context specific. Engaging — and partnering with - Indigenous communities and businesses directly; taking the lead from local Tribal governments with regard to decision-making processes around implementing tourism experiences, creating entrepreneurship opportunities, and how to respect cultural protocols, is an essential step in mitigating negative impacts and maximizing the benefits of tourism for Indigenous peoples. In the summer of 2023, a Tribe near a rural Washington community set out for its annual traditional canoe journey, an event to celebrate the canoe as a central part of Coast Salish peoples' way of life and a cultural activity in existence since time immemorial. Participants encountered difficulty accessing the river this year. The water levels were already low due to drought, and on this day, there were river floaters that impeded access for the traditional canoes. This is an example of a negative cultural impact, and one that could have been avoided. The Tribe and the main business operating on the river did coordinate for a positive outcome, demonstrating that organized activities are beneficial because there can be more controls on behaviors and interactions. It was an opportunity for the destination management organization to collaborate with the Tribe and any other applicable local authorities, as well as to use their communications channels to message recreationists directly, but also to support organized activities as those relationships with businesses can create positive outcomes for all. This demonstrates the importance of incorporating efforts to partner with Tribal governments into destination management strategies and action plans. W Il cou°r°7ihng Week 20Z,?, a`w;oumuu ue,sy of Vkk Issaquah The Indigenous Guardians Program was pioneered by the Haida Nation in 2005 and has become an exemplary model of Indigenous -led stewardship other communities are replicating. There is a network of guardian programs on the north Pacific coast. On the north Pacific coast, Coastal Guardian Watchmen "play a critical role in all aspects of stewardship for Coastal First Nations— ensuring resources are sustainably managed, that rules and regulations are followed, and that land and marine use agreements are implemented effectively. They uphold and enforce traditional and contemporary Indigenous laws and continue the work of their ancestors in protecting and managing coastal territories. Within the context of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), reconciliation and efforts in collaborative governance, the Coastal Guardian Watchmen are at the leading edge of a global movement toward Indigenous -led stewardship." "The Guardian Watchmen programs play a critical role in protecting and managing traditional territories, preserving cultural heritage, and fostering a thriving conservation economy." Read ore: Destination Stewardship Report Summer 2023 Issue The Indigenous Leadership Initiative explains the history of the model and how it is modeled after an Australian program, and how it works in Canada, and provides guidance around how it could be replicated in other countries including the United States. 114 TREAD Map A An innovative partnership between State of Washington Tourism, TREAD, and Dharma Maps elevates destination management initiatives across Washington. The TREAD Map App was developed during the pandemic and launched statewide in 2022 as a real-time tool help visitors and recreationists with exploration and wayfinding while inspiring responsible use of public lands. What sets it apart from other map apps is that local land managers, Tribes and destination organizations can share messaging about how to recreate responsibly and respectfully. Existing partners include Disabled Hikers, Snoqualmie Tribe, Kalispel Tribe of Indians, Back Country Horsemen, Chelan - Douglas Land Trust, Pacific Northwest Trail Association, Northwest Motorcycle Association, Evergreen, Spokane Tribe of Indians, and the Mountaineers. It comes with a marketing toolkit and can be downloaded to iOS and Android devices. The more people contribute to it and the more it is promoted, the better, and more effective a tool it will become. The global travel community now faces an even greater threat (than the COVID-19 pandemic) posed by climate change, one of the biggest and most urgent issues of our time. The travel and tourism sector, reliant on the weather and local natural environments, particularly in outdoor recreation communities, faces growing uncertainty. While the sector accounts for around 8%-11% of global carbon emissions with transport-related emissions forecasted to increase by 25% by 2030 from 2016 levels LUNWTOZ LIF , it may disproportionately be affected by changing weather patterns and extreme events such as flooding and wildfires — something Washington is all too familiar with already. We need to act now to adapt and adjust, as well as to reduce the sector's direct emissions. The World Economic Forum's Global Risks Report 2022 ranked climate inaction as the number one threat to the world and the most severe risk, in terms of potential impacts, over the next decade. Tourism destinations are on the frontline of this crisis, with extreme temperatures, wildfires, flooding, coral bleaching, drought, storms and hurricanes all increasing in severity and frequency, as well as a growing threat from rising sea levels. Nowhere will be exempt from these impacts, from crowded cities to areas of wilderness, as extreme weather events increase in severity and frequency. Yet, the effects of climate change are not felt equally — it affects under -represented and vulnerable groups including women, Indigenous communities, small island states and coastal areas more severely. Communities across Washington are experiencing this firsthand, from the increasing instances of wildfire smoke every summer, Strive to follow accepted scientific consensus on needed reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. Invest in green infrastructure and a fast reduction in transport emissions involved in tourism - air, sea, and ground. to record heat, to unstable snowpack at ski resorts and drought conditions for many counties across the state in summer of 2023 at the time of this writing. Drought and persistent heat lead to forests being more susceptible to wildfire, and recreation has a direct impact on the number and frequency of fires. Washington's coastal waters are experiencing ocean acidification and warming temperatures as well, affecting marine life with long-term potential impacts for coastal communities. �i�4ccor°dirs4'f to Mei department of natural resources, ftp:,,, 9,„” of° uirrrf'ar°°e;s in 11V1�10 sluet°oo are, fsororro-eouees� necessitating urgent, and i�i!!i�i!�p'osfst°ent°rssessaging Oyasff tour"isinndt-e °Y"` °u7'611 businesses fi) ensure guests, visitors, eorsr eµr , hikers, etc., ore? aware of this eetrmetnir risA. To ensure communities and environments are protected and to stay viable, all tourism organizations, including travel companies and destination marketing and management organizations need to take action; this is essential to maintain and protect a thriving tourism economy. In an increasingly unstable world, there is an opportunity for tourism to move beyond simply minimizing its negative impact on destinations to actively contributing to long-term sustainability and restoration and regeneration by working with communities to improve social, environmental and economic situation of the places where they live, and tourists visit. Tourism can also contribute to the generation of good quality jobs, including green jobs, and diverse opportunities for entrepreneurship throughout the tourism supply chain. "'It, con a�t:irt u�1.00n I111 au ion II:1 all'ic 4:; uu tcsy o `t,aua U u:aira II xll xira dew rFu a r:uir II': uau r:anu.0 On a local, national and international level, the tourism sector is both highly vulnerable to climate change and a notable contributor, meaning it has a key role to play in both reducing its own impacts as well as preparing and adapting. Globally, there is an effort to transition to `Net Zero'; this refers to the goal of the total level of greenhouse gases entering the atmosphere being reduced to zero (achieved by a combination of reduction and removal). There is consensus that in order to avoid irreversible effects of climate change, emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) need to fall by approximately 50 percent from 2010 levels by 2030 and need to reach net zero by 2050. This requires large-scale decarbonization across all levels of society, increased capture in soils, plants and trees, and increased removal via technologies that remove carbon from the air. This ambition was first set out in the Paris Climate Agreement in 2015 and has been reinforced at subsequent UN climate change conferences or COPS since then. In order for countries to make these commitments, national targets must include action from all types of sectors, organizations and businesses of all sizes. In 2021, at the climate summit in Glasgow, Scotland, leading players from the tourism sector came together to launch the Glasgow Declaration for Climate Action in Tourism. The Glasgow Declarationis part of the Greenhouse gases (GHG) are atmospheric gases such as carbon dioxide and methane that trap heat from the sun, leading to the greenhouse effect and subsequently causing the Earth's surface temperature to rise. Human activities, such as burning fossil fuels, deforestation, and industrial processes, are major sources of GHG emissions which are accelerating global warming and climate change. Decarbonization is the process of reducing or eliminating Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions from various sources, particularly from human activities such as burning fossil fuels, industrial processes, and deforestation. The goal of decarbonization is to eliminate the global economy's reliance on fossil fuels and to transition to a low -carbon or carbon -neutral economy, where the net emissions of GHGs, especially CO2, are minimized or balanced by removing an equivalent amount from the atmosphere. wider gloa ve a halve emissions and reach Net Zero as soon as possible before 2050. Signatories to the declaration commit to developing a climate action goals, setting out how they will reduce their emissions. Developing goals progressto prioritize which actions to take to reach Net Zero and how to measure against them. ,Vh at should C mate Actioo tans° Col°at°u«~al[°!11 The main climate impacts of your business i.e., significant sources of emissions The steps you will take to address those impacts, over the next year and beyond ^, How you will monitor and report on your progress Climate Action Plans can be standalone or simply new goals and actions integrated into broader business plans, Cot IIrar syof state Of,Warlihng on ""II"' u.uirllsill strategic plans or sustainability plans. The important thing is to keep plans simple, concise and actionable, using language that all those affected understand and that can engage people across the business or community in the plan's development and implementation. In 2023, the Travel Foundation set out to understand what a decarbonized travel and tourism industry would look like, and if it was feasible to reach the targets, within a thriving sector. Together with Breda University in the Netherlands, the European Tourism Futures Institute, and sponsored by Intrepid Travel and Destination Vancouver, they published Envisionins� 2030 and Beyond: The changing shape of tourism in a decarbonizing world. The report finds only one scenario to achieve Net Zero by 2050, while also allowing for growth. To achieve this scenario, key recommendations include: More governments including international aviation emissions (to reach their destinations) in their plans; Tourist boards and travel companies targeting a greater proportion of short -haul customer and bringing net zero products to market; Governments investing in greener forms of transport and the travel industry adopting and promoting them; A detailed, customized roadmap for measuring, planning and reducing GHG emissions and related climate impacts, including: Measure - inventory of existing emissions Decarbonize - reduction targets and prioritized actions Regenerate - actions to restore and protect ecosystems Collaborate -sharing solutions Finance -resources and funding required Relying lesson offsetting as a primary solution, focusing instead on decarbonization; and using offsetting a final resort or focusing on investing in restoration and carbon sequestration solutions to offset those emissions that cannot be reduced; The need to consider equity and fairness, recognizing that some destinations are more ready for the scenario than others and some destinations rely more on long- haul travelers than others; and Slowing the expected rapid growth in aviation, with 411ca 11,10 1, f:ipp 115ru it 4':, ire I3allk:ln,,onaieuc3irnpn„ limits on the number of long-haul flights. Tourism in 2030 Get flrg ort trac]kjj for Net Zero Vl�Oi la k,rp w, I,, h,d �,g r` rI Inon, uhan 1� ',, 6 n calk,� ab� m vhc Pon NAIAJOVI�0 fh Agncu - Ow GIU, V: , UP Naofll�p 04w6mt A� 6on I,, I 6a,"MI-I, 0 1"d, h 41, ' W ."d - k 1, m —'a dx gwssaeubnu bdo" 1010. Dko decArbanisadon scolaft A 09ft ei how wp travel Tourlsin's emissions 'Ire inequitable am xrrclln P. Nr �+ar,akm ............ 4 WHA W E T NEED TO DO NOW 4 .......I ....I. Rc""id thc flffl n:polt at .. . . . . . . . . . Destinations are W1 Mferent THE URGENCY OF THE NEED TO DECARBONISE as i Adlin"112 Toupism's erwisions, ncw Long haled flying is Toufisnfs as Ng II ernissdons are Our rnodeffiny, . . .. .4 set to grow �j/.... . . ..... . . . . . . . .... ....... r =,�Z)A'V ONLY ONE OPTIh Y aa.°. Dko decArbanisadon scolaft A 09ft ei how wp travel Tourlsin's emissions 'Ire inequitable am xrrclln P. Nr �+ar,akm ............ 4 WHA W E T NEED TO DO NOW 4 .......I ....I. Rc""id thc flffl n:polt at .. . . . . . . . . . Destinations are W1 Mferent Download high-res version of infer,` Im & as i Download high-res version of infer,` Im There s an increasingawareness s rs about the negativeimpacts of travel and a corresponding da r more sustainable travel options. 83% of global travelers think sustainable travel is vital, with 61% saying the pandemic has made them want to travel more sustainably in the future (Booking.com, 2021) 90% of travelers are actively looking for sustainable travel options when booking (Expedia Group, 2022) When traveling, 69% of people want to reduce their carbon footprint (Booking.com, 2021). Google data found that 82% of people say sustainability is more top of mind than before the COVID-19 pandemic and recorded a 70% rise in the number of travelers seeking sustainable travel options in 2021 (Travel Weekly, 2021) 46% of flyers are willing to pay more than 2% extra for a carbon neutral flight and 71% think travel companies should offer more sustainable choices (Travel Weekly, 2021) `A world in motion: shifting consumer travel trends in 2022 and beyond' (WTTC 2023) shows that sustainability is a key element of the travel agenda, with travelers eager to reduce their carbon footprint and support sustainable tourism. biggest segment of gl. 77% of travelers aged between 18-29 surveyed by Intrepid Travel say that sustainability impacts their travel decisions (Travel Agent Central, 2018) * 82% of 18 -29 -year-olds said that they would be willing to spend more money on accommodation that operates responsibly (Globetrender, 2021) * "Close to half of Gen Z globally have climate anxiety... The vast majority worry about the potentially catastrophic consequences of climate change — and many say they are committed to finding solutions by speaking up," changing their diet and altering their vacation plans, according to survey research conducted by the Oliver Wyman Forum. (WEForum 2022) Furthermore, far from sustainable options and experiences simply being a bonus for consumers, for a majority of travelers, a lack of these options will negatively impact their trip and have lasting ramifications for the business and/or destination. 53% of travelers surveyed admit that they get annoyed if somewhere they are staying stops them from being sustainable, for example by not providing recycling facilities (Booking.com, 2021) 60(_)100 00 much sing[e-use plastic packaging 0 recycling - all rubbish sent t0 landfill! Tourism destinations and organizations that are abi to respond to the growing demand yM:!', io i �, • + t,. to attract responsible and economically valuable visitors in an I• addition t+4 the obviousbenef its of boosting the resilience of the destination Alongside the growing demand for more sustainable travel experiences, there are several other emerging travel trends that can be better harnessed by improved sustainability and resilience at the community level. These consumer trends are well -aligned to the tourism landscape in Washington and the products offered in the region. For example, the pandemic inspired increased interest in nature -based activities for many people Waslhi ngto n "' k:an.iu1 sirn 0 who were required to spend more time outside to meet social distancing requirements, as well as to exercise and to escape the confines of their homes during lockdowns. This resulted in sudden changes to existing visitor flows and behavior as more people headed to rural sites and attractions which often do not have the corresponding infrastructure and facilities to support rapid increases in arrivals. If outdoor experiences become overcrowded, they can result in degradation of the natural environment which jeopardizes the very asset that the tourism product is built on and diminishes the quality of the experience for the visitor. This threatens the long-term viability of the destination and underlines the need for integrating sustainability and resilience -building into destination planning and management. Destination Management The COVID-19 pandemic was catalytic in galvanizing the tourism sector to want to `build back better' and to use the recovery from the pandemic as an opportunity to address many of the challenges that destinations were facing. In many cases, actions were already being taken toward change, and the pandemic served to accelerate important The Lake Tahoe region was experiencing high volumes of visitors to recreation sites and an increasing cost of living that came to a point of crisis during the pandemic when many sought refuge in natural areas and outdoor recreation communities. There were instances of anti -tourism protesting and closures of restaurants at certain times due to staff shortages. This inspired a group of organizations from across the region to come together in 2021 to commit to coordinated solutions and to demonstrate to residents that decision -makers and leaders across government, and non-governmental organizations and the tourism industry would work together to ensure a better future of tourism in Tahoe. They formed a coalition and began the destination stewardship planning process. Upon releasing the Lake Tahoe Destination Stewardship Plan in 2023 the coalition became the Lake Tahoe Destination Stewardship Council with the region's destination management organizations, conservation organizations, the regional planning agency, forest service and more, committing funding to ensure implementation of the plan. Learn more at stewardshiptahoe.o g Account for all tourism costs in terms of local tax burdens, environmental and social impacts, and objectively verifiable disruption. Ensure investments are linked to optimizing net -positive impacts for communities and the environment. shifts to the tourism status quo. For example, over several years now, the mandate of destination marketing organizations (DMOs) across the globe has increasingly expanded from a primary focus on marketing to boost visitor numbers to a wider mandate of management of tourism in the destination. Growth has always been the primary goal in tourism, which is why tourism organizations have primarily concentrated on marketing their destination to attract ever increasing numbers of visitors. The assumption has been that more visitors result in more spending in the destination which translates into employment opportunities, infrastructure improvements, economic and social development. However, a sole focus on marketing and increased visitor numbers ignores the complex challenges that unmanaged growth can lead to, including overcrowding, increases in pollution, lack of capacity for processing waste, water shortages, inflated rent and living costs, resident dissatisfaction, the degradation of the natural environment, etc. This is essential public policy cost - benefit analysis that should go on at every local and regional tourism planning department. These impacts threaten the tourism economy itself over the long run and can negatively impact the social and cultural fabric of communities which, while intangible, is often a key attraction for visitors to a particular area. This reached a crisis point in some city destinations such as Amsterdam and Barcelona and resulted in new measures from destination authorities looking to appease unhappy residents and halt the negative impacts of unchecked tourism. For example, in 2019, the city of Amsterdam passed a regulation which limits entire properties to being rented out for a maximum of 30 nights per year and in 2023 they set a cap on overnight and daytrip visitor numbers to the city. Likewise, Venice banned large cruise ships from docking or passing through the city's main canals and introduced other measures such as higher tourist taxes and turnstiles to curb visitor numbers and reduce the problems caused by overcrowding. In Washington there have been cases where cars parked erratically along roadways near popular hiking routes have prevented emergency vehicles from being able to pass through, a current challenge that has yet to be solved. The tourism revenue that stays in the local economy and supports local livelihoods can also vary by place, and by policy. By expanding the focus to tourism management, tourism organizations can work with policymakers to ensure that tourism is reaching its full potential of boosting local livelihoods and resulting in the most benefits and least harm for the local community and environment. wY�47t fn4;f� `w4 6 f .n (I rPF¢ m" 01, G Y N Ca;FoundationY G n4 �i f v x . t,Gliii f jTF«a Y ,'kW'Pft7 v45 4�'J�wiN, As visitor numbers grow, the relationship between ,more visitors and `more benefits' provides diminishing returns. Not only do the costs — or burdens — increase, but visitor demand begins to reach — and breach - various limitations. Examples of the uunaccounted or `invisible' costs associated with the additional demand of visitors include: additional infrastructure required to transport, feed, accommodate, provide energy and water, and manage the waste of tourists and those employed in the sector. protecting/maintaining shared environmental & cultural assets These pressures are not necessarily caused by very large numbers of visitors as tourism is often in places that are particularly vulnerable (e.g. fragile ecosystems, traditional ways of life) as that is what makes them special. Even small numbers can lead to degradation. This `invisible burden' of tourism relates to shared or `common pool' resources between the tourism sector and the community. The travel and tourism industry is highly reliant on common pool resources: natural habitats, historical monuments, water and energy, public spaces, infrastructure, and social and cultural capital which, when taken together, amount to `the destination'. It is `invisible' because the wider destination costs/impacts of servicing demand (i.e., the implications of growth) are simply not taken into account, and there is no clear accountability or shared responsibility between sectors or businesses for maintaining them. So what can be done to manage the `invisible burden'? There needs to be a shift away from growth as the primary metric for assessing the performance of tourism. Organizations need to define new measures of success and a holistic set of indicators which account for the full costs of tourism in their destination and aims for a net positive impact for their communities. Read the full report Destinations at Risk: The Invisible Burden of Tourism Watch the Video An increasing number of organizations are recognizing that traditional metrics focusing solely on volume of visitors, of trips, of occupancy, etc., are insufficient in telling the real story of success. Economic measures do not address the impacts of tourism in a destination. Communities need a new vision, and new ways to measure success that go beyond simply growth. Many leading tourism destinations are now recognizing that it's not a move from marketing to management that's needed but a move from destination -thinking (with tourism and tourists at the center) to place -thinking (with residents at the center). Destinations can andshoaldbeplaces ii„i,oherepeople live, iinpork, pial, study—and visit, For this tcil happen, destinations of the, hatfire ncied to ensure that the needsnot "i�st toari �elres���ls��°:ts�����a���l���o:�r�:itii. er ��.„ �l �ts arw at, t'he heart of their strtitedd and uiaill need a new definition of what sitrress looks like Organizations that develop products and experiences for visitors without thinking about the needs of residents may not be contributing well to a place, despite the obvious benefits typically associated with tourism. Taking part in place -making means taking a seat at the table with Case Study: Iceland Rethinking Tourism for the Long Haul P'1'g1'tloBl EtililI i°'tq:t�,:ng2�0''19, 1�i:e1,add::,u1"s °t"ourisirr� rapid gro�VleM"tlh 1im„l 1;81uecon,w" �mst�,ista�ina� °dVle. SOLUTIONS: Invest in improving tourism infrastructure (restrooms, parking lots, trails, accessible trails etc). Attract higher -earning professionals who stay longer and spend more Developing two new tourism routes to avoid over - congestion on Route 1 to enable more remote adventures. (Source: Conde Nast Traveler 2021) x Rather than raw contribution to growth in GDP, favor metrics that specify destination benefits such as small business development, distribution of incomes, and enhancement of local supply chains. the public and private sector partners, to be involved in broader conversations that affect the community, from infrastructure, development planning, retail, culture and sports, environmental protection, and citizen wellbeing. This offers many new possibilities and opportunities for innovative product development and destination management. Please see Section 5 of this handbook for more detail on how to assess the impacts of tourism in your destination. StandardsSustainability Building on what has been outlined above, this holistic approach to tourism management can be defined as 14tl°:at chms this mean, in practice? New measures of success could include the following, with some requiring the identification of impacts that to be increased or decreased over time, in order to determine tracking methods and targets: Increasing positive impacts on communities Decreasing negative impacts on communities Decreasing impacts on natural resources, public spaces, built assets, etc. Distribution of tourism's benefits, related to local supply chain as well as diversity, equity and inclusion. The contribution of tourism to the climate and ecological emergencies, including financial and human resources Others are based on the vision for tourism in the community and how community members wish tourism to contribute value (economic, social, cultural, and environmental value). Destination Stewardship. This approach considers the environmental and social context of the destination to understand tourism's wider impacts. A stewardship approach also prioritizes collaboration between destination community members, including industry and residents and other sectors, to develop a shared vision of what the future of tourism should look like in line with the triple bottom line of people, planet and profit. Destination stewardship is a regenerative model, where tourism strategies aim to restore, protect and revitalize the local environment and community. 7festinatloo strew°Brest°rile can be defined as o0 appr~omo ,h to destination governance t°lrot° seeks to balance and meet the ee000rr ic, eoteironmeotol, and social cultoeolnee s of destination uwhile operat°inn �inat°lrin a fi:u'„gibe ate governance modlel With active doetir° ipatirrn fr-oap there public ondprAlll�'ate se�c,t°or-s, as us�Imr�����l as flee local soar°rr�mrr�ritit. ” orld Travel and Tourism Council LTTC�, The white paper "Towards Destination Stewardship: AchleylnWi, Destination Stewardship through scenarios & a Governance Dia.mostics framework" developed by the Travel Foundation, World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) and European Tourism Futures Institute (ETFI) identifies the key drivers and barriers for destination stewardship. 4VI (formerly Tourism n'��rr e���n�s�I�y�n� Vancouver Island a err' regional destination marketing organization AAti( VV IMI klik[ll I A k iNIINUUUY1 I) IS I IIWA I MIN for Vancouver Island, Canada) re -launched themselves as a social enterprise with new social responsibility commitments in 2022 under four pillars — communities, environment, cultures and businesses. These new pillars meant the organization's 2023 strategy was redesigned to include destination and organization -focused key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure the efforts of their team, and the impact of their work, across Vancouver Island. The KPIs range from increasing revenues to Indigenous, women and LGBTQ+ -owned tourism enterprises, to increases in businesses signed up to their Biosphere Sustainability Program, to measuring investment by the tourism industry into conservation programs, and much more. Read 4VI's full Impact St rat= Respect the publicly available, internationally approved minimum criteria for sustainable tourism practices maintained by the Global Sustainable Tourism Council for both industry and destinations. Tourism destination management organizations and businesses alike are encouraged to turn to global standards for guidance on responsible and sustainable destination management and stewardship. These can be starting points for action planning and for self - assessments to gauge performance as well as identify priority areas that need attention in your destination. I",I�)i...l""llbw ns nd,.Uaso n IIIluui�riniind II)II1ra4ogi applhy, 4'„I eaG sta tie of WasIII iington,.�,.a:ay.uu°li;sir 24 0 00 GSTC• .'" Global Sustainable Tourism Council f3�,16fJba,J11SustaiirmIIbIVe IIIOLtiWl�°�IliSII`IIIC1111°°ilitCHIlig°°�� The Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria were developed by a working group of experts in the field to reflect a thorough and common set of ideal practices for industry and destinations to worktoward achieving more sustainable tourism operations and destination management. "They reflect certification standards, indicators, criteria, and best practices from different cultural and geo-political contexts around the world in tourism and other sectors." (gstcouncil.org) There are two types of criteria, adapted for businesses and for destinations. Destination criteria, mapped to the sustainable development goals with suggested performance indicators, can be found here. Some destinations use the criteria to guide activities, to work toward certification, to assess and monitor performance, to develop requirements for regionally specific programs or labels to help consumers identify organizations with more sustainable practices and to highlight and reward businesses that are taking steps to improve their practices. � ` The Sustainable Develo menL "F xi4 ifi IC Goals (SDGs) are a set of 17 ISUSVIII"ro IIIA"ILGi'I�I Illfw"iT development goals covering areas from poverty and ° inequality to environmental protection, climate action, and inclusive employment opportunities. They were established by the United Nations (UN) and adopted by all member states in 2015, who have committed to take meaningful actions across all of the target areas by 2030. As such, in many countries these targets have been integrated into planning documents. Many organizations use the thematic areas of the SDGs as a guide to align goals and actions in tourism and sustainability plans to some of the SDG targets. This may be especially relevant if your region has existing plans in place that are linked to the SDGs or if your local authority is already required to report against the SDG indicator framework. Learn more about the SDGs and tourism here htt s: ltourism4sd s.or or at htt s:Zwww. goodlifegoals.org/. GREEN DIESTNAPONS Try a Tourism for SDGs Self -Assessment for your destination here. Green Destinations is a Future of Tourism Coalition Partner supporting sustainable destinations, their businesses and their communities. Certified B Tourism More and more travel companies are going the route of becoming a Certified B Corporation. B Corporations are businesses that meet Corporation the highest standards of verified social and environmental performance, public transparency, and legal accountability to balance profit and purpose. B Tourism is a global network of Certified B Corporation travel and tourism companies as well as other conscious travel organizations that take collective action for environmental and social justice. For destination leaders, this can be a resource to provide for businesses looking for a process and network to join. Learn More Did you learn anything new while reading this section? Were there perspectives « ., r thought of that you ., in learning about?more environmental* Are you aware of existing initiatives in your community focused on areas of protection , , reducing waste, decarbonization, water, etc.? * Are you aware of existing initiatives by becomebusinesses in your community to , Does your organizational place relating to the themes of the Sustainable Development G protection, poverty, inequality �tt � l ��r 4��M ✓ m"�(� A { f P f � 1111111 1111111 , � I ;IiIIIIIVgJ uJJIU ,� u i 'IIDU IIIIIIII UUl7 , �NNe i NIOuU 01111 p») »Id Oo011III mr IOV111 a1 iJr111u1U VIIV Pu, OOg DOI, 01 ml eD i00f OOg Olp �� w Jf n a Nlr inn II Y »,"Pn q n1 a Arco 0 �� pu rc'�N� 11111119y>111II �wrN 1111„»9�m11JIIIIII III�I �'�»>�����u��Illllll 1111111 �IIII�)I II»pr,U» rculll 11111110111191III�1IIJIIIIII IIII „x11111111 ��yu»» ��� UJJ�nnJ��ll 1111111 1111111 »m 111111101111(dllll 1111111 Illlllli1f�11111 "���������f ��������� �Ju�nNtir� ”'°�Illli 1111111 IIIIIII11'�Il��i,�d�'�������` IIII���yJa',�y1,D�� Illllll"f1°f�ll� Washington State is a remarkable region that entices both domestic and international travelers with its extraordinary blend of natural wonders, cultural diversity, iconic places, urban centers and rural communities, and thrilling recreational adventure opportunities. From the Salish Sea's incredible marine environment with coastal beaches, estuaries and islands, to arts and music to sprawling vineyards & craft beer, vast networks of hiking trails, volcanoes, the edges of the desert, and the towering Cascade mountains, it's a truly special place. Each of the state's regions offer something different for all explorers. Tourism is Washington State's fourth largest industry, employing more than 200,000 people and generating close to $22B in annual spending, close to $313 in tax revenues. According to the Department of Commerce, close to 98% of visitors to WA are domestic (75% state residents), and just over 2% are international. tourismAs a mecca for outdoor recreation, the main challenge is to ensure the natural places peopledepends on are protected for the f uture while not r As is common in most other jurisdictions in North America, tourism marketing and management funding is primarily from lodging taxes and allocated to promotional activities. Smaller organizations with limited funds do not typically have the capacity to incorporate broader management activities. However, within the current Recognize that most tourism by its nature involves the destination as a whole, not only industry businesses, but also its ecosystems, natural resources, cultural assets and traditions, communities, aesthetics, and built infrastructure. mandate there are ways to expand and adjust activities to reflect destination stewardship principles and inclusivity aims. Some examples of these efforts can be found, such as: support for local businesses, diverse cultural events, greater diversity in marketing, and promotion of low - impact activities as well as responsible recreation. There is r lot of GOODhappening♦, tourism s this sectionqo.; past an and feedback i people throughout. r,, perspectives t perspectives.1=6 7t,7777M ations acknowledgements section for list of organiz that contributed f �ivallll4iriil,f:,!l!"t h°npact°s from Cos'Ns'rst'h.'�As'N in Outdoot° "ecreatkm Destinations: ns° Washington is renowned for outdoor recreation, but managing the influx of tourists and recreationists while protecting natural spaces is a challenge. A range of impacts stemming from congestion and overuse including parking impeding emergency vehicles, safety concerns, degradation to trails with high concentrations of users, and a lack of capacity to manage waste. Complexity of land management authorities impedes solutions; for example, enforcement, communication, and providing transportation alternatives. hnpacts, on 'l"i bal rights: Building on the above, there is a lack of relationships with Tribal governments and Indigenous community members, and therefore tourism developments and activities often negatively impact Tribes — from impeding on traditional ways of life through encroachment on natural areas, to degrading Indigenous lands. There is a lack of incorporation of Tribal messaging in communications about activities, sacred places, etc., and much opportunity for improvement in this area, to the benefit of all destinations and community members. 27 I..' ck of`di r*er",'''�we re't:we"s'"a "k ation,v aIIffal••ilMe',"r"S und aii.IPs�i.��rassa mae a`rraafrrr°a-rve Chill^.gym In general, there is a lack of relationships with diverse communities and a lack of diversity in staff and leadership to facilitate the bridging of this gap. For example, there is a lack of engagement with Spanish -speakers and Tribal representatives. There is also room for improvement in creating a sense of belonging and cultural sensitivity for diverse travelers including people with different abilities, cultural identities (including Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC)), LGBTQ+ community, etc. uacrea:aeirrrg aaff'ora a bil tfa a;araaf f vaabilit.y,, High prices and increased cost of living are leading to exclusion of locals. There are concerns about changes toward catering to visitors in certain places impacting community sentiment and creating perceptions that places cater only to the wealthy. This decreasing affordability is leading to housing and labor shortages which affects the industry, including reducing service quality. L ack, awrr,ftw4�ha�ara ill bianding and awrrar.y,.ar.y,.aaa rra.iiims, There is a need for increased awareness and education among frontline staff for better destination experiences. This includes providing a safe and inclusive welcome, promoting how to recreate responsibly, and how and when to disperse travelers from areas that are overcrowded to areas that need more visitation, to account for seasonality and peak/off-peak times. Sometimes in communities there are too many resources, but not enough clear information (different maps and websites from different entities that are not coordinated). �"II""Ye;a;.;'! Pason 11 Wirni-nell 11:111hotc)gi'aIplhy, CourtesyofStalLm;of Waslihni:1ton nrou.niriisu"m, V-�rallttau'ui a �u i�, + II' .III,M:'uia a.rrnteura.au"nip, � �aimuute>y �llDfi st,atea oG "a.»Ihm'ia°mgtoiiI..IfOuu~li will Rind n.atr°°aarraasr°e and si�as i,wr,.arii°V amrrt.at°Nawar"Ne,f There is a lack of support particularly for rural tourism destination marketing and management organizations. These organizations must apply annually for funding from city or county governments if they do not have a Tourism Promotion Area designation and funding is typically tied to specific projects and/or limited to tourism promotion activities. They also must compete against chambers for funding so they find themselves busy defending their businesses. This presents a challenge for small organizations in that there is a lack of staffing and financial resources to increase awareness and skills, and even to channel funds toward collaborative initiatives. yirr° ited lN,Mf°N *!f tes: The current structure of destination marketing and management organizations in Washington is based on funding generated from lodging taxes or membership and therefore the mandate is still limited primarily to promotional activities. While marketing is a great tool and can be leveraged to pursue destination stewardship and DEIA goals, the limited mandate prevents them from spending time and resources on broader objectives. Ex'ult-naal Thivats aanlf Ira pe!tists d"a.„yond 1vh!z !zgen;ei7t Capacity, Tourism organizations are increasingly faced with challenges such as overuse, congestion, parking violations, safety concerns, housing shortages, workforce 28 u":ha.irnnaa IIqa'u",a.ui"' II Ilaircaa i vx Jason II N+.ara"'uunnell I13110'togr al:,lhny shortages, climate change disruptions, and decreasing resident satisfaction, and lack the skills, funding, and capacity to implement management strategies. & 0,, liaaoii iuturii�iltiiies I..eoa e^sahi ' fi-om the State of l"Ita.shin,gNvi .. �""I a ua°ism tinthe Port of Seaettk Each of the two organizations leading tourism for the state are providing leadership in the areas of destination stewardship and DEIA, through various efforts including the Rural Tourism Support Program and Tourism Sustainability Grant Program, the Port of Seattle's Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion and commitment as well as resources for the sector, among many other initiatives. Visit Seattle is a lighthouse example for diversity in marketing, supporting diverse enterprises through its Shop BIPOC initiative, its LGBTQ+ focused content, cultural tourism guides and highlight of Indigenous cultures and Tribes. There is room to provide further guidelines and support, including funding for DEIA initiatives and resources for increasing skills and capacity across destination management organizations and industry associations to keep progressing toward goals. 14oth,aataoap to continuo(aafT hr7prove," Tourism organizations have shown their interest in learning, growing, and motivation to build relationships with organizations in their communities, increase cultural competency, and support their industry partners to create a more welcoming atmosphere for all people, through experiences as well as messaging and marketing. What they need is the tools and resources to take steps, starting with awareness, and adjustments to day-to-day activities, toward longer term goals. Examples and sesourcies aboun& The strong non-profit and nongovernmental (NGO) sector in Washington, including social and environmental organizations, as well as initiatives already underway by some destination management organizations, means that there are examples close to home, as well as learning resources available, for others to get started right away on their learning and action journeys. Para-tnership o u °ua„asta rpities are a sbUIP(:lalPt.~ This strength of the NGO sector as well as the significant number of enterprises and organizations focused on improving inclusion, quality of life, restoration of lands, etc., mean that the tourism sector has immediate opportunities to collaborate. Collaboration to solve challenges — like parking issues, by working with local government and land managers, or to improve representation in marketing by working with diverse content creators, or to improve accessibility, by gaining an understanding of the status and action steps to take, or to increase cultural awareness and improve relationships and experiences by reaching out to Tribal governments. These are opportunities that are available now in Washington and a perfect way for the tourism sector to get started or progress in their destination stewardship journeys. The greatest gift to tourism is cultural diversity. People travel all over the world to see new places and learn new things and meet new and interesting people. In the United States, we are fortunate that our communities are places enriched by such a wide range of cultures and tourism offers the chance for our cultures, our differences, and our commonalities to be celebrated. Washington's cultural diversity is part of each community's identity, whether rural or urban. There may be more diversity in urban centers; however, most communities can identify and celebrate the different cultures that exist within or nearby, including Indigenous peoples and cultures. And the more diverse representation we have in our tourism industry, the more diversity of travelers we will continue to see, as they feel more and more welcome and interested to experience each place's uniqueness. In addition to being home to 34 distinct Indigenous Tribes and Nations, there are many different cultural communities that make up the tapestry of the state. There are vibrant African American communities, East, Southeast, and South Asian communities, Pacific Islanders, Middle Eastern and Arab people, Hispanic & Latino/a communities, Scandinavian communities and more. There are various religious communities and thriving creative arts & culture communities celebrating this diversity with festivals, music, and food! Washington is also known for being LGBTQ+ friendly, with active communities, events, businesses, festivals and more, promoting pride and inclusivity. Visit Seattle, the destination marketing and management organization for Seattle, hosts Cultural Heri'tag'e salsas on their website that highlight history from past to present of five of these cultural communities including Native American, African American, Asian & Pacific American, Latino, and Nordic. The pages include downloadable cultural heritage guides and refer to organizations that share more information and can be visited to celebrate cultures throughout the city. It is an example of how to highlight cultural heritage, history, current cultural events, festivals, arts, food, tours, and more offered to celebrate diverse cultures found within the city. Visit Seattle's LGBTQ+ page shares not only a plethora of businesses and events to visit, but organizations and resources for Established in 1981, GSBA is Washington State's LGBTQ+ and allied chamber of commerce and is the largest of its kind in North America. They represent small business, corporate, and nonprofit members who share the values of promoting equality and diversity in the workplace. Their mission is to combine business development, leadership and social action to expand economic opportunities for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer community and those who support equality for all. Their programs include supporting business members with business development, providing networking opportunities and visibility for LGBTQ+ organizations, provide advocacy to elected officials on business and equality issues, and have extensive education programs. They produce the Travel Out uide for LGBTQ+ travel in Washington to highlight LGBTQ+ travel businesses, experiences and more. visitors to refer to and learn from including Travel Out Seattle LGBTQ travel guide created by the GSBA, the Northwest Lesbian and Gay History Museum Proms, and many more. Explore Seattle's Vibrant Cultural Heritage Native American Cultural Heritage Asian American Cultural Heritage Latina Cultural Heritage Nordic Cultural Heritage African American Cultural Heritage READ HE N O LSeattle No. Bank Indigenous Peoples and Tourism in Washington The State of Washington has 29 federally recognized Tribes and Nations (with several others not federally recognized), with over 140,000 citizens and each with their own cultures, governments and enterprises employing more than 37,000 people (or 1 in 86 jobs — washingtontribes.org). This map shows where each is located. Indigenous peoples are sovereign — self -governed with rights and power to determine their own governance structures and laws. The National Congress on American Indians (NCAI) provides an overview of sovereignty as follows: They essence of tribal sovereignty is the grbll°ity to govern Lind to protvct and enhanr°m,,,,„ the health, sa h y, and welfare of tribtrl cid i°vns within tribal terrlt ; r y Tribal governments, maintain the power to ch erinine thlin f ouion goven7 neo strc,i4„"tiit g'° i°id" er tifut c„e lt!t f thro qh police dewptirtmenfs and fribctl courts. l he l'l'ov"emments exercise these inherilil:M''rig'h't through the development of their distinct forms of government, determining citizenship; establishing civil and criminal laws for their nations; taxing, licensing, regulating, and maintaining and exercising the power to exclude wrongdoers from tribal lands. In addition, tribal governments are responsible for a broad range of governmental activities on tribal lands, including education, law enforcement, judicial systems, health care, environmental protection, natural resource management, and the development and maintenance of infrastructure and a broad range public services. ReadMorelittDs://www.ncai. org/about-tribes Shop •Support BIPOC-owned and put it • Visit Seattle partnered with Seattle Bank and Intentionalist to help spread tourism dollars to Seattle's small businesses in diverse communities. There were 16 businesses featured in 2023 with subsidized "tabs" available to try food and drink at BIPOC-owned restaurants and shops, sponsored by Seattle Bank and Intentionalist. Through 2023 they are hosting several $250 tabs at shops and restaurants in Capitol Hill and First Hill neighborhoods. Visit the website, click on a restaurant, get a code, use it to get a comr)lemenLary treat. More information about each federally recognized Tribe including contact info can be found through these direct links to their government websites: Chehalis, Colville, Cowlitz, Hoh, Jamestown SWallam, Kalis el, Lower Elwha Klallam, Lummi, Maka.h, Muckleshoot, Nis uall , Nooksack, Port Gamble S'Klallam, Pu allup, uileute, uinault, Samish, Sauk-Suiattle, Shoalwater Bay, Skokomish, Snoqualmie, Spokane, Sc uaxin Island, Stilla uamish,_ Suquamish, Swinomish, Tulali , Upper Skagit, Yakama. The State of Washington Tourism website provides a great overview of Indigenous experiences, cultural centers, museums and events around the state that can be visited that are owned and operated by the Tribes and showcase both heritage and current cultures, enabling visitors to support Indigenous -led tourism initiatives and learn about the land on which they are guests. This oazse also provides direct links to each government (provided above). There are a number of resources available for learning more about building relationships and partnerships with Indigenous peoples, about developing Indigenous tourism, and the local Tribal government in each community is generally the best place to start. Reaching out to start a relationship without a specific agenda, but to learn more about the land on which a destination is located, the people, the culture along with the challenges and opportunities to work together is ajourney that starts with reaching out to introduce oneself and visit. It is important to emphasize here that it is incumbent upon tourism organizations to do research before reaching out to the Tribe. Many Tribes have worked hard to produce public outreach and education materials that are available online. It's helpful to look for these first, digest, and come forward in a more informed way. It is also essential to meaningfully engage with Tribal governments to get information as early SII REll Preserving, collecting and sharing the history of African Americans in Washington State. Founded in 1977 the organization continues to provide educational events, exhibits, and resources to promote public awareness of African American history and culture. The Society recognizes the importance for documenting the culture and heritage of Black people state-wide, and advocates for saving places to uphold the notion that Washington State history is an essential link in the broader narrative that defines the story of our nation. Business Improvement District for Chinatown - International District. It is an important cultural center in Seattle with over 200 businesses reflecting the diversity of the city as well as important cultural events including Lunar New Year celebrations, Dragon Fest, Night Market, and Food Walk events. The Nordic Museum's guiding principles for the core exhibition experience, tracing Nordic themes of connection to nature, sustainability, social justice, and innovation from the earliest anthropological records through contemporary Nordic society. Sea Mar Museum of ChiicnoLatino/a Culture The first of its kind in the Pacific Northwest, the Sea Mar Museum of Chicano/a/Latino/a Culture showcases the history of Chicano/as and Latino/as from post war immigration to present time. Winz Luke Museum Art and history Smithsonian -Affiliate Museum (the only pan Asian -Pacific American community-based museum in the US) focused on the culture, art and history of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders. The Burke Museum The Burke Museum cares for and shares natural and cultural collections so all people can learn, be inspired, generate knowledge, feel joy, and heal. Its working labs located on the University of Washington campus in Seattle focus on dinosaurs, fossils, Northwest Native art, plant and animal collections, and cultural pieces from across the globe. Its exhibits are guided by their Native American Advisory Board. Golden Brick's outdoor -focused experiences for Black, Indigenous, People of Color are designed for emotional & physical safety, accessibility, connection, joy, and belonging. We envision a world where BIPOC outdoor participation is not "unbelievable', but common. We want to diversify the faces of the outdoors and conservation through our events. The Northwest African American Museum is an anti - racist, pro -equity, affirming gathering place of hope, help, and healing for the entire Northwest region that is building intergenerational cultural wealth, through ongoing exhibits, events and educational programs. Washington Trust for Historic Preservation Manages the Maritime Washington National Heritage Area — a region -wide partnership that aims to connect diverse cross -sector organizations to protect marine resources and connect residents and visitors to the state's maritime heritage. 321 as possible in the planning process to get feedback on how to avoid or mitigate any negative impact your planned tourism activities may have on tribal traditional ways of life, cultural practices, or resources. Being open to hearing that an idea is not appropriate or of interest, and working together on ideas, is also the advisable approach. One of the biggest opportunities for tourism organizations to enhance relationships and experiences for visitors is to work with Tribes to explore whether there are appropriate and helpful ways to incorporate tribal messaging into tourism communications, or ways in which organizations can help amplify messaging Tribes are already sharing. Information highlighting the cultures, the stories, the people, the sacred sites, as well as what is appropriate and not appropriate to do and where, must be provided by the Tribe and not written by the destination organization without collaboration or the Tribe's consent. Note that Tribes should not be expected to contribute to tourism projects without compensation — they must be at the table and compensated for their time and subject expertise. Working with Tribal representatives to ensure tourism in your community is not having negative impacts on lands and cultural resources is essential to a positive future of tourism on Indigenous lands and with Indigenous peoples across Washington. The Ancestral Lands Movement seeks to spread awareness of the Snoqualmie people who have lived in the southern Salish Sea region since time immemorial and share the significance of these lands and provide information on how people can help the Tribe in respecting, restoring, and protecting these lands. Launched in 2021 in response to the increased impacts of recreation on their ancestral lands which includes the well-known sacred Snoqualmie Falls, the Snoqualmie Tribe Ancestral Lands Movement shares regular information via blogs, social media and their website. Tips on how to Recreate Respectfully are provided by the Tribe, along with downloadable resources such as this one -pager and an animated, illustrated story map Recreational Irn'Dacts on Snoqualmie Tribal Ancestral Lands which provides an overview of Snoqualmie history, current information about the Tribe and impacts of recreation activities including as hiking and mountain biking as well as development impacts to lands, and wildlife. The Snoqualmie Tribe is calling for increased research and monitoring to drive decision making Alia ��llr around outdoor recreation ...., a"�,NOQUA development and mitigation. Learn More lid J i �„ and Follow on Facebook A Land Acknowledgement is a statement recognizing the traditional territory of the Indigenous people who called the land home before the arrival of settlers, and in many cases still do call the land home. Land Acknowledgements reflect the Indigenous cultural practice of protocol — acknowledging and appreciating that one is on the land of another. It is a sign of respect and appreciation and gratitude. The following websites have useful resources on Land Acknowledgements: Duwa ish Tribe How to Make a Land AcknowledLyement Snoqualmie Tribe Introduction to Land Acknowledgement Washington State Health Care Authority on Medium Native Land 33 .,11 r4 TI, R.: III��Ima�II Governor's Office of Indian Affairs offers information resources and Tribal Directory of government offices and businesses in Washington. The Nature Conservancy's Washington Chapter partnered with Native -owned consultant firm The Whitener Group out of Olympia created a free training course Growing Competency and Capacity to Partner with Indigenous Peoples: Tribal Engagement Training for Conservation Practitioners in North America. Access "Indian Country 101" here and there is a deeper dive into working with Washington Tribes called IC 102 on the same course page, it's module 4 of the total set. II^'^ollatiIo,"„°PoIIIIIIal aVY"pld III it °rsout+V e9flR AIANTA The American Indian Alaska Native Tourism Association (AIANTA) is the national tourism association representing and supporting Tribes across the US. Their mission is to "define, introduce, grow and sustain American Indian, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian tourism that honors traditions and values." They offer workshops, courses, webinars, conferences, technical assistance, funding opportunities, research, and more, to support the development of Indigenous tourism. The board of directors represents each of the 15 regions and the northwest region is represented by Jamie SiJohn of the Spokane Tribe. They have a broad team of staff and consultants and offer a wealth of information for those interested in learning about what may be happening in their area. They also operate a consumer -facing travel website called nativeaerica.travel showcasing experiences around the US. The Northwest region does not currently have any experiences in Washington and therefore there are opportunities to develop the relationship with AIANTA and ensure experiences are showcased as well as to explore development of new experiences with Tribes directly. Indigenous Tourism Association of BC ITBC provides guidelines on working with Indigenous peoples which can be found here: ITBC's Wor,Vi,ng with Indigenous Communities set of resources including A Guide for DeveloDing Tourism and Media Relationships in Indigenous Communities and 10 Considerations When WorkinLy with Indigenous Communities. Indigenous Association of Canada ITAC provides several great resources including its Media & Language Guidelines 12 Ways to Better Choose Our Words When We Write About Indigenous Peoples Indigenous Corporate Training Inc. shares 7 Tips on Building Relationships with Indigenous Peoples. It's one of the several resources the organization provides. Indigenous People and the Travel Industry: Global Good Practice Guidelines published by the International Institute of Tourism Studies, G Adventures and Planeterra with an advisory committee of international Indigenous tourism representatives including Ben Sherman, Chair of the World Indigenous Tourism Alliance, Keith Henry, CEO of Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada and Edward Hall 111, US Bureau of Indian Affairs. "oroduurswof State of Washfi yqon � tuuisur°u tyu~li::uin Ih,d l„a kyide, I tcalhilu II131110tog rd JIDIlIl y, u ,uaUite )( Of 11)saIlbIIed IL IliiI e irr. r Washington Tourism Accessibility in Washington has a long way to go, but the good news is there is a lot of motivation to get there. There is a growing interest in improving accessibility, with some Washington tourism organizations taking initiative to engage with specialists to conduct an audit and begin implementing recommendations. For example, Visit San Juans' Accessible San Juan.s page highlights activities, accommodation and transportation options for people with disabilities. In most cases, destination organizations and businesses lack awareness and guidance on how to make offerings more accessible and there is therefore a need to boost awareness and provide tools to make improvements. Some examples of efforts outside but nearby Washington include Oregon, who has made progress in trail accessibility and is investing in accessibility audits for operators. In British Columbia, non-profit Spinal Cord Injury BC and the province's regional destination management organizations DISABLE!) FUIHIII JIRS Dhehidtlty C—f-hity @,. 7urtke On the. Otdduuw'% GetInvolved: httr)s://www.disabledhikers.co,m/a,I,I,i,es,, Disabled Hikers is an entirely Disabled -led non- profit organization based in Washington. Disabled Hikers helps facilitate disabled experiences in the outdoors with information, resources, and events, including trail guides and group hikes. They are committed advocates forjustice, access, and inclusion, and work with parks, organizations, brands, and more. Disabled Hikers is available to provide audits of outdoor activities and built environments and therefore can advise a full range of hospitality, tourism, and outdoor recreation organizations, including destination marketing and management organizations. Their assessment service includes meeting with staff to gain an understanding of their perspectives and bring them through the process. The ideal approach is to provide training either before or after the site visit. "Disabled i.iiher,s are the invaluable base to the accessibility n,vorh in our region. They have provided professional, clear and compassionate guidance through our multiple visitor -facing projects, workingseam°rleesi y unfit°h a uwide range ofinterest/ knowledge levels and political backgrounds. Accessi i i'�'. w is incredibly unportant to the a(elcornabili�V of our area, and it's becorne clear through our" uwork uwith Syren that inforr°nation is power ° and that uwe all benefit frog°r greater accessibility. We cannot recommend them highly enough." —Emily Reed I Network Director (she, her), Columbia Gorge Tourism Alliance co -fund regional accessibility & inclusion specialists who are based in the regional destination management offices and support the tourism industry by conducting visits, audits, and recommendation reports. They also are called up on to act as advisors and models for inclusive marketing content. In general, outdoor accessibility in Washington is increasing at a slow pace. State parks are working on it. Beaches have some accessible features, like beach wheelchairs, but there is no consistency in availability fS or promotion. Hotels will often have some adaptions or implementation of ADA regulations, but almost always have issues because there is no enforcement of the regulations. For example, they may have "accessible" rooms but the doorway to the bathroom is too narrow, or the ramp at the entrance is at too high of an incline. To add to the challenge, disabled individuals bear the burden of making complaints. There is also a lack of recognition and adaptation for various disabilities outside of mobility challenges such as sensory needs, blindness, deafness, and immune - compromised conditions. The Port of Seattle has done some work to improve accessibility at SEA -TAC Airport and included a room for people with sensory sensitivities. When it comes to marketing and communications, there is a lot that can be done. Several organizations have started to involve influencers with disabilities to visit and document their experience on social media, which is an excellent step. But it isn't sufficient for a comprehensive Courtesy of'Airv,,hW cllIla Walla II, accessibility audit, which is also necessary for enabling change. Additionally, often only one type of disability is represented (for example, a person in a wheelchair), yet there are many different types of disabilities and being inclusive and representative means seeking out content creators that can include more diverse people and experiences. There's also typically a lack of transparent information about accessibility. It is important to ensure available information is clearly communicated and not buried in websites. Ensure that it is easy to find, include as much detail as possible, prepared or at least reviewed by someone who is disabled (but also with expertise on conducting professional audits for the broad range of disabilities to be well represented). There are resources available online including: The National ADA Network online resources The US Access Board guidance documents AdeeIII:paIi�,))trlIlbllls�oad��4111a`III��I��t������.�IIIII��I�:����liIIII The first thing to recognize is that this is a long-term process that requires ongoing commitment and learning, and un -learning and re -learning. It is not a box that can be checked and completed quickly. It's a progression and evolution toward better. If resources allow, you may decide to contract a specialist who can undertake a deep dive into your organization and your practices and make recommendations. This handbook provides an overview of some of the key steps that you can take to get a better understanding of DEIA and to start thinking about ideal outcomes and actions to take to integrate these considerations into your day-to-day operations. "en ili size and uiAlmarcness One of the first things you can do as an individual is to start reading books and articles as well as following social media accounts of people from different cultural and marginalized communities. There are many across the nation and some right in Washington that provide perspective as well as share their experiences of traveling and of the outdoors. We provide a number of organizations in the coming pages that you can read about and engage with. In some cases, they may be able to supportyou by providing an audit and/or advice, and, in other cases, they may be a suitable organization for you to sponsor or to engage in content development. The Port of Seattle provides a number of anti -racism resources on its website available for any organization to access and read. N gh Ila umaVs Whim a �euuullI celehiratV112021, I In many cases, organizations survey their employees and customers (existing and potential) to solicit direct feedback about inclusivity, sense of belonging, representation — how well the organization is doing from the perspectives of the people it serves and interacts with or would like to in the future. SocIllnrIVulunt„! iila f6IIIVr°sw @asianswhoexplore @black —people —hike @browngirloutdoorworld @Brownpeoplecamping @colourthetrails @disabledhikers @thegsba @indigenouswomenhike @latinxhikers @Igbtoutdoors @loseattlewa @latinooutdoors @mileshikeclub @outdoorafro @outdoorasian @outdoorasianwa @snotribeancestralIan dsmovement @twbseattle @wheeltheworld Crowdriff's list of LGBTQ+ Travel social media to follow Read Visit Spokane's blog written by local Lisa Gardner on her discovery and experience with C@black peo le hike Seek eaat ardvire„ m� One of the most important steps is to find an organization that can provide advice —from an audit of your products, services, experiences, and marketing, to your organization's operational and human resources practices. In many cases, organizations set up a working group or a committee, made up of internal and external people to make an action plan and begin the work. Many organizations try to improve the diversity of their staff and their board without doing internal work on their organization's culture and sense of belonging. Qu Bets Ila"iaarir, a p.s,.,,iia 11 Nwnunelll II' aca; iraall 11 CoM.iu•ta "^. �: tai. ao°::WasIlniii ,g9oi, ou1sirn This can alienate new staff and board members and ultimately defeat the intended purpose. It is important to recognize the burden placed on people of color and representatives of racialized and marginalized communities when they are the only one repeatedly called upon to provide advice, to educate, to translate, to be the voice of all those in their community. That is a difficult and burdensome (and often emotional) load to place on any one person. Advice needs to be compensated, always. Too often this kind of advice is sought without due compensation. This is business consulting and needs to be valued as such. R viei,%,practices As mentioned above, in many cases, surveys (or focus groups or interviews or a combination thereof) are employed to get an understanding of how well the organization is doing across the spectrum of diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility according to different audiences of the organization. In terms of practices, we are referring to all internal and external organizational practices, from purchasing, to hiring, to training, to company protocols, to events, product development, B2B communications and 132C communications. I wA' I! DESTINATION V� OO n l BRITISH 9 N TM se Destination British Columbia took a holistic approach to assess and take action on diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility. Some of the key actions included: Contracting outside experts for advice, establishing an Accessibility & Inclusion Committee and Strategic Action Plan, created a learning center for tourism industry partners, created Social Impact Procurement Guidelines for purchasing, underwent an inclusivity audit of brand and marketing, created guidelines for inclusivity in marketing and content production for community DMOs and industry, underwent a DEIA culture audit and sought support from the national Center for Diversity & Inclusion, developed and action plan, training, and guidance to support belonging and wellbeing for employees, and made updates to hiring processes. Read more here. A program initiated by Tourism Cares and supported by a number of travel businesses, Pathways is a coalition of leading travel industry organizations helping to reduce hiring inequalities by offering opportunities for education, employment and entrepreneurship. Pathways is helping spread the word about lesser-known travel industry careers such as tour guiding, travel directing, and tour operating, sponsoring training opportunities in tourism management and business ownership, as well as providing networking and mentoring toward job placement. Learn More As a destination management or industry association, it's also a good idea to survey tourism industry partners to get an understanding of the needs businesses have to improve their awareness and action on DEIA. ^u Identify gaps to inform an action plan. ngagi? in training There are many kinds of training available for employees, executives, frontline staff, board members, etc. There are online courses, webinars, reading resources, and in- person workshops led by specialists. Every organization should be undertaking DEIA training to be able to assess their stage in the process and identify gaps and ideal future states and outcomes. Iuma, aIlumna el^ )e nde^umns e ID:A d.eIlelzu~eti sue, (;;",ouuu~ru.s s„,f Msut II s=sa 0a.0 aI°n lase,elop a policy, l:rr.rblii-stasterrseet a:ar°aali i tion plan Part of the process is making a commitment and publicly stating that commitment. This is important to communicate with employees, but also to the public via your website and other communications channels. This helps prospective employees and visitors see that the organization is aware, is committed to evolving and improving, and has implemented specific action steps (as and when this is available). A policy ora statement is meaningless without evidence of action to support it. Communicate clearly the action plan, targets, and steps taken on an ongoing basis. D smanth? and relrr.rild pr'a cti ass • Don't be afraid to question everything and rethink all prior practices. This is a difficult but necessary stage. • From recruiting to purchasing to on boarding to staff events to communications, leave no area unturned. Improve redn�,aetatibn agar. d ina":lur. hl ty ins eoapriVn7ent. Learn new ways to recruit people from outside your usual networks. Collaborate with the tourism sector and with other sectors to build promotion pathways to management and leadership. An organization can be making efforts toward improving diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility, but the reality on the ground might be that visitors and experiences are still not diverse and marginalized communities are still experiencing more negative impacts than positive ones. Getting to know the businesses owned by peoples and groups deserving of equity and highlighting them in promotional materials is one step. Getting to know the communities, and how to support more people getting involved in tourism including pathways to employment as well as to entrepreneurship is another. ,111 Across Washington many environmental organizations have begun this journey and partner with youth groups, non-profit organizations, BI POC -owned businesses and more, to support their participation in outdoor recreation and environmental conservation. This is something every organization can get started on right away. Set policies that counter unequal tourism benefits within destination communities that maximize retention of tourism revenues within those communities. "Targeted tvcrrrltoreot° t°dat rlivierµsifies drat tourism wa°wkforce arrdlends, voice aoadpresa" nce^ to a;;llli?vets r°alii r°'eserrtative of Me iurForld we !!vont is uiavill eri?ate o titnalcWtasr°aland oolquie experiences. It uiaeill also lead to more serrated destloat°horns that can appeal to all who visit, and travel in Washington, " olllie� u,m, II:'Iii esld� a����� ident, Bbic�rltade �rua'.Mllalhssu.�ue or°letls of Wiixshlagtiii!i�e State�� in rsaos aataar. and casrrarrafin irastion s This is often the first step taken by organizations. Seeking out diverse models for photo and video shoots of their tourism experiences, accommodations, or destinations. Or seeking out diverse influencers to take trips and highlight them on social media. It is a useful and important step but should be considered as one part of a broader effort. �flaa'���a t'9a.,Ne ta'„a ar."y .... �aa911aV+ 4f�"d"a4aa""r""�`a?N h's.,y4".'�Ra.k'a"' ayrraar. d�l'a r"r'aaar'l`a'iat9et,'t.a Sometimes there can be an over -reliance on one group or one content creator to create diversity. But it is important to go beyond and think about broader diversity. This includes people with different gender identities, from different cultural groups, and with different types of disabilities. For example, as discussed earlier, disabilities range from physical to mental and affect 10% of the population — from all backgrounds. Language is AvjI to con7a7unicating u^vtw h alive ise audiences Oftentimes marketing and communications materials are only in English. Sometimes there are messages directly targeting international source markets. But it's important to consider your local context and speak to the communities represented in the place in which you operate. This demonstrates a culture of welcome and inclusion to the people that live there, and in turn to the people who are considering visiting. a^ This also is important when conducting engagement efforts, such as resident sentiment or satisfaction surveys to ensure that a broad and diverse set of community members are consulted. The Coalition is an association of the primary organizations participating in outdoor recreation in Washington State. The more than 45 organizations involve over 200,000 members. The mission of the Big Tent is to promote sustainable, diverse, equitable, and inclusive outdoor experiences in Washington state through advocacy and education. The organization advocates for sustainable state funding for recreation and conservation lands as well as sustainable and equitable development and human interaction with those lands. Cnyr iia Content creators, producers, writers and local news reporters, specifically for the Northwest's Black community. We believe that the Black community deserves authentic representation, a focus on our community's issues, and equitable access to elected officials, leadership, and governmental information. Their Support Black Business program profiles Black businesses across the PNW. Friends of Waterfront Seattle (Friends) is the nonprofit partner to the City of Seattle responsible for helping to fund, steward, and program the park. It is an exemplary model of an anchor attraction in a city supporting the surrounding community members. Every dollar of philanthropy through Friends of Waterfront Seattle leverages $6 in public funding for a $1 billion community -driven vision for Seattle's waterfront. The organization is committed to anti -racism and inclusivity in its operations and the public spaces they operate. This is reflected across its diverse community cultural, education, recreation programs and events. Miles Hike Club BIPOC-owned and led guided hiking company based in Seattle offering experiences around Washington. Miles Hike Club aims to enlighten, inspire, and foster memorable bonds as we unlock the adventurer in those exploring the great outdoors. Miles Hike Club offers customized guided hikes based on hikers' experience level and interests and is open to all levels including beginners. They also offer corporate group experiences. Outdoor Afro is a nonprofit organization that celebrates and inspires Black connections and leadership in nature. The network also connects Black people with lands, water, and wildlife through outdoor education, recreation, and conservation. Some examples of Outdoor Afro's year- round activities range from fishing, hiking, biking, kayaking, gardening, skiing, etc. It is the largest network of its kind with 60 cities participating across the country. The Seattle Chapter uses Facebook and Meetup platforms to set up outings. Latinos Outdoors Chapters in Seattle and Yakima Latinos Outdoors mission is to inspire, connect and engage Latino communities in the outdoors. Programs include the Vamos Outdoors group outings, Yo Cuento Outdoors storytelling and communications program, and Crecemos Outdoors leadership training. Supported by volunteers and donations. Outdoor Asian Washineton Cha ter Outdoor Asian's mission is to create a diverse and inclusive community of Asian & Pacific Islanders in the outdoors — Washington chapter meet -up events. Supported by volunteers and donations Travel blogging Seattle -based couple that review destinations within Washington and provide fun and honest ratings on their experiences, including ease of arrival, `fun -o -meter' and comfort meter for Black travelers. They are a great resource for destinations seeking content production but also for reviews and recommendations for improving experiences to be more inclusive. SEA Potential Sea Potential's mission is to transform the maritime industry with representative and inclusive workplace culture as well as foster youth connection to marine ecosystems. Their services include curriculum design, youth programs, executive coaching, organization assessment services, building strategic partnerships, and more. Washington's National Park Fund is the official philanthropic partner to Mount Rainier, North Cascades, and Olympic National Parks. Funding projects that advance diversity, equity, and inclusion in Washington's national parks, to make them more accessible for all. Projects include a variety of efforts for conservation and restoration as well as improving DEI &A— including Tribal Youth Develop a Native Conservation Corps Program, Supporting Internships for Diverse Youth, Bilingual Rangers to Welcome Spanish Speakers, and more. They have also funded Latino Outdoors' women's leadership training. 4 O WWReR.-R-4 Washington's history and base of environmental stewardship and conservation throughout the state, from smaller volunteer -led organizations to larger state - level organizations is strong. The sector is focused on preserving and restoring nature, connecting people to nature to develop and inspire long-term commitments to environmental protection, and increasingly, to improve access for all. Most organizations include educational components, events, and volunteer programs and several work with youth organizations and educational institutions to involve youth in outdoor recreation as well as citizen science and environmental conservation programs. Chelan- Dou Lyllas Land Trust A conservation organization for North Central Washington, the Chelan -Douglas Land Trust works with local groups, businesses, and people to safeguard valued natural spaces, the economy, clean air and water, wildlife, and the freedom to enjoy them. It began in 1985 by volunteers. Now it has over 2,500 members, focused on saving natural areas in the region. Their guiding principles and commitment to DEIA includes collaborations with Indigenous Tribes in region and Latin community. They are primarily focused on conservation of habitat, improving quality of life through conservation, and connecting people to nature, providing field guides, trails info and funding stewardship and land protection projects. They offer volunteer events such as work parties, citizen science projects, and field trips to discover stewardship up close. Mountains to Sound Greenway Trust The Mountains to Sound Greenway National Heritage Area is a geographic corridor made up of connected ecosystems and communities spanning 1.5 million acres from Seattle to Ellensburg along Interstate -90 in Washington state. It is a Each organization is on a path to improve accessibility and inclusion and most include policies, public statements, as well as activities to move their organizations along this path and to improve diversity and inclusion in the outdoors throughout the state. There are opportunities for improvement in terms of coordination and inclusion of Indigenous -led conservation and messaging around use and impacts of lands from an Indigenous perspective. There is also an opportunity for tourism organizations to learn from and work with environmental organizations to engage visitors in understanding how to recreate responsibly and protect nature and wildlife while visiting, but also to take part through the development of new experiences that focus on restoration and protection, which also directly contributes financially to the organizations doing the work to maintain the environment all Washington tourism depends on. coalition -based organization that leads and inspires action to conserve and enhance this special landscape, ensuring a long-term balance between people and nature. They hold events, volunteer and environmental education programs including tree -planting as well as outdoor recreation activities to connect people to nature in the region. They also provide career resources for BIPOC, internships, diverse/representative marketing. Workforce Development provides resources to help self -identified Black, Indigenous, and People of Color break into guiding and conservation careers at varying skill levels. They provide resources on First Peoples of the area including links to each Tribe. 01vrnDic NIPS Olympic National Park encompasses nearly one million acres with 95% of the park designated as wilderness. The National Park Service strives to make the park as universally accessible as possible and offer a wide range of facilities and experiences for all visitors. Provides accessibility listings for park services for people with mobility and hearing disabilities. The Mountaineers Nonprofit with mission to help people explore, conserve, learn about and enjoy the lands of the PNW. Volunteer stewardship, education programs on outdoor recreation, and advocacy programs. Free activities (after membership fee). Stewardship program led by members and volunteers to repair trails, restore shorelines, etc. They run several youth programs and camps and partner with 40+ youth organizations to custom -design outdoors programs (Scholarships available) and operate a gear library to increase access to equipment. Icano an- ena chee National Forest and USDA Forest Service The Okanogan -Wenatchee National Forest is a large and diverse landscape, encompassing 3.8 million acres along the eastslopes of the Cascade Range in Washington. It is managed by the USDA Forest Service. They conduct Visitor Use reports which track use for visitor management purposes which can be accessed here. 2022 Equity Action Plan Executive Order 13985, Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government, requires the head of each agency to prepare a plan for addressing any barriers to full and equal participation in programs, services, procurement, contracting, and other funding opportunities. fl cti s What are the main challenges a e o is in your community or organization? - What are the biggest future threats to tourism in your community or to your organization? Cho you have any relationships with or tourism initiatives in place with Indigenous communities? aciic Northwest Trail Association The mission of the Pacific Northwest Trail Association is to protect and promote the Pacific Northwest National Scenic Trail (PNNST), and to enhance recreation and educational opportunities for the enjoyment of present and future generations. The PNTA performs over 80% of maintenance and construction on the Pacific Northwest Trail with youth and young adults from trailside communities and schools near the PNT. Volunteers and donors contribute to trail maintenance. The organization provides Know before you go resources, how to be safe, protect wildlife, etc. Conservation Northwest Nonprofit conservation organization Washington affiliate of National Wildlife Federation, dedicated to wildlife conservation and nature restoration, working across Washington and into British Columbia. The Wildlife -Recreation Co -existence program aims to reduce outdoor recreation impacts on species and habitats through applied science, advocacy and outreach and strive to advance sustainable outdoor opportunities while also standing up for Indigenous cultural resources, values and Treaty rights, including First Foods. Some materials provided in Spanish including commitment tojustice, equity, diversity and inclusion plus list of resources for anti -racism, allyship and supporting Black -owned businesses. organizations* What is the status of inclusivity in your organization or destination? And where would you like to get to? * What • ,.engage "'alU !` QIIIIU �Dkli �Dk1e fIIIIIIVI �JJVi �Uf flfllllllll - '� k D Illh. � � flil �gpAUY 11 Yfllll (III (IIIIIII Cfiffp� IIIA Illfi !k IYf Ifi0111 tlf lU, � UII IIC A(I 'IIII IIII 'IYf IIIA Illll p � �n� �RiIU; D IIII III VIII iill 'rd li"III VIII U ii r l mi Il of I, �I ��� 1��M���� IIIIIII 1�J9 IIIIIII N���IU����u IIIIIII IIIIIII IIIIIII Ulllllluulll'1�w>�� IIIIIII `��� IIIIIIIIIII 'C�uorix(fu IIIIIII II�� �l�ll�lh ill�Vli''rcigWfl�� IIIIIII �� �� IIIIIII �II IIIIIII ��IIIIII� IIIIIII I� IIIIIII � mu Iluun� ""�1'NNN?il+ "O�UIIIIN� IIIIIII ����II '��i�r�'P�U�w�l�llio-� �J� Previous sections have provided a detailed outline of challenges, Washington context and resources, as well as an overview of current thinking and key movements within the tourism sector. This section will help you to think about how to frame this information within the context of your organization and will support you to lay the groundwork for developing an action plan. What ., You ., Achieve ir Your Community? This is a good time to reflect on what you think the main goals and outcomes of tourism should be in your community. You might want to engage in some `blue sky thinking' and map out what perfect tourism looks like for your organization and your destination, or what the ideal contribution of tourism would be in your community without any barriers. This can be a useful tool for drawing out what the main inhibitors are to your vision for tourism or areas where tourism is not resulting in a net benefit. It will be useful to think about ideal outcomes from environmental, social, economic and cultural angles and for each sector of the tourism industry. What are important ,*' aspectsyour identity that, if gone, would change the character ,7,nd'sense of place'for residents, and would *- In their book Senses of Place, anthropologists Steven Feld and Keith Basso define sense of place as: "the experiential and expressive ways places are known, imagined, yearned for, held, remembered, voiced, lived, contested and struggled over."' Elizabeth Becker, author of Overbooked, once described this intangible thing in a tangible way. She Encourage tourism policies and business practices that protect natural, scenic, and cultural assets. Retain and enhance destination identity and distinctiveness. Diversity of place is the reason for travel. referred to a historic bookstore in a city that if gone - if pushed out by souvenir stores or other ubiquitous and generic shops that often happens in tourism hot spots - that the essence of that city, what makes it what it is, would be gone, and mark a tipping point in the place's tourism life cycle. What are You Alreadyi r r Destination i i r Organization? Before making decisions on what actions to take or creating an action plan, take a little time to research and understand the wider context. This will help you identify what is already happening in inclusivity, sustainability, and responsible outdoor recreation that you can plug into, build upon or contribute to. For example: • Does your local governmenthave climate commitments or an existing sustainabillity plan? • ret ere any local organizations already working on climate ac i r DEIA in tourism? goalsInternally, review any strategic, marketing, business or environmental plans and document the existing related '4;sustainabillity.This may include energy, waste, water, transport, food, supply chain, built environment,t' and livelihoods,regeneration, guest communications, responsible travel and recreation messaging, equity and 4 underrepresented communities, Don't worry if you only have access to a limited number of the above. The goal is to consider whatyou already have and begin thinking about how you could use resources and processes already at your disposal. You may also find it useful to take a look at some other organizations' plans, to get ideas and inspiration for your own. Please refer to Annex 1 of this handbook for links to planning documents, strategies and visions from a range of organizations that are already prioritizing sustainability and climate outcomes and are taking a destination stewardship approach to tourism management. Taking sustainability can feel on M„ where to start. That said, it is highly likely that sustainability and building resilience into your operations. "I thing is to make a start f rom wherever you are right now and build 4ftw�« Does your business already have a sustainability or responsible travel policy in place? If so, what Tourism destinations seeking to guide tourism decision-making in their communities using an approach that centers community priorities are turning to destination stewardship planning as a method to identify priorities, plan collaborative actions, and allocate funding. The following are the visions from destination stewardship plans published in 2022-2023 in the iconic outdoor recreation communities of Lake Tahoe, Vail, and Jackson Hole. Each of these communities has a multi -sector destination stewardship council to coordinate and cooperate on plan implementation law' f e n Cole Sustainable Destination 14anagelment. Ph2n ..... Community l `M`isn Teton County, Wyoming, is a leader in balancing the needs and aspirations of community members, businesses, and visitors by actively integrating the viability of the tourism economy with the regeneration of the Greater Yellowstone ecosystem and enhancement of quality of life. Read the Plan l..akii:: C7'iehi ww:^ Des°itnat[s`wn 'tew,ii4iri "ship Plan ..... horsNw:°l °'lslOrs Tahoe is a cherished place, welcoming to all, where people, communities, and nature benefit from a thriving tourism and outdoor recreating economy, Read the Plan i/idl"'.srStewardship Row°sslss°sap _ iri'lsls°�n: Vail is the world's premier sustainable mountain resort community, renowned for its quality of life, inspiring experiences for all, and stewardship of nature. Read the Flan In 2020, the Colombian government passed a new Sustainable Tourism Policy into law. The policy prioritizes environmental protection and social justice and promotes best practices that integrate the voice of local communities into tourism decision-making and conserve Colombia's natural and cultural heritage. It is one of the only countries in the world with this kind of policy and legislation in place. "Sustainable tourism is the future of our industry. Now more than ever, travel must actively help and strengthen the communities and ecosystems within a destination, and we are embracing this at ProColombia. We recognise sustainable tourism as a transformative tool that has the power to protect our incredible landscapes, conserve our natural resources and contribute to our fascinating locals." does it include? Do you have any targets relating to reducing carbon emissions? Do you have targets on other mitigation -related activities such as energy efficiency, sustainable purchasing, waste management, conservation? Does anyone in your organization already focus on sustainability/ climate/ resource efficiency/ community engagement/ responsible recreation, as part of theirjob? Do you have any plans or policies in place relating to DEIA? What are you already doing on sustainability, social responsibility, or climate action or DEIA? For example, do you have any energy efficiency/ saving measures in place? Do you take steps to reduce food waste or the use of single use plastic? Do you encourage staff to walk, cycle, take public transport or car -share to work? Do you have inclusive recruitment and hiring or marketing policies? Do you support conservation in your community? What actions are already underway? rf'lllsli . �HER RM - It is useful and highly effective to start thinking about your operations from different perspectives, such as climate, DEIA, or destination stewardship, in order to determine what actions to take next. Nfia t con wig eraticm be, different d'you design a°� I��. �. ���� '�.Vour s•,an!°sto"oa°as' on ? Perhaps you could ensure that all food supplied is locally sourced, or that hikers are driven by bus or shuttle to the start and end of the hike in a group rather than in individual vehicles. °' 1ha t else a fight ou 4!. onsider ifYoit put a DEI, lamas" on? Perhaps you could choose to prioritize collaborating with an Indigenous community or Black -owned business, to develop and lead the hike. You might consult a disability specialist for accessibility recommendations. And perhaps you could subsidize the cost of the hike for marginalized or underrepresented groups and target your marketing towards them? You might also consider publishing the activity or event in additional languages, to show different cultural communities that they are welcome. ,"Mat else ana`?� h yoa.t a:°onsia°fa^r fron7 tdestination stewua a?ahip perspective? Perhaps you could spend more time collaborating with local community groups, wildlife specialists or other non -profits focused on trail preservation, for example, when designing the hike in the first place. Or you could choose to measure the success of the hiking experience using holistic indicators such as community satisfaction, knowledge transfer to participants about conserving protected areas, uptake of participation from marginalized groups, etc. Applying these different 'lenses' is a good Understanding Your Organization's Context, Mandate, And Sphere flu When starting an action planning process, it is useful to think about your own context as this will help you to understand the main areas that you are responsible for and where your sphere of influence is. For example: . To what extent are you able to make decisions about and implement taxes or other fees? Do you have the authority to put up information signs on trails or in recreation areas, or is it the responsibility of another agency? Is your organization in charge of its procurement and recruitment policies or are they tied to another agency's protocols? Is your funding tied to specific activities and outcomes? Have you meaningfully consulted with the Tribe whose ancestral lands are being impacted by the project or plan? The answers to these kinds of questions are likely to influence the priority actions you take or plan for; however, they are not designed to limit your ambitions. For example, if you have no authority to implement a tourist tax to collect funds for regeneration projects, this probably shouldn't be one of the central targets of your action plan. That said, you can still set a goal related to this, for example to collaborate with the agency that does have the authority to implement these policies in order to advocate for a new `tourism regeneration tax' or some type of visitor contribution to conservation, well-being, or other community priority. Issaqua1lh IIflgHmIIaa ds, Ji�)IhnS(SIheii}ell II+�I:u aI IISeurIISea°g i, Ca:aurtesy:)�f /skIssaquah L Collab;ra�ors Take some time also to map out a wide range of community members and leaders, identifying those entities or individuals whose buy -in and engagement will be vital for creating and implementing any new plans, or who will play an important role in supportingyou to solve challenges. Consider how you can collaborate with and proactively engage other community members to achieve your sustainability goals - within your local area, as well as across the sector in which you operate. You can use the table below to help you think about key individuals, businesses, local government agencies, Tribes, and other organizations to connect and work with. Identify leaders within your organization/partner organizations or externally who will champion sustainability initiatives or collaborate on a plan and provide necessary guidance and input. What are their current activities related to sustainability and resilience? What is their anticipated level of influence, impact and interest? lmiVe ii,irtiiy IlI,'IoIICteui)iitioa�l III°ai II ii,)�eii°s When mapping potential partners, it is essential to identify the local Tribal government in your location. Indigenous peoples and Tribal governments are not stakeholders, but holders of rights and title as sovereign governments. It is important to review tourism activities and aims with them to gain approvals and perspectives regarding potential impacts to cultural traditions and practices as well as land and resources that may be important to the Tribe or may be sensitive to certain tourism activities. For example, what kinds of events take place on the land and waters in Seek to develop all tourism through a collaborative management structure with equal participation by government, the private sector and civil society organizations that represent diversity in communities. the area? What can you do to ensure any activities your organization develops are in line with what is acceptable, and beneficial to Indigenous peoples (vs negatively impacting lands or cultures and ways of life)? See lnd� ?mous f ecpple r anxi "hurl in Washington ing on section for inoeedetaile information and links to Tribal uis, ebsftes and in r�!re guidef nes in this area. In the past residents were almost always left out of the tourism conversation. From planning to events to sales and marketing, tourism was seen as separate to local life. Over the years, with a convergence of an increased interest in local life from visitors, as well as an upsurge in anti -tourism sentiment in places suffering from overtourism, resident engagement in tourism has been on the rise. Often it is still confined to consultations related to new developments. And, more recently, gauging sentiment toward tourism became more common during the pandemic as tourism Map o ential Partners & Collaborators Who could we What could we do collaborate with? together? Local (e.g., Tribal governments, other local government agencies, businesses, local associations, resident & community groups, political representatives, government agencies, NGOs, social enterprises, educational institutions, chambers of commerce) Regional/ national (e.g., DMOs and other tourism organizations, trade association, funders) Across the sector (e.g., professional organizations such as specialists in DEIA, communities of other destinations and tourism businesses across geographies) rIN ITfa, managers wanted to know if residents were comfortable opening their communities to visitors, particularly when tourism began opening up, but infections were still widespread. Some tourism destinations began engaging residents to better understand the place — in an exercise called placemaking — which helps to create new experiences, for locals and visitors alike. urt by Il ore, Coui test' c)'f: Vklt II &swuu llu The North Lake Tahoe Resort Association announced its new name and strategy in 2022 as the North Tahoe CommunitvAlliance. The organization's mission shifted in 2022, and its efforts focused on promoting responsible travel during off-peak seasons, stewardship education, and collaborating with regional stakeholders to identify and implement solutions to issues that impact residents, businesses and visitors. The income earned from tourism taxes in their community is primarily aimed at reducing negative impacts and improving benefits. Spending is allocated to responsible marketing messaging in low seasons, micro transportation to connect the community to recreation sites, affordable housing programs, waste management and more. ISI VISIT f FLANDERS VisitFlanders, the regional DMO for the Flanders region in Belgium, pioneered deep resident engagement which led to setting new community -centered goals for the tourism organization, created new experiences steeped in local traditions and recreation activities — from historical preservation to road cycling — and the development of a sentiment tracker, inspiring similar models now seen in other places around the world. I:11ellaIli aaint11h knid � is ill II allaill�� rt: Iiellaufl, Courtesy fII u°awu;, I iuu�g Wllulille I1311a6I+: Pientiment As many organizations continue to use surveys to gauge resident sentiment, it is important to recognize the difference between gauging sentiment and a deeper engagement that influences decision-making. It is important to track resident satisfaction with tourism's impacts on their quality of life, on infrastructure, on amenities, as well as the management of tourism and its impacts to the environment and the balance between costs and benefits. Conducting more involved engagement can help to reset goals and strategies that center community wellbeing. There are many ways, including new and innovative methods to reach residents and attention must be made to reaching diverse and underrepresented community members. This includes language and cultural considerations for surveys and workshops and events, as well as seeking out organizations to partner with that are active in communities you wish to reach, rather than expecting they come to you. The initiative Time for DMOCracy worked with destinations across Europe and North America to develop a toolkit and guidelines for community engagement that provides a range of options for organizations to consider. Access the Time for DM0CracV C unit ne ent Toolkit here. jVoiunteerin� I/ Tourism Wel 6 Placemakinc by Communi fl cti s viu�ro�ruv � , muimH o you have a tourism plan or strategy document? If so, how up to date is it?11111111�1N * Could you make any immediate organization'schanges within your operations to improve sustainabillity? Do you have policies in place to improve diversity, equity,inclusion Can any changes you could make in your organization that would r, F • , , marginalized underrepresentedor What other groups or organizations community could you LgY strengthen existing plans/develop plan? What are .. or ideal outcom that you would like o work towards, the immediate actions you are considering? 8 Community Funding Resident Sentiment and Participatory and Citizen Science Budgeting NMR Participatory Place Citizen Assemblies, y� Branding and Storytelling 4 Councils and Panels 1 Strategizing and Ideation Digital Engagement and Online Participation IVIIU- f oJ,Ny .II s �A I IIII RU I NN U I '' '1111 uN '.... IIII I � I I V UII U Ull 0 anV 1n1� I nnrnu� Nf m uuu urnanll mul uu IirO �p � u urnan» � H!, IOIn uml ,III lurmu Moll UIuU �p II Irnnm IrrN urnnn r us um 1 N ����� IIIIIII.... �ii��� �»II� �y,� IIIIIII.... Inllllll�� �1»fa ��HNfa IIIIIII.... Nlll InJJ'N IIIIIII IIIIIII... �III�I � IIIIIII , ��1 �y„� ����» IIIIIIII��1 u�,�lnl�,�uua IIIIIII IIIIIII IIIIIII r�i�� , �hnn ���,fa IIIIIII �ii�� ��IU,Jf�� NNN ���,��nl IIIIIII r�i�� ������l�a,� �l�l, IIIIIII IIIIIII r���� � knNnNgrcry �Vlm���>�11 ��� r��umi�Jik� N�xmm�iill� Uvnrc�/�1 pNuARk �ln��lil illlfi IIIIIIII IIIIIII uuli l InIll / 1111111 �) I'� i1Ul OrrO VIII IIUIVJ f OfJ�°inlV�i i f kNNV lilts I���u�Ull III IIIIIII'..... Nl llll � °�� Before knowing where you want to get to and how, it's also critically important that you have an understanding of where you are right now. Do you have the right information around which to make informed decisions? Are you dealing with issues like overcrowding, or stretched infrastructure, on a proactive or reactive basis? Is tourism really bringing genuine and equitable benefits to your community? •. • .; Monitoring Impacts While you will already have an idea of the main issues affectingyour community and organization, up to date data is helpful for understanding the current situation and making informed decisions about which destination stewardship actions are most required to build resilience. Data can be primary and sourced from community members via surveys you may conduct yourself, as well as secondary and sourced from agencies that collect data in your region. Establishing a baseline plus ongoing measuring and monitoring are all essential activities for assessing whetheryour plan is working and also as a basis for communicating the impacts of tourism in your community. Some of the data you require is likely to already exist; therefore, before investing in your own primary data, it is worth seeking out available data from other sources such as through local government agencies. Wl�ia,it data, sIIIIiioajM'yo ti ,,ie ^Pµo+i ii clllrlig a, u°°ega,flllai Illis��wiu;w���„ Depending on the size of your organization and what might be feasible for you, you may want to invest directly in a system that will help to monitor and measure impacts to help inform future management needs. Monitoring and measuring will be covered in more detail in the final section on action planning; however, some data sources Account for all tourism costs in terms of local tax burdens, environmental and social impacts, and objectively verifiable disruption. Ensure investments are linked to optimizing net -positive impacts for communities and the environment. are listed here as an introduction to what sources would be useful and what might be needed in the future. ^N Visitor satisfaction • Booking trends and revenues by source market • Visitor flows, volumes and behavior patterns • Visitor spend data by type and location of business, on existing and new products e.g., small businesses' revenues Economic development indicators Resident satisfaction with the impacts of tourism and their level of engagement in tourism decision-making Public health/wellbeing and services indicators e.g., accessing of services, emergency response Environmental indicators e.g., air and water quality, health of habitats, species populations, energy use, waste generation, greenhouse gas emissions, etc. Each of these will be more easily obtained via collaborative structures and networks. Based on the experience of the Travel Foundation, this requires understanding the importance of data sharing among community members and businesses alike. It is also important that the mechanisms for sharing data are simple to use. Communication around impact management, i.e., the importance of understanding impacts, and need for data, should be part of the process, in order to facilitate buy -in for data collection (and responses) from all sources, and to lead to effective impact monitoring. n��� 111 aw luu Il ul ul i!li` IV Jll ul � III ,ml s ul J i ve s a iii )iii d iii °9u t� i ia t.iivesl As introduced during this section of the guide, any course of action is likely to have both negative and positive outcomes and therefore engagement with a broad range of community groups is vital for ensuring that these are understood. This will help to raise areas of concern which can then inform the development and adaptation of Impact management tactics. \,till°,iiat data I�s luiluo „SII nl.11l IIt,I11ca, UP;aCu Ib+Idldfill°)�g���l��rc�rc���;llullll���ilu���lll°u °esiu111Iliellir�i ;;:e? Data requirements can be categorized into two types: situational and resilience. It is recommended that data covering both are used to conduct a situational analysis. Sitaui floir)4� — Data needed to understand where the positive and negative impacts of tourism have been greatest f���EilVuia�uiiir tai, — Data needed to understand III changing market needs and how to best adapt for the future I;;�riii°ti ivatao iri )i)4l IIC��)aP,"IIIC;a, Understanding the current situation in your destination can benefit from investigating the scale of impacts through various data sources. Once data sources have been identified it will be easier to conduct measuring and monitoring activities in the future. The framework below is designed to help you to consider the impact areas and various lines of data inquiry that could be pursued. The following list of questions and considerations is not exhaustive but does illustrate the types of inquiries that will help to ensure that a range of impacts are identified. Gathering evidence of impacts will help you to prioritize your actions and targets. What is the current distributionvisitor arrivals in your region? Was this impacted by the pandemic? Has it changed since? For example, destinations • Geographic • Business sub- sectors • Broader value chain businesses -Size and type of business ownership * Population groups * asonal businesses • Use of social services «&lural, Indigenous and ot[wr cultura8 groups . Marginalized groups �761AKOIM Sedona Arizona's Sustainable Tourism Plan includes tactical and dynamic metrics. Tactical metrics are measures for every tactic in the sustainable tourism plan, monitored and reported by the sustainable tourism action team. Dynamic metrics include perceptions of sustainability from three audiences: visitors, businesses, and residents. These are based on the four pillars of the plan including Environment, Resident Quality of Life, Quality of the Economy and visitor Experience. Learn More most dependent on international and out-of-state markets, especially urban ones, may have experienced a significant decrease in arrivals, while more remote and rural destinations and natural areas may have experienced episodic increases in visitors. And currently you may be undergoing another shift in volume patterns. The economic impacts of existing and evolving visitor numbers and revenue should be analyzed notjust from the perspective of businesses that provide a direct *Visitor flows and concentration -Habitats arid species Procurement of plastics asci waste disposal types luration of recovery •, �.,-,-..�, �.,�.- r,TMmonitor the 2 result in the inefficient and/or ineffective allocation of resources and it will not be possible to resultsof , ur actions. 53 tourism service but also those along the supply chain who provide supplies or complementary services to tourism businesses, and often depend on tourism for their survival. requireWhich types of businesses are likely to more and For example, were destinations whose tourism product is more tailored to non -local markets (including theme parks, souvenir shops, accommodations, remote activities & experience providers, etc.) hit harder by the pandemic? Did they require more immediate support to pivot their marketing in order to be able to attract a more diverse group of visitors that will help build their resilience against future shocks? Equally, some businesses in rural areas may also have experienced an economic downturn, despite increases in visitor numbers, due to changing tourist profiles and spending e.g., day trippers spending less. Consider seasonality r sudden changes visitor f lows: Businesses that are constrained seasonality may not be able to recover costs i the ext season if theyare impacted external shocks s c as extreme weather events. For example; coastal, lakeside and/or mountain destinations with a high dependency on seasonal visitation as well as dependency on a reliable climate may be most vulnerable and require more resilience planning. What e the biggestenvironmental impacts rom tourismacross your community? How es tourism impact carbon emissions or waste generation? During the extreme lockdown period of the pandemic there was a reduction in tourism - related carbon emissions, as well as reports of habitat/ species recovery in previously overcrowded tourist areas, leading to the assumption that the pandemic lockdown had been good for the environment. However, many rural areas globally, including in Washington, experienced the opposite; visitor behavior patterns evolved and transferred many problems such as overcrowding to rural areas, especially protected ones, as people moved away from urban experiences to outdoor and rural ones. Where are the carbon emissionhotspots? What is the main transport infrastructure used by visitors in your destination? Is it dependent on fossil fuels? Are there alternative, more sustainable forms of transport that could serve the tourism sector? Do tourism businesses prioritize sourcing local supplies of food and drink? Sourcing local food is not only appealing to visitors but is also likely to result in a lower carbon footprint as the storage requirements and transportation distances will be greatly reduced. Has there been an increase in visitor f lows? Increased visitation to natural and protected areas has led in cases to carrying capacities being exceeded and infrastructure being inadequate to manage these visitors. What impact es tourism ve on waste generation in r community? How many businesses are using reusable, recyclable or compostable products rather than single -use items that go to landfill? Is there sufficient capacity to respond to changing visitor flows or potential future shocks? Did COVID-related health and safety protocols lead to an increase in waste generation? For example, some businesses increased the use of single -use plastic items and chemicals from cleaning and sanitizing, leading to increased land and water pollution. What evidence exis changes o i o e a conservation prac ices? Visitor behavior, especially from an influx of visitors to rural areas, or simply visitation that exceeds the infrastructure capacity, may damage fragile environments and habitats. For example, increases in illegal camping, human and dog co.I°aesyof VsItwalll a Wall Ila iiiiii r� 1 waste, unauthorized use of walking and cycling trails, fires, etc., have been experienced in many destinations ., within the community? Are there tensions between residents and visitors? Does tourism impact negatively on residents' ability to access or enjoy public spaces, services, amenities, natural areas, etc.? Are the benefits of tourism e t equitably across e population? Are BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) and women -owned businesses integrated into the tourism value chain? Do they have equal opportunities to access the tourism market? What is the impact of tourismhousing availability a i i residents? Have residents been impacted by an increase in cost of living, short-term rentals, and potential decrease in available housing? respecific se e s of i disproportionatelyimpacted xre a events? Marginalized members of the population are likely to have been severely impacted by the pandemic, particularly if they lack access to resources and support mechanisms. This is typically the case in economic recessions as well as other weather-related closures such as due to wildfire smoke. I I Ort tot 4-1 What rw ritourism in your destination is linked to Culture and Heritage attractions and experiences? Culture and heritage were likely to have been severely impacted by the pandemic. This sub -sector of the tourism economy faced many of the harshest operating constraints (particularly in relation to events and indoor experiences) and the lack of revenue was an issue for a longer period then. The pandemic was particularly hard on Indigenous communities and businesses, especially in more rural areas with less health infrastructure. Many were challenged with seeking a balance between protecting elders and continuing to accept visitors from outside the community. Which sub -sectors are at high-riskr sustained periods? The rise in remote working looks set to be a more fundamental and more permanent shift in working patterns beyond the impact of the pandemic. While there has already been some recovery, the meetings, incentives, conferences and events (MICE) market is still reduced as more work continues to take place remotely and as more businesses reduce their travel budgets in line with carbon reduction commitments. This is likely to affect both hotels and conference venues as well as the broader value chain, e.g., catering services. Impacts To Tribal Rights And Indigenous Cultural Resources Are Indigenous peoples and lands in your region adversely impacted by tourism? What is the wildlife habitats in your region, from tourismand developments? the impact on Indigenous cultural traditionsby tourism in your community? Tribal governments are often not consulted for their perspectives on tourism development, activities, and events in the regions near and even on, their lands or lands that are important for their communities to conduct cultural activities and traditions. Events can impede access to lands, wildlife, and waters and development can affect habitats important to Indigenous ways of life. It's important to be proactive to understand the potential harm that could be caused, as well as the potential benefits that could be realized, by engaging with Tribal governments and Indigenous community leaders around tourism management. furl Nree 11 N!iuse, Cciuurtes^ofVl.tIssaquah Ref lections What insights already ve on the environmental, social and cultural impacts tourism in your destination? How were these affected by the pandemic? How might they be impacted climate c e and extreme weather �l�ll)�1ij events? What existing at is available to�auul � better understand these impacts? Understanding previous impacts of tourism in your community and planning for the implications of changes ahead in visitor flows, behavior and spend, as well as unpredictable shocks due to climate change, will be key to determining the right impact management techniques for you. This section of the handbook will highlight the �� �p�'"VI UI ''VI�11L, �„�I,��ec tIrY�VI,�'I��IIIIiV�u�^,n�!ie VII,taVI�i'�41U�" I'°� ii���uivi,r� Techniques to manage visitor flows are increasingly used to manage visitor peaks including: Caps on visitor numbers forgiven periods and group sizes Allocated visitation timeslots QR codes to access and register attendance, place orders for goods and services Contactless payments Real-time visitation dashboards including web - cams Odd/Even car registration plate entry restriction GEO location targeted advertising and messaging to visitors in real-time . Increased resources for visitor information centres to help disperse visitors various considerations and techniques available for increasing the spread of positive benefits and mitigating negative impacts. Understanding the negative impacts that tourism has in your community is a key part of moving forward so that the same mistakes are avoided. This will involve collating, and potentially gathering, data as outlined in the previous section — including ensuring resident satisfaction is monitored. It is important to acknowledge that some negative impacts of tourism are inevitable, and that tourism development is always a trade-off between benefits and costs. What you should be aiming for is an optimization of the benefits and effective management (or mitigation) of costs or negative impacts to enhance the sustainability and resilience of your destination or business. Destination weaknesses and vulnerabilities, likely to have been exacerbated by the pandemic and coupled with new and worsening threats such as climate change and economic instability, must be considered. The past few years have exposed the fragility of the tourism sector to global shocks and highlighted the speed at which situations can change on a local and global level. This underlines the importance of collecting ongoing `real time' data on impacts to be able to respond to a constantly evolving situation so that everyone has a clear picture of the issues. Impacts - including degradation - can happen at short notice and over the long term. Disasters that lead to closures of transportation corridors or borders (as seen during the pandemic) or changes to source markets, leading to closures of businesses and dispersal of visitors to different areas, need to be quickly managed. Not everything can be forecasted but planning ahead based on knowledge of evolving trends and visitor patterns will help manage impacts as they arise, as well as to be proactive to prevent degradation over time. Behavior Patterns Visitoir fllovvsaurud lb0�iva�v�oir Domestic visitors are more likely to have visited popular attractions before, may be looking for experiences in less visited places and are likely to self -drive which can create congestion, overcrowding, pollution and degradation in new areas. Ironically, visitors looking to escape the crowds sometimes end up in more crowded spaces that are unable to cope with a spike in demand. Dispersal and timing strategies that encourage a more widespread flow of visitors as well as temporary infrastructure could help address this. Developing more walking and cycling routes may help to alleviate the impacts of congestion and would also result in lower carbon emissions, positively supporting your destination to reach net zero. "1,uIP erw a ui ro d e^,vr r II v iu ui ii g IIio io ,ru IV Ill,(Ar, t ^ r l ul IIrY )ii e a qn ts Ongoing and increasing demand for new outdoor experiences and visitation to protected areas means that more visitors from new market segments are attracted to these areas. Safety and conduct protocols and communication mechanisms may urgently be required to manage the risks to environmental and wildlife safety. While day visitors may be less likely to spend money in local communities, overall increased demand for rural areas may also create opportunities for local food, beverage and accommodation providers. Targeted investment in building up the local supply 1 hr l,B f',rr i,,,i l'!0errr! How to protect natural communities suffering from littering, human waste and "overzealous Instagrammers" due to exponential tourism growth, while preserving the `freedom to roam' concept? For example, Trolltunga (pictured above), had 90,000 visitors in 2018, up from just 1,000 a decade ago meaning a sharp contrast between the Instagram illusion and the reality of a 2hr queue. L civiiri,g 111111Pati,,,ure to Deafllh'ri Yellowstone National Park, USA reopened and was overrun with visitors. ,, `Newbies' to nature flocked to outdoor public spaces across Wyoming. Camping demand soared and exceeded capacity resulting in illegal campgrounds, dangerous campfires, and a disregard for `leave no trace' principles. - Physical distancing was difficult to achieve and not observed by many visitors. (Sources: The Guardian 2020; National Park Service 2020) Investments to strengthen existing trails and build new ones to supply increased visitor numbers. Development of Innovation Norway: a sustainable destination national standard (covering 6 sustainability themes, 45 criteria and 108 indicators —GSTC recognized). Each destination creates a plan, including energy-saving initiatives, projects that promote local food and culture and building infrastructure. Upgrades are monitored before receiving accreditation. "Ecernfn ff r:r' sus r°:rfnofrfe grade hriii rnglt die accreiff tl6on peocess fsr� ' about�il: ing sn�s ainabie, ft.'s ha f,rou've taken riMpon��s� ` ' ` �2 yt°frfoll ii';nn sm li�c'fr�rl nridl....be fns; f� o nr��r r.rss�' o�s�rd rrfrtr,s rr'""nrnn to rW fW fr Iw„ir'rrrn''r'�rfrt r u`,s rrr", nmer'r cirmate to the r?cosrcir°nrr'°r uiwoff-frnrng of businesses amu. Ronny BrunvoIC t°ourisr�n adviser (Source: Outside Online. 20191 S7 chain of tourism enterprises could also help attract and retain these market segments who will continue to boost the livelihoods of rural business owners. IIa�icresasec]dewuiuiawuid1`oii�pocsuIV'ueso-niiiwces Growing preferences for private, self-catering accommodation can place additional pressure on services designed for residents, cause undesirable living conditions, push up the costs of living and cause housing shortages. Tackling i a in Cornwall Cornwall's residents have experienced a lack of affordable housing for years. This is partly due to the increase of second homes and short-term rentals. Soled on f.° Priiici f--i-esi ei�cn p)fic In May 2016, in a referendum , residents of St Ives voted to introduce a `principal -residence policy', which prevented newly built houses in the town from being used as second homes. Many other towns followed suit. As a result, demand has decreased and house prices are 13% lower than they were projected to be at the normal growth rate. However, there has also been a slump in the construction of new homes. Data on booking trends and visitor behavior will be key to managing this and specific licensing and regulation may be required. For example, Amsterdam limits vacation rental hosts to renting 30 days per year. During the `urban flight' (people moving from cities to towns/villages during the pandemic), landlords started to evict tenants to sell houses. This led to many families being forced to leave the county as they could no longer afford to live there. The number of people needing urgent housing in Cornwall doubled. Dlutioo c° yhort--tsmrir° ,pfirchase oftemporary rcmmes During the pandemic, vacant hotels were used as temporary housing Since tourism re -opened, the council began purchasing park homes and self-contained cabins to be located on pop-up sites to provide temporary housing. ,So (Eithmvi 3:° le tfium terip�p:° egWatioll oo .u,l000 lrg I w~ss Local tourism authorities and councils are currently considering further measures including Declaring a housing emergency and urgently re -allocating funds to build affordable homes Planning restrictions for Airbnb and similar companies (in line with traditional accommodation) Increased tax collection for Airbnb and similar (in line with traditional accommodation) (Sources: Cornish Stuff and BBC, 2021) Limit high -occupancy resort tourism to concentrated areas. Discourage resort sprawl from taking over coasts, islands, and mountain areas, so as to retain geographical character, a diverse economy, local access, and critical ecosystems. The following table summarizes some common changes in visitor behavior and spending, associated impacts and potential management techniques. Sum1°)W%1u�"s61n ',callfiuna skrolbodd swahn, u";ou ii -t syofsl.u1'au7�of a�3lh ilii gsouI �Ou.uurlsnl Potential changes in visitor, f lows, behavior and spending aerns Potential positive (+) and negative (®) impacts ofchanges Potential management techniques Management of flows (e.g., increase start/finish points, manage entry, use of Wi-Fi/Bluetooth monitoring, ticketing according to capacity) Dispersal to less popular areas (e.g., combined tickets to complementary attractions) Create supporting experiences New and evolving market Overcrowding, damage to (e.g., Stonehenge's visitor center reduces pressure on segments + Increased demand the environment, the stone circle) for rural and protected areas Information for visitors (e.g., temporary information desks, maps, signage, real time crowd data, routes for different visitor - types) Investment in infrastructure (e.g., free park and ride bus schemes, portable toilets, trash cans) Regulate as part of holistic solution (e.g., % of tourist vs local homes, parking for locals, quiet zones, curfews, rent protection for local small businesses) 59 Potential changes 111 visitor, Potential positive (+) Potential management techniques fly s, behavior and spend- and negative (®) impacts ing patterns ofchanges Consult residents (e.g., listen to and investigate concerns to understand facts — who is impacted, how, why, how much, etc.?) - Negative resident Take quick action sentiment (e.g., look for quick wins and simple solutions that can be acted upon immediately) New and evolving market Put a strategy in place segments + Increased demand (e.g., develop tourism in a way that benefits the for rural and protected areas community, respects and empowers local people) Invest in the community (e.g., through tourism taxes/donations) + Demand for new Product development products (e.g., walking and cycling routes, glamping accommodation) - Resident Licensing and regulation dissatisfaction, Communication with residents and visitors gentrification effect, unsuitable locations Invest in affordable housing in rural communities (e.g., Moab, Utah Housing Task Force) + Increased tourist - Product development Increased demand for `common pool' resources footfall and spend in (e.g., walking and cycling routes, glamping such as increases in private quieter, lesser-known accommodation) rental accommodation areas Support linkages with local businesses (e.g., development of rural tourism directory on website) Communicate the benefits + Increased revenue and �Invest tax revenues to reduce negative impacts of tax contributions tourism in the community 60 i/ beSmart' Behavior -Smart is an organization dedicated to helping solve large, complex challenges using behavior science and The First Mile T" approach which starts by changing defaults in destinations to facilitate desirable behaviors and outcomes. For example, what if the front desk staff of a hotel can make 10% of the guests walk instead of taking a taxi to places of interest simply by changing the way they make recommendations? And what if a tour operator can nudge its guests to go for local food options simply by adjusting its itineraries and pricing tactics? Read More What are the main negative visitor impacts in Vour community? THE NEXT WNE,SHO( .11) CONSIDER NECESSARY BEHAVIOR CHANGE AND ACCOUNT FOR HUMAN PSYCHOLOGY Tiouflf f 'QN LI1,11P T MILE CAN BIL COMPUTED TED ONILY'w IIIfIN IBE 110110fi ' 1AfRT OLU]ION 6"III Illll��il ��VUJ U inui,m mi IIIUIUJQy eve U°i g p 0 IIO II� IIIIIII llll)f i� �' �14JNN ����IIO�PII��i OIII �� JJ,VI IIOIOV���� �' �IPNfittrr� �l'Illl cis Illlllli��� �U� �i� IIIIIII �II �IIII � �H7i11'� IIIIIII (IIID III NO Mdsponci• • •. Consumer•; The following section outlines evolving consumer and market demands that are relevant to the tourism landscape in Washington with ideas for how you can respond to these shifts and embed sustainability and resilience into your product offering. Given that consumer demands and market trends are constantly evolving it will be important for you to understand and monitor changes in your own key source markets. The State of Washington Tourism can support with relevant data via its partner services and resource center — find out more at https: Lin dustrv.stateofwatourisrn.corn/tourism-resource- center/ and by getting in contact. Taking the time to develop and promote sustainable and regenerative products will be key to strengthening the resilience of your destination... And it makes business -sense: MMGY Global's 2019-2020 Portrait of American Travelers found that consumers are becoming increasingly conscientious about the impacts of their travel decisions: 60% stated that concerns over climate change will likely inform where they travel in the next 5-10 years; and 47% agreed that overtourism will also influence their choices MMGY's 2023 Spring Edition found this to be of continued importance with 6/10 active leisure travelers willing to pay more to travel service providers that demonstrate environmental responsibility. Younger generations specifically are more willing than older generations to make monetary commitments to help fund sustainability programs, while older generations are willing to change their travel behaviors if it doesn't increase the cost. Source: MMGYTravel lntellim ence Growing awareness of the impacts of the pandemic on small businesses and livelihoods increased awareness and concern amongst customers about how their travels impact and support local communities. Added to this is an increased demand for companies to demonstrate their sustainability credentials across all areas of their operations. " Covid-td has also escalated the overall w °oncern about snstainabiii lr and social issues. t "onsurners will be looking to travel in a more responsible and nweaningti.d wsway. :"'—Vbast°ien Bazin, t���,E0, Accor otw?ls "Sdwrwrce, Globetrender 2020) This desire to support local livelihoods is also leading to visitors prioritizing spending with small businesses. Increasingly, tour operators are incorporating a way to give back to the community into their tours that goes beyond just paying for an excursion and providingjobs. The growing demand for tourism that supports local communities is being reflected in traveler decision-making. According to 13ookin .com, more than half of travelers want to see how their money is going back into the local community. Meetings and event companies who fulfill sustainability and local procurement criteria, are likely to have a competitive advantage and differentiate themselves in a market where clients are more likely to purchase services from companies that have sustainability policies and practices in place. Forward -thinking companies are already responding to this demand. Hilton, Accor and NH Hotels are all reporting on the volume and value of local purchasing. Hilton has also made a commitment to "double our sourcing spend from local, small and medium-sized enterprises and minority- owned suppliers for managed hotels and corporate offices". Consumer demand for sustainable travel has not only increased, but the emphasis has also changed; travelers are becoming more discerning about what sustainable travel can encompass, demonstrated by a growing awareness of the social, as well as the environmental impacts of travel: Social impact has moved to the top of the agenda, taking its place alongside environmental sustainability (World Travel & Tourism Council: To Recover & I3eyond 2020) Regenerative tourism goes n t'gt�^ ot'��ia'ti ve hi°lgtic°tc of'touclsns to a fog°uu111� on we'Ws in uwhich tourism? c°iur contrib 'tis to the s us°ttlinable development of"c°ol n7u it°ie,s and leaving it in abetter state than before in f prons to colli borati this ui�v�;.d " f ���wo between tourism o gernizations anif trateelers uictho hirvi" t�rsht ired responsibil t�if for io�,Woidng th�il env r�iii���)nmf,inta , economic and social health of d' est°ination!!,. This represents a change to the status quo and provides solutions to rethink and rebuild the tourism industry with a focus on harnessing local innovation and creative solutions to address destination needs. Examples of regenerative tourism include visitors working with local organizations to learn about and help protect local wildlife and ecosystems, conserve forests or restore degraded land, improve equity in the destination, such as working with community gardens, supporting diverse tourism entrepreneurs, and more. ` 140 Can you use your convening potential to bring together public, private, and NGO sector organizations i ways of linidingriffs products to existing initiatives that benefit local communities? E.g., training/employment programs for residents to be employed in the tourism sector, partnerships between educational institutions and nature - based experiences in order to implement regenerative practices for combatting environmental degradation. If pursuing any ,. buildings,initiatives, have you considered how inclusive they are? Can you identify opportunities to make them more accessible to marginallized and underrepresented groups in society e.g., flexible Can you implement a certification ... incentive scheme that would promote tourism businesses„ Can you work with businesses to adapt existing products to reduce CO2 emissions? E.g., cycling instead of driving tours, discounts for visitors that attend an attraction using public transport. carbon experiences? implementationAre you able to implement or advocate for the « protected areas that could collect funds•i conservationfor . regeneration projects? Do you have tourism products and experiences in your destination thatcrres the above definitionof regenerative tourism? It is highly likely that these products already exist, but you may not have considered them as examples of regenerative tourism before now. If so, it is worth making sure that they are described and promoted in this way in your marketing materials. The increased awareness of sustainability and the desire to support local communities creates opportunities for supporting employment in your destination: Can you f ind ways to collaborate with the private sector and local government authorities to leverage f unding and initiatives that can offer support to help new (tourism) businesses, 1 adapt ones, product? identifyCan you *wengage visitors in biodiversity restoration/protection so that they can form 1 connection to the unique y. TIMM ,p ««r and/orCould you offer staff ., paid Please see the next section of this handbook for more information on how destination management organizations, chambers of commerce, and trade associations can support tourism businesses to embed sustainability into product offerings. 64 1r,- ! M .. The pandemic -inspired increase in appreciation for nature and the great outdoors has spilled over into travel preferences and has boosted demand for all sorts of outdoor activities from nature -based experiences to extreme adventure products. Yet higher numbers of visitors spending time outdoors also carries significant risks for the destination if it is not managed sustainably; for example, overcrowding, congestion, pollution, littering; all of which can lead to environmental degradation and biodiversity loss, as well as diminishing the visitor experience. HEW Consider the environment, as well as local communities, when you are developing and promoting products. Can ra a boat operators to spread out the timings eir tours and excursions to minimize ari e and noise pollution at peaktimes? A quieter, less congested tour is likely to be more popular with customers and this may provide a more unique experience. Equally, can you work with tour operators to support the development of new routes and excursions which visit less crowded areas/hot spot attractions? The same strategies can be applied to walking tours. Can r e development of tours that only use sustainable ort options? E.g., setting up partnerships between vineyards and transport operators to create a cycling tour linking several wineries in an area. enterprises (SMEs) to respond climate? If climate change continues to result in higher average annual temperatures, how might this affect the availability and type of outdoor products and experiences on offer in your destination? Winter sports seasons may be shorter in the future. How can you plan ahead and minimize the impact of this for small businesses focused on winter sports? Since 2018, Allied Certifications Ltd. has been supporting the Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation to establish a first - of -its -kind, certification -based First Nations Fee program entitled Tribal Parks Allies. This program recognizes participating tourism operators in Tofino, British Columbia, as Allies' in exchange for meeting certification criteria, including helping to act as ambassadors to the Tla-o-qui-aht Tribal Parks and collecting a 1% fee on behalf of the Nation. Tla-o-qui-aht allows Allies to display their logo, signaling to guests that they are an ethical business, and offers education and support (including media support) services to staff and management of local businesses. These services are helping Tourism Tofino to transform their destination marketing to be more supportive of the Tla-o-qui-aht Nation's interests. Participating businesses say that being labeled `Allies' is great for their brand and helps attract visitors who are more conscientious of tourism impacts. Since the launch of the Tribal Parks Allies program, Allied Certifications Ltd. has recruited over 100 Tofino businesses, who collectively contributed over $275,000 in Tla-o-qui-aht's 2022 Fiscal Year. Ally -generated revenues fund the Tla-o-qui-aht Tribal Parks Guardians Stewardship Program and other regional services. The Tribal Parks Guardians serve and protect the Tla-o-qui-aht Tribal Parks, which encompass the largest intact coastal temperate old-growth rainforest remaining on Vancouver Island. These forests and coastlines are home to the richest biodiversity in Canada, sequester over 100.000,000 tCO2, and attract a $240,000,000 visitor economy to the idyllic West Coast community. The Tribal Parks Guardians program creates Tla-o-qui-aht employment, supports the Tla-o-qui-aht Nation's governance and stewardship priorities, and enables important ecological restoration work like restoring salmon -bearing rivers & cleaning up beaches and waterways. Celebrating the success of the Tribal Parks Allies program they developed, Allied Certifications Ltd. has begun offering its services to other communities. They partnered with 4VI in 2022 to UF encourage other First Nations in the Vancouver Island region to establish their own First Nations N Fee programs. Tribal Parks Allies .,: you know of any local businesses or Can you identify opportunities to link this to tourism, if it isn't already? How can you support tourism operators running outdoor activities to improve the accessibility their experiences? E.g., host (and fund) a specialized training session for these operators. Please see the previous section of this handbook for more detailed information and guidance on managing visitor flows and behaviors to reduce crowds and congestion. localTrying a dish came second next trip. For 71% of travelers, to food is now an important component of the lid rt found that searches ;; t` 1' y;" ' 1FOW1,MT , 7C York Times, 2019). � anchil Winery, , Walllla Walla, Ccuirtpsy of II 1 aveIlius ;a"w IIlde 1 bl11 aliclk Nature -based solutions comprise actions to protect, sustainably manage, or restore natural ecosystems as well as biodiversity, access to fresh water, improved livelihoods, healthy diets and sustainable food systems. Gastronomy or culinary tourism was witnessing a big surge in popularity before the pandemic and demand for local produce is at the forefront of this wave. Indeed, the state's food and beverage scene, with the abundance of local products from seas and farms to coffee, wine and beer, is one of the top motivators for travel to and within Washington State according to the State of Washington Tourism (SW1 Marketing Plan). Culinary tourism ticks many boxes for customers as it provides an immersive and authentic experience that enables them to learn about the history and culture of a destination through its cuisine and unique delicacies. It is also being driven by a desire to support local businesses and reflects a growing consumer demand for health and wellbeing products. The promotion of local food sourcing for tourism businesses and visitors is essential for enhancing the sustainability and resilience of your destination. In addition to being increasingly popular among visitors, it can also contribute to decarbonization efforts as it reduces food transportation and storage times and costs, that are often reliant on fossil fuels. Furthermore, it is a great way of pointing visitors to locally owned businesses and ensuring that visitor revenues are directly benefiting local communities, as well as can encourage visitation during low seasons. Washington wine regions of Walla Walla and Yakima Valley promote visiting wine country Burin , the fall and likewise other agricultural regions promote the harvest season as a unique way to experience Washington outside the summer recreation months. Mid If not, consider collating this information to share with visitors (and locals alike!). It could be designed as an interactive map on your website. You could promote a `local food' logo for display in the businesses. Can you implement an incentive program to encourage ore tourism businessesimprove their supply chains and food sourcing? Or some kind of competition to adapt local dishes and develop new ones made from local ingredients. Businesses who are leading the way or making meaningful changes could be rewarded with enhanced promotions. How can you support gastronomy tourism to � ,t ti To ensure that culinary tourism in your destination is inclusive, it is worth working with local tourism businesses to ensure that they are providing alternative and diverse options to cater for a range of dietary requirements such as Halal, Kosher, and vegan and vegetarianism, which are on the rise globally. Furthermore, plant -based or flexitarian diets are important for reducing the carbon footprint of the global agriculture and food sectors and are, therefore, also supporting the transition to net zero. "J"1111 fter loc rfosso„ the first response to t°l e froosleorlc aeras for 4:°or°rsu ers to dcMult to dorriestic tourism, driven by the Aslsr to catch ups iiiath friends s and frsrcrllf;, as iioell as take advantage cd:nature and open .: lrlog indoors form months spm!,e of . tr�cst°o.. The Culinary Tourism Alliance, a non-profit organization, works with communities globally to support the development of culinary tourism. For example, they have supported destinations with peak seasons in summer to develop new food - based experiences during the winter season. C)r�eIiill:i,Ioro F'iI,I���od 1 rails s Travel Oregon's Oregon Food Trails introduce visitors to the distinctive food and drink of different regions through self -guided trails that showcase local farms, breweries, fisheries, and restaurants. Ir' hilepser°ceiver° not tms be w glamorous as international travel, door4:Mtic trips are allpart of, building o r^esi lii�rrrrt and tlrrmiciopp t°orrr°rsrsr rnr'frrstm eci rs r , rsllpt one tfrrst it pc not, restricted to seo.sorrrslrtpr 4!znd in the short-term acts as o necessary r, conotnhr , buffer ." (Euromonitor,20,201) Domestic tourism has always made a significant contribution to the tourism market in Washington and one of the few positive impacts of the pandemic was a rise in people taking the time to discover what is on their doorstep. Destinations all over the world witnessed increases in tourism from the domestic market as international travel ground to a halt. This was a crucial support for local businesses and the local tourism sector and domestic visitors remain a key market for contributing to the long-term resilience of destinations. The rapid increase in domestic tourism in some places also exacerbated existing challenges such as managing surges in visitors to hot spots, traffic and transport pressures, as well as understanding how to balance corresponding decreases to other types of attractions or communities. Organizations can leverage the potential of domestic tourism to offset these risks, for example by launching targeted marketing campaigns to encourage locals to visit lesser-known attractions. You can also help to balance visitor numbers across seasons by using marketing to optimize the mix of international and domestic visitors across hot spots in the region. 67 promotingHave you considered crowding at key sites in your destination? You could encourage visitors to download and use a specific app oryou could post live updates on your own website. This will enable visitors to choose to experience popular sites at less busy times which will facilitate a more balanced flow of visitors between popular locations, likely resulting in a more positive visitor experience as well as reducing congestion, pollution and littering, and improving resident sentiment and satisfaction. sustainability of your tourism To what extent is your destination's unique selling pointf ined by a single product or product y e? `Flagship' products e.g., a key attraction can play an important role in driving visitors to a destination and differentiating it from others but over -reliance on flagship products can increase destination vulnerability. Over visitation of flagship products can cause a deterioration of the product and decreased visitor and resident satisfaction. To mitigate this, some destinations are diversifying their product offer, which also creates new opportunities to spread the economic benefits of tourism more widely. To what extent are tourism revenue f lows concentrated in particular geographic areas? Related to the above, this also creates vulnerabilities if these regions become `closed' to tourists. Crises such as natural disasters can close down certain regions, as can pandemics. A resilient destination should not be reliant on particular `honeypot areas' to generate tourism revenue and should be able to offer visitors a range of alternative places to visit. For example, Colorado's `Re- start & Re -imagine' recovery plan and programs aim to drive tourism related economic development to the less visited and more rural parts of the state. 1111111111 1 .� «tMilill • What longer-term changes can you make to the way you designc a e tourism products and experiences in your community? • Do any of your existing products tap into the demandr local and sustainable r cs and experiences? a i f a a ro c s gPkl�lll� ,� that you could develop that would align to this demand,��bf(�O�UiI Are you marketing? II aae Szurriurr°u :aurnis Is,at;rate II aai,..,a a re u�uta*w; o:`, isii1:ll. �iq.unill ' j. UIIIIUU, ei i puf r uur, UYU llll all »iui VIII UUi � �I VYVu � 1114. r W» m uu, is »»� 1 J I �lui al III YiUJ ��1 UU IJJJll i rmol m mr� DU rill un, ��I��� �h>n� I��Val�nf' a»>'1�i1 ��IIU111NKf 1111111 I��ti II�VaI��I� 1111111 1U>,JJl�il �y>,»»i� ���I ��r>l�k� 1111111 1���� �y�nn �anfl 11111111111111 olllli ����qr���p��,����I��. �������� �d«ISN 1111111 �IIIII dlllli 1111111 f�lll f�ll� �'III�U���l 1111111 �Illli 1111111 ��Illfiif r>����ia �Jy�U 1111111 ��NN��� 1111111 olllli I���aa�Ihf IYaIVI� r �d For longer-term resilience -building, this is a good time to invest in building and/or strengthening your organization or destination's unique selling proposition and ensuring that you are targeting the most appropriate markets for the future. It is important to recognize that incorporating more management' into your organization's activities doesn't mean that marketing goes away. The need to address impacts and become more resilient for the future is an opportunity to leverage marketing expertise to achieve these new goals. Marketing has an important role to play in promoting local cultures and businesses, promoting responsible and climate -friendly ways to visit, NOT promoting over -visited and overcrowded sites or experiences, enhancing destination accessibility and inclusion, and increasing benefits to community members, showcasing tourism's ability to deliver value to residents when done right. Mark(ling provitles the op �ort°un t;y to reall,,7 connect withy sve amffence on the issues that same foi oetoot to tr essp an s/;A�xoioe°oee the features that iii4rill appetil ' 7 4:t,s for your o� f���fe nr�l��.fso„���� � to osrf��sewe tl���^ s��,s�ht nipa dii?,, tfootfon, °"'1111°"'lllh°tima����N;�� °°'1111""'lllhsato�uusl'sIIIIG��fiti�t�s'�suu�°iul Gae1111")liieliiiima"lPioIIII"'Vis I5lWil'JLg.e The 7 Affirmations for, w ^' 7 Generations Pledge e" �rrlrl � was created by the " Thompson Okanagan regional destination management organization out of a need to develop guidelines for sustainable tourism and conscious travel within their tourism region. Based on the Seven Generations Principle, rooted in Indigenous philosophy: The decisions we make today will have an impact for as many as seven generations to come. It serves as a guide for travelers but also is used by the DMO for industry events and across the region in united responsible travel messaging efforts. It will be useful to consider the following when reviewing your marketing strategy: 0iTo what extent does your marketing strategy align with evolving consumer trends and shifts toward sustainability? For example, are you positioned to respond to the increased demand for local food and for businesses to demonstrate their social impact in the local community? Do your target markets perceive you as such? 0II How can you demonstrate that you take �i sustainability seriously and attract visitors that are looking for a more a `responsible' or `sustainable' experience? What are you doing to spread the benefits of tourism and showcase your environmental and cultural assets to visitors? �IIIIII���IIIII�III Do you know which of your target markets generate the highest net benefit? Marketing strategies and budgets should be aligned with the market segments that deliver the most value (and notjust economic value). How can you nurture long-term relationships IAOINIANI with climate -conscious Gen Z travelers, which )�)K could pay dividends in transitioning to a more sustainable tourism economy? How can your marketing and promotional VIII strategies help to disperse visitors, attracting them to certain areas at optimum times of the week or year? How can you tweak your marketing (or view it through a climate and DEIA lens) to highlight activities that have low environmental and climate impacts, and positive benefits for communities? How can you promote responsible, respectful behaviors through your marketing messaging? 70 IVi i li 111 � III�II Ilu�� IIP9na111 k.q!'t segiil III IVDP"°Iiiirt�s 1'iiav ° iIV .i°��°III w ��III'�IIQP°'I ,,,m11""te III"' IV°91i s, Understanding the potential impacts associated with different visitors is useful in order to optimize visitor spend through targeted marketing and business support. For example, international and out-of-state visitors, who arrive by airplane, are likely to stay for longer, do more, and spend more, but will also have higher associated carbon footprints. International family markets typically spend more on attractions, while younger markets spend more on sporting activities and in bars and clubs. Tourists staying in 5 -star accommodations are likely to spend the most in total than other visitors yet visitors in 3 -star accommodations often spend more in local businesses (e.g., shops, restaurants) and so they are more `valuable' in terms of contributing to the local economy. The Travel Foundation conducted a study for Tenerife, Spain, to analyze behavior patterns of different market segments and identified that higher spending visitors to the island had higher costs related to resource use as well as lower economic impacts because of leakage — their spend tended to be higher in businesses that are not locally owned and therefore much of their spend was leaving the island. The study also pointed to segments that would support local employment and those with a lower carbon footprint, enabling the destination to make more informed decisions about marketing and product development. The highest spending market segment does not always lead to the most benefits for the destination. A more nuanced approach is required based on an examination of existing spend data and alignment with your sustainability goals. When assessing how you want to optimize visitor spend, it may be useful to consider the following questions: Which spend supports small businesses/equity and inclusion/the local economy (vs leakage)? Which spend supports the mostjobs? Which spending is most reliable/resilient to shock? Which spending is distributed well across time and place? Manage tourism development based on quality of visitation, not quantity of visitors, so as to enhance the travel experience while sustaining the character of the destination and benefiting local communities. It will be useful to look at the specific spend data of different market segments to your business or destination in order to adapt product and marketing strategies to attract more or less of certain segments, according to your vision and goals. M1 mv e, a� 411 irIIk.eit iu ui i g airlid iu st uis a wlr at g iues � s Ill ii o iii„,iu 11 d, i iriidl t i�:IV ��a Driving visitors towardsless-visited reg aces and away f rorn the more 'saturated' ones and showcasing new products that are designed to influence visitor flows: cycling, walking and self -drive routes that also promote local food, lesser visited cultural heritage, and local experiences. Geo -location targeted advertising can also be implemented to influence visitor flows and behavior. (Note: This will need thoughtful planning to mitigate any adverse effects for less -visited communities) Adapting current c s to reduce their carbon footprint: plastic -free tours, cycling instead of driving routes, farm to table/ low food mile gastronomy experiences, other human -powered activities. Showcasing rave i s which minimizecarbon emissions e.g., `slow' travel options and human - powered activities like hiking, kayaking, cycling, walking, Nordic skiing and snowshoeing, etc. Stimulating visitor spending on pr cs and experiences that benefi local suppliers and producers including diverse, marginalized and underrepresented groups. Messaging r vi s practical information visitors about how theycan responsibly visit and have the most positive impacts on the local community and environment. Linking goodvisitor managementc ii s with visitor safety will show that places are safe to visit and easy to access e.g., how to book ahead and have a seamless experience at popular attractions. In 2022, State of Washington Tourism launched a new destination brand centered the destination name The State of Washington. The launch followed 18 months of extensive listening to local communities, tourism industry businesses, recreation and conservation leaders, local officials, Tribes, and myriad statewide stakeholders. The result was a decidedly values -based brand and a strategic marketing position with the goal of positioning Washington not as mass-market, but as a destination for responsible travelers interested in listening to, understanding and aligning their experiences with Washington's diverse communities. The brand's first integrated marketing campaign, True to Nature, targets an audience coined "The Pathfinder." The Pathfinder seeks experiences that are as unique and as independently -spirited as they are themselves. Pathfinders inherently care about leaving places better than they found them and enhancing and sustaining local and indigenous communities and outdoor environments. The campaign inspires both travelers and residents to elevate their ambitions while also spreading awareness of the importance of stewardship. m u, —P. I-% 1 IV Yk— ..» ,. 9ft IIS A, .gym" ml 0.V dp% I 7 Where smaller group sizes are required, the benefits of personalized experiences can be highlighted. Many destinations are using apps that allows visitors and residents to see how busy a venue or restaurant is to ease pressure points, making the experience safer and more enjoyable while also supporting the private sector. Multi-attractionis e s and partnershippackages can help to raise the profile of a range of different attractions and suppliers across the supply chain. For example, `stay and play' packages that include accommodation and attraction tickets. This really benefits from a collaborative approach and can lead to some very innovative and creative partnerships! Just like the pivot that everyone went through during the pandemic to address new health and safety protocols, such as enhancing online sales capabilities, creating new products and experiences and targeted messaging for domestic visitors, it is important to think about other adaptations that may be necessary into the future. In addition to international visitation, encourage robust domestic tourism, which may be more resilient in the face of crises and raise citizens' perceived value of their own natural and cultural heritage. * What is the visitor prof He of the biggest market segment for your business or destination? * Would different types of visitors provide more Could you make any changes to your products to attract different types of visitors? * Do you have strategies in place that target specif visitor groups whoare moreenvironmentally conscious? * Can you think of any small tweaks you can make your marketing and communications that would boost the sustainability and resilience of your you have marketing strategies in place that boost the prof He productsof sustainable experiences? local -food supportthat ,. underrepresented groups, enterprises? iiva,a:yardGiral aa,a111—aauitesynfV1sitWalkNWallll,a g p 7C !,t ®R i ■■ G�d1�1(01111) ally IIIUD ; 101111 II lll illU ill»p DIII OIIII m mr� iol , i��u a iuol' � your; aUg Pw � rcm», p rcm» m� rp un, m um asu � � u� ulrolq �, 'allll m ml IilouuU �I as»Y U url °VIII » �»,N1,, i, I� p �d� � n, �i, I � ,n ' IIIIIIU�� D�p���l� I1�>" »>IN ��II»,JI>1 IIIIIII ����� IIIIIII IIIIIII IIIIIII,G��I�4���'��k� ����o�� �?!p��N�� ��»»�y�>t IIIIIII IIIIIII d����l �1u»»»» ���»»,>1n ���»»,�� y�l�l»��I ���»»,�» >I�y�� �nrc,� ���I� �»,�� ����y� »>l� ��� ����V�a IIIIIII �iil SII ��»� By now, you should have had time to reflect on and analyze the impacts of tourism in your community. This will provide you with a better understanding of the businesses, communities and groups that require the most support to embed sustainability and build resilience. For example, certain sectors may have been hit harder by pandemic restrictions and continue to require recovery support, whereas others may be experiencing the negative impacts of increased congestion in rural areas and require support to better manage crowds and visitor flows. Still others may be seeing more frequently occurring impacts from climate change. This will also enable support mechanisms to be better targeted, making sure that the right support goes to the right people at the right time. This section of the guide will highlight the different types of support and assistance that can be provided to businesses to adapt and build resilience. wl"ITM�VNMME- r 1,eiiV°911°91m9911III"911'tIa00a'"offiiii1iw%imlVcIII«&alaaaa�"oadllls r ii,iVN;e rallnd ^^ 6l lu°91rI L,u III Illy»» II:,iroviclecl I a� �avrcr; a ul°° ul° in e u ul t s a i't d III i ul Ini eIV III a� aaul � � ul�uul »aif�:ilia°�aul90 a aliirt,,,,! 4,Ietna�ltlllle,dIIbe!I11ow;: Direct monetary assistance to support revenue loss via emergency funds, loans, or funding of incentive -driven campaigns to support business recovery. Assistance to reduce operational and variable costs via tax relief, waivers of mandatory fees and licenses, and debt/loan cancellation or delays. Provide (or direct businesses to) financial planning and advisory support seminars and practical information. Waive or postpone collection of fees e.g., membership fees or operator licenses. Incentivize and reward tourism businesses and associated enterprises that support these principles through their actions and develop strong local supply chains that allow for higher quality products and experiences. Offer (or direct businesses to) financial and legal advice and support designed to manage and encourage rebooking over cancellations and minimize economic loss and unemployment. Facilitate communication with other agencies to resolve issues (e.g., staffing or housing). Support tourism, recreation and hospitality businesses to adapt their marketing to reduce seasonality, increase support for diverse local suppliers, improve DEIA, and support climate and regenerative tourism initiatives in the region. The different types of technical support required to build resilience are wide-ranging and the most appropriate types will depend on the local situation. There are, however, key themes that should be considered by all destinations. ;04U^IhIIa».9V,I III III"IIIg ii,iiiairlketIII Sharing market intelligence regularly is important for the whole sector to understand source market trends and evolving consumer needs. This helps to identify the right type of technical support that can be accessed to help the sector to adapt. Whether a business directly interacts with visitors or is a supplier, understanding the market is essential for being able to adapt products and operations appropriately. The case study below from Turismo Portugal is an excellent example of how this can be achieved. Sub -sectors need guidance on how to develop or adapt their products to ongoing and future challenges such as the climate crisis, changing market trends, digitalization, etc. This can be delivered via workshops for small businesses, hotels, tour operators and attractions. Many different resources are being created internationally: New Zealand's Tourism Transition Program delivered advice to tourism businesses on how to adapt to domestic and Australian markets. British Columbia's Tourism Resiliency Program provided advice through a funded Digital Literacy Program to businesses to shift online by receiving tech support in 2021 and 2022. In 2023 it evolved to a Tourism Sustainability Program to offer support to destination organizations for sustainability planning. .4 aii iiod IIb)i(Liis iuui esa.dv icol��.�, WPia'di"";Illi""V'IIIISIIxII" s Since March 2020, Turismo de Portugal has provided a specialised online support service, provided by 60 trainers from its official Hotel and Tourism Schools to help provide advice to companies in dealing with specific operational issues and helping to minimise the impact of Contingency Plans for COVID-19. The organization, which runs 12 official schools in the country, opened its online courses for free in June 2020, to enable all professionals in Portu- guese -speaking countries in the world to benefit from online educational content. The organization provides a daily update of market information (air transport, reservations, tour operators and travel restrictions) for tourism businesses, submitted by the offices of Turismo de Portugal worldwide and publicly available on Turismo de Portugal's knowledge management platform, Travel BI. The following training topics are useful to consider: How to adapt existing products: including understanding the growing demand for sustainability, improving diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility, enhancing technology capabilities, dealing with reduced/increased volumes, and the opportunities for more personalized experiences. Diversification to build resilience to future shocks e.g., diversify customer base, product offerings, and revenue streams. Strategic AprUpskilling And Re -Training sit in re-training ac a es need to be made available to address skills gaps that evolving market trends create e.g., developing sustainable travel products and strengthening local supply chains. The provision of support in this area should be based on evidence and align with the overall destination strategy. An analysis of skills required, and current gaps will be key. Consider what programs could be created it local knowledge and skills a strong r rce for e f uture. E.g., based on the evolving trends, will more people be needed to work in the sub -sectors of outdoor/leisure, protected area management and maintenance? What can be done to address labor shortages and attract people to work opportunities and diversify employment in the tourism sector? In an increasingly competitive labor market, sustainable and inclusive businesses are more likely to attract and retain the best staff. Consider stimulate innovation and the creation e business start-ups. E.g., the provision of grants/loans and other financial packages for start-ups could prioritize businesses that contribute to the development or strengthening of the destination and meet changing visitor demand. For example, rural areas that have experienced increased demand from day-trippers may provide opportunities for new accommodation businesses, including glamping or ecolodges, to encourage more overnight stays. Does your destination have the products to meet this demand? Mariposa Country in California, for example, developed a new Airstream campsite in order to attract visitors to stay longer, notjust for the day as an add-on to Yosemite National Park (Yosemite 2021). (Source: European Travel Commission, 202Ct) 76 1l'I�u,"' ��gi l .6p in Australia ,M1,1 The "Tourism Exchange Australia" is a digital platform that provides small businesses with the same opportunity to market their products as the big hotel and resort chains. The platform acts as a matchmaker between local suppliers and interme- diaries to create innovative and diverse packages that allow the flexibility to adapt to new trends. The platform draws on live availability and provides an invaluable tool for customer searching for travel products online. (Source: Tourism Exchange Australia, 2023) Partnerships The pandemic demonstrated the interdependence of the tourism community and there is an opportunity now to build on these connections, helping to manage negative impacts, support recovery and increase the resilience of the sector. When communities turned to each other throughout the pandemic to gauge how best to adapt and respond, it proved to be a great source of innovation and shared learning, enabling destinations to navigate the many uncertainties, including how to adapt marketing and support businesses. This model can and should be continued with the aim of tackling tourism (and humanity's) greatest challenges yet — climate change and equity. No one entity can solve these challenges alone and much is to be gained from working together. Ili),ef �ululaiwlllaiil III�r cul°ul ulull� III�w'�uuIIIIIIuluiGl;!1�°lum lµ'����IG�21°°ulm ul 14u�cireaIG,e s'�,mIlls°ed vaIllUe There are many opportunities across the tourism value chain to create greater efficiencies, increase income and spread the benefits of tourism more widely. For example, initiatives that link hotels, restaurants and producers can bring multiple benefits to the local economy and All II Ni�iraaad Viis'it illliWallllla 491 14 i jj r I/ t, 'I`,;,,i,ckI4'�g staffh'ii���,i� issiies in Canada A Canadian hotel school points to an interesting shift in hiring policy, based on experience learned from big -tech companies like Google. "These employers have learned to shift their hiring focus from education and experience to skills and demonstrated competencies — a hiring innovation, says Joe Baker. He says hotels need to get similarly comfortable with non-traditional talent pools and soft skills such as communication, cultural sympathy, personal resilience, empathy, persistence and confidence" (Source: Hotelier 2019) environment while capitalizing on increased demand for local, authentic and healthier food. The following diagram illustrates an approach for collaboration between food producers, hotels and restaurants, with a goal of reducing food waste and creating efficiencies. A circular economy model refers to a more sustainable system of production and consumption, promoting ways to extend the use of products such as through reuse, sharing, repairing, refurbishing and recycling ma- terials for as long as possible to extend their lifecycle and to minimize waste. In this way, it reduces emissions from fossil fuels as less demand is created for new products to be made and less energy is required to dispose of products after minimal usage. A good example from tourism is the switch away from using single -use products to reusable ones in an in- creasing number of businesses and destinations. For example, many hotels, restaurants and tour operators now implement deposit programs which require customers to pay upfront for a reusable drink container. The money is reclaimed when the container is returned at the end of their stay/activity/experience or, alternatively, the customer may be given the option to pay extra to keep it for personal use. This cuts waste and encourages more sustainable practices within businesses and among visitors. 78 A range of initiatives can be used to strengthen value chains for the future; thinking about them while considering actions that will help to capitalize on the interdependencies within your community and focus on building resilience. Here are some suggestions for how you could pool resources with other organizations and promote partnerships between businesses: • Cross -promotional initiatives between accommodation and attraction sectors —'stay and play' packages. • Multi -attraction /experience tickets to pool marketing budgets. • Collective purchasing across hotels to reduce costs for small businesses and create economies of scale. uu mss°��us�u ssuisirht ��iu°htr� lie ui �°rchl iuss��sU hu�Ilsnu�hl� .�o����ull��sll�u� �s4ui lloe M^°s�us�llesllsliuis���is°¢���u Sharing information on changes in consumer demand (e.g., for gluten-free food or plastic -free products) with local suppliers will help them in adapting their products to better meet the needs of the travel industry. Ensuring That Strategies Are Inclusive And Equitable Further opportunities exist to repurpose tourism to better support communities. It is therefore important to consider where and how there is capacity to deliver Waste irk CaIkfor ri i iv° , The One Kitchen Collaborative was funded by the City of Oceanside and is a program of the non-profit organization Soul Foundation. Its programs include professional food storage and production for catering and food security, using perishable food destined for landfill. One Kitchen Collective Turn away from the use of disposable plastics by tourism businesses, and transition to circular resource use. more inclusive opportunities particularly among youth, women, rural, Indigenous and other underrepresented groups. The pandemic also highlighted the potential of the tourism sector to support society via its infrastructure and these synergies can help to prepare for future crises. sm�swiu� lU u u � u°°ii ii wio .'w s u h�.11su m a� uru°°u ui7�°°�e �u au a �� ui li. 011 a illll )fl z a fl o iii Iu sew. There is so much to gain from broadening partnerships across sectors in your communities — with Tribes, non- profit organizations and cultural organizations, social benefit organizations, conservation organizations, and more — all of those working to keep the place you love and share with visitors, what it is. The most memorable and experiences for travelers are those that provide learning opportunities and meaningful encounters with local people. Cuuo.au'ties„y cwi State of Washfington "�"r„,au. IHSH I e '"u atlle II” su uu llicie, GsLuu. eSy Of Vkot SSsICJuMII lridiI,ier�icmis° "I ourism iius�ines sSt�ippe>"uJGr„t in 13�C Indigenous Tourism BC has supported local Indigenous tourism businesses through a variety of measures including An Emergency Relief Fund to help businesses stay solvent and pivot to long-term recovery. An Indigenous Alignment Strategy: 3 -year plan to rebuild and expand the Indigenous tourism sector. The Indigenous Tourism Recovery Fund for market -ready Indigenous tourism businesses that continue to experience disruption and financial loss. (Source: Indigenous Tourism BC) Re6'k1N,���n nVin,g Restatiur,ir7Vrit Fowoil lr� Fnland A restaurant food waste program started in Hel- sinki now across Finland cities helps restaurants repackage and resell food that would go to waste for a discount. Customers use the RES -Q Club App to order and pick up meals. l)utlhle I11flllll,,Couurtes,yo°M cu ll~,saquall) 80 See the Towards Sustainable .° Inclusive Tourism section for a w, naspipingt: . partner with and learn f ,. Amsterdam has developed projects to help visitors give back to neighborhoods and contribute positively to the city during their visit Social Enterprise through its Untourist Guide that connects tourists with experiences Model outside of the mass tourism offer whilst creating value for local enterprises. (Source: The Untourist Movement Amsterdam 2020) Supporting Black - owned Visit California has developed resources to signpost visitors to Enterprises support California's Black -owned businesses by curating collections of restaurants, boutiques, and experiences. (Source: Visit California 2020) Lisbon's `Renda Segura' (Safe Rent) program incentivizes the conversion of short-term rental apartments to become affordable housing for residents. It allows vacation -rental owners to rent out their property Connecting as affordable accommodation to the city authorities in exchange for a lnf rastructure Capacity guaranteed income. The homes are then rented by the city authorities to people on low and medium incomes who would otherwise be unable to live in the city center. In this way, the program contributes to restoring the balance in the use of property, following a sharp increase in speculative purchases of holiday flats in recent years. (Source: Euro sera Travel Commission 2020) Cafe Reconciles Featuring soul -filled local dishes, Cafe Reconcile is a destination lunch spot for a wide cross-section of New Orleanians as well as visitors from all across the country. Reconcile New Orleans supports young adults, ages 16-24, as they transform their lives by encouraging theirpersonal growth, providing workforce development and training, and equipping them with tools to achieve their potential. Visitors to the cafe therefore directly support the advancement of the social mission of the Social Enterprise organization. Examples ® using tourism to benefitCoral Reef Restoration Foundation is the largest coral reef restoration people and planetprogram on the planet, located in Florida. Their OKCoral citizen science programs engages visitors in direct data collection and reef restoration activities. Explore Songhees Songhees Nation offers a range of tourism activities including accommodation, events and catering as well as cultural tours to share their Indigenous culture with visitors and direct revenues back to the First Nation government. Partner hotels offer tour packages to provide guests with meaningful experiences and increase market access for Explore Songhees' products. See the Towards Sustainable .° Inclusive Tourism section for a w, naspipingt: . partner with and learn f ,. This section of the guide has illustrated the different support mechanisms available and how working collaboratively can help businesses to pool resources, support each other and create a more resilient tourism value chain. The following table provides a set of considerations and ideas for how you could support businesses with sustainability and resilience in the immediate and longer term: LfiigIhlltnds [)idve II3en3esti lain II31 idg , Courtesy reJVo,uop Issaquah Phase Support Mecahnisms Considerations Capacity building activities • How to raise awareness of Workshops and resources to available support inform and support with access • How to ensure access to this Financial support Measures specifically to help ease impacts on tourism businesses Immediate Advice on how sub -sectors / competitors can support Establish working groups each other Collaboration Ensure the broader value chain is represented including small suppliers How to share market Capitalize on existing resources intelligence from international tourism How to address gaps in product community Technical How to address skills gaps and Training programs to transfer Medium build knowledge knowledge and skills and ^ Leverage local and national ongoing expertise and institutional capacity Advice/support on how to Workshops to share ideas and Collaboration facilitate partnerships transfer know-how Advice/support to encourage Establish circular economy circular economy models networks fl cti ns viu�>Tiaruv � , What existing i acial support muim�� mechanisms are available? Are the I being accessed by businesses? � f'���111111111J1V knowledge/skillsWhat new required to improve the sustainability of tourism in your community to f uture challenges? What skills gaps are there? How can these needs/gaps best be addressed? Tourism Cares Meaningful Map Tourism Cares aims to connect the travel industry with community organizations and social enterprises around the world to increase benefits realized by communities. Their Meaningful Travel Platform provides learning resources for industry as well as the Meaningful Travel Map. As an ongoing project, new map locations and impact partners are being added all the time, in partnership with destinations who want to shine a spotlight on the organizations in their communities working for the benefit of the people, cultures, nature that tourism depends on. l i11 -11C IS„ Ilam l'<)h1L5tiAtL narIlk: P ason Il lluuniunne 11 III ll oto) i^ Ilplh > C uui leny:J O State ,A'nrr' ah�n;4on 11"ciw �sin yIIIIIVJ '��' r, aJ1Vi 111111 i � Set 'Okl IIIIIIII Ukf ��� OIIII Nu iVttaO m um illy , ua iUmul r all � �y � m um rOg I �rlmul I OUg �k � Vu» m mom um ail , i�wN�a gram OIOI Puy uu m um a umr; "'to um Od ( GRh , un I y iU� N »»l0l I �u; auY�l� n p �IIII ,( I� I arulU' RRii r u ,a I r,�'a .0 ���� �auu�'J�u���u �� ������� ������� �����h��������ru ������� ������ �' ��Nu�� n� ������� °��I �� ������� ����� J Neu ������� ������ �a �� ��rca "�� ���� ������� ������� ���� r� u���� '(�u ������� �aa�� to iiwmY� ���� �u� III ����� m7ii�IIV 90im ,kwa Ilfaf r nn0 Oloupr) irf / R ��U������ f JI'OP iIU °lY1a m� ma d0U 111111 IIIIII�II(f 01111... rit 1111 I,��NNf »�,al, ��yr'� 1111111IIIII �a� NNNIy, 1111111 1111111 ,�k 1111111 III �Irr�� ,�� 1111111'°°''� °J!I;u�ka ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. Learning is the first step toward taking action. Before embarking on creatingyour plan, it is useful to Incorporating new action ideas into an existing plan or creating a new plan — even a simple work plan — to get started on making changes, is an excellent way to see results soon, as well as over the long term. The information and guidance up to now, combined with the accompanying workbook exercises, should mean thatyou are now in a position to set out a list of potential goals to include in your action plan. When this list has been agreed on and signed off by colleagues and other key individuals and entities, you can begin to write up a plan, setting out your goals and targets and the actions you will take to achieve your targets. Decide what format you would like to use for your plan. You may find the structure of sustainability or general action plans produced by other businesses well-suited to your needs, or you may create your own template based on other existing organizational plans. For example, you could set out short/ medium/ long-term actions or group them by action area; such as, product development/ marketing/ environmental, social, etc. W�[,)))Iy do y�:�,11ii waiiir)rt totjuH'sirlr"Iu? W111 ""I"A's youuu VitlS110ui))l "folk to1ll"Jiludsa°yo°so iuin y(Hai14:01IX111u1°T111tuiI°°iVow do ymu41uj v(,auint it .iUx, coir))> IG:iu,T,.,�,11i,ui IGe °II m� ycnii , c)ir baiisiiiless? Wllltiva�t its IGill)>Ie ar°III°u1air))))ig yoiiiiiwisulli °tv see�°? reflect on what you think the main goals and outcomes of tourism should be in your community. It is worth opening up this discussion to colleagues in your organization, or those that you work closely with such as your board if you have one, so that you are including a wider range of perspectives. You could discuss it during a team meeting, planned brainstorming session, working lunch or in informal one-to-one or group chats with colleagues. To frame the discussions, it might be useful to think about what tourism would look like in your destination in a perfect world, i.e., with no barriers. It is helpful to think about how tourism can contribute to the local economy, how it can protect and conserve the natural environment, how it can better celebrate diverse cultures, how it can contribute to community needs. You can also think about the changes you'd like to see across the sector including accommodations, activities, transportation, etc. The planning worksheet provides examples to help you generate ideas. engagement eff ort, to identify opportunities and community priorities, and to develop a shared vision together. I • This stage is all about understanding the current situation. Taking note of all the impacts you have identified across economic, environmental, social and cultural areas — any challenges you are experiencing in your destination. Documenting current impacts, both positive and negative, are important, so that you can identify actions and solutions to both mitigate negatives and drive positives. Think about both tourism's impacts as well as external threats — or areas outside your control that you will still want to manage, in order to reduce risks. Refer back to Section 5, Understanding and Managing Impacts, and the planning worksheet to help you through this stage. aur.iu te.ycrO' Waeid inviIIlle Wine (.Ii!�uuntiry F,1 , , f f � f z.cluity, inclusion and accessibility in your organizationF across your destination? This is a good time to take stock of what your organization is doing, has the scope to do, and who else in your community is working on initiatives that you may be able to support or partner with, in order to make progress on your goals. At this stage it is important to take some time to map out key potential partners and collaborators, identifying those entities or individuals whose approval, buy -in and engagement will be vital for creating and implementing your plan, or who will play an important role in supporting it. Consider how you can collaborate with and proactively engage others to achieve your sustainability goals - within your local area as well as across the sector in which you operate. Ci uii-tesy ofi S ate of aslllro'iun ta)ii ICouumli,.wum Step Prioritize tl It might be useful to focus initially on low -hanging fruit Based on the goals for the outcomes you wish to see, (low and no -cost options or easily implementable actions) and the context of your organization and community to start without significant investment or organizational members, start brainstorming the solutions to the change. You should also include bigger, multi-year challenges and the specific actions you could take. actions that will have much larger impacts and can be Remember that changes to product and marketing broken down into steps - and note any other initiatives strategies can be made by using `destination stewardship to consider in the future, for example once funding is lenses' including climate and diversity, equity, inclusion, available. and accessibility. c what youfor. F helpf ul to categorize actions in this way. �i�, key a�c�rtkriuis IIay Impact: How significant an impact would certain actions have in terms of building resilience to future shocks, reducing your carbon footprint, decreasing waste, increasing inclusion and equity, etc.? Building c What could you make a start on today, that will make a difference tomorrow? Capability: Does your business have the resources (people, finance, time, skills) to deliver the actions? If not, how soon) could they be developed /recruited / raised? Think again about your organization's sphere of influence. If the main impact you can have is via marketing because that is your main activity, what could you change to reduce negative impacts and increase positive impacts — to your community, to residents, to your environment, to the climate? Courtesy of Vlsct Issaquah It is also important to set out how your plan will be implemented by documenting lead/responsible parties, possible collaborators, cost estimates, and potential funding sources. ► - .; 4: Set Targets with Key Performance Indicators to Monitor Success W1h)aiil wiillll iiioii)sd iies llliieiriice' Ill w;°wk Ililke if nwtmcur ssi°t.aiIII, slii9idIII°))c,,wwflIII ywa^t,w kinow iif tlliie I'ias 1wmiidic'edN""""' The core actions and goals of a plan must be measurable so that it is possible to check if your actions are working. This section will set out the key steps to take when putting together a plan and explore approaches to monitoring and measuring and different types of indicators balanced across economic, social and environmental areas, and will highlight the importance of continuous monitoring to successful planning. '� e�trehwtrent th t ;s not sustainable ly not, to oct°u development, IVs a sovt-ts.^rmrrr loan against, long term debt to the, future. "Ethi�var ostri�ow U t?oodivlll Ambassador tot" lliorl"lvermsltl,t O"ia�"'�;''�u�u�i^����`,��'�''�rw' "�°'�4, dlfu�" Goa,l `Doughnut Economics' (Kate Raworth, 2012) is an alternative model for economic growth. The model provides a way of looking at how we can meet the needs of all within the means of the planet. In 2022, Hartman and Heslinga published `The Destination Doughnut', adopting this model to tourism to demonstrate effects of tourism impact overshoots and shortfalls. Before COVID, Amsterdam was experiencing over -tourism and were already working towards building longer-term resilience. The Netherlands has since adopted the princi- ple of doughnut economics in setting out their tourism strategy. ^a In 2023, Amsterdam capped visitor numbers to the city center. (Source: City Nation Place, 2020, The Doughnut Destination 2022, City of Amsterdam 2023) i,11mm"rR`upemlu,ti,%, ei�imoy!!stinirIIIt ioii Piiiim4•i^t�lher iasids 2030 Perspective 2030, the vision for tourism in the Netherlands is about the changing role of tourism. The goal is for every Dutch person to benefit from tourism. Priorities for achieving this ambition are: Benefits and burdens are in balance, more benefits from tourism than burdens All of the Netherlands is attractive: put more cities and regions on the map as attractive destinations Accessible and achievable: accessible cities and regions ^^ Sustainability is a must: a living environment with less waste and pollution - A hospitable sector: the Netherlands as a welcoming destination (Source: Netherlands Board of Tourism & Conventions, 2019) Def i what success looks like for your organization mst be aligned wi a 's ccess tourism'in your community s like. As this handbook has explored, if it is based purely on economic growth, how will you measure the costs to the environment? What does success in terms of biodiversity look like? In terms of inclusion? How important is resident well-being? To what extent are residents able to meet their needs? This handbook has provided information on how you can begin to assess and manage the impacts of tourism and begin thinking about what measures of success you want to prioritize in your action plan. II yIliwr s of Illi lim ik mtewii �s Your plan should have clearly defined goals, objectives and timescales that can be measured so that reported progress towards success is based on evidence. It is useful to think of performance indicators at two levels: 87 Purpose Examples Level 1 These types of indicators help to E.g., Did businesses work together? Was the training delivered? `Effort' check that planned actions are taken. Level 2 These types of indicators help Business support. How many target businesses accessed support? `Effect' to test the effectiveness, i.e., What is the % increase in small businesses' income? the `performance' or impact of cct.smsloi����„��t How many visitors have used new cycling strategies. Baseline measurements and self -drive routes? What are visitor satisfaction levels/ how have must be taken so that it is possible they changed? to track progress. Inclusion: Do more diverse groups visit? Do they feel welcome? Are there more accessible properties and activities available? Are there more diverse populations and enterprises benefiting from tourism? 0a,'ercro t,ding: How has resident satisfaction improved? How have visitor flows changed? Kia llh"elll NPul°°lu°firfom,rluuceIIIIIyumiiica, olll �,(IIIA',;IllalliS)i Selecting KPIs must reflect what is important in your community and should be based on what is meaningful for long-term sustainability, including key impacts identified as priorities to manage. Consultation and coordination with broader groups will be essential to ensuring that indicators for community and environmental benefits reflect community priorities. in place to assess the impact and value of tourism in your destination? The following types of indicators may be useful to include across the action areas within your plan, where relevant: Warning iac ors e.g., business bankruptcies, signs of environmental degradation, signs of resident dissatisfaction. Status indicators e.g. visitor numbers, visitor flows, small businesses' revenues, protected area visitation. Indicators ear e.g., resources and support provided to organizations, visitor management systems in place. Indicators of effect, reg er a ce e.g., changed satisfaction levels, greater dispersal of visitors, reduced waste or litter, reduced energy use (and carbon emissions). Change will continue to happen both in destination and in international markets, so it is important to develop a flexible strategy and conduct continuous monitoring to ensure you are on the right track. Following this approach to monitoring and measuring will help to ensure that even if there are significant shocks ahead you will have the data to help you make informed responses. Step : Implement and monitor your plan Think about how you make it clear to your colleagues and others how they should be involved in implementing the plan. Develop a process to monitor KPIs and review plan progress frequently, perhaps monthly or quarterly. Make sure you have a clear reporting mechanism and timeline and know from whom you will need to gather data. Frequent touch points will allow for course corrections, consideration of challenges and opportunities, and accountability. Celebrate achievements publicly and communicate about implementation frequently, through newsletters, social media, and/or at events. Also report to your own audiences and be sure to share progress (and lack thereof, if applicable) internally. 'ou. rtesy f: S ~auu Uu.u;r uu 11 l muuu ^ Nu.u�:rruir.r ll�uuu°a��, �.0 1318 Decide on an appropriate process for updating your plan and integrate insights and best practices from others. Share your journey and connect with others who want to develop a plan or are on their journey and have lessons learned to share. Successful implementation will depend on various factors including: The motivation and commitment of the group that will be responsible for the plan's implementation The ability of multi -sector partners in the destination to collaborate The flexibility to adapt the plan to the changing environment. It is important to recognize that the size of your plan and the number of KPIs may be reflective of the size of your organization. Choosing a smaller number of achievable KPIs, appropriate for your organization's size and mandate, is better than trying to commit to something that is not feasible. Start with what's possible and you can make adjustments over time as your capabilities grow or funding increases, or mandates change. Ref lections will you def inesuccess? • Da your chosen metrics address what is important? much emphasis have you placed on effort vs effectiveness or impact• ? r Have you la e for baseline data collection as well as ongoing monitoring and measuring? you easily a ? Poo,, II""hire ll"n call°n w, a ircg I113allls:uur ' Coirodeircairullp, o uu a:: nf" wkr,, : ll'riiun, uuau .P,.ouaumii^ iri Reflections and key questions from throughout the handbook are summarized hereto help you prepare your plan: to s • aC� III""III°"IV IV°'III°"IV IR�P III""III IV'PC,`�� How do you define what successful tourism looks like in your community? • How do you measure the impact of tourism? Have you made changes to your organization's priorities and procedures in response to recent global events? What is the status of inclusivity in your destination? And where would you like to get to? Do you consult or work with other groups in your community that make decisions about tourism? E.g., local government organizations, Tribes, resident/ community groups, environmental groups etc. mieii,rtifylll�-iGg<JIi4IIIVelliGgesalll�id t6yulueats What are the main challenges related to tourism in your community? What are the biggest future threats to tourism in your community? ���91i a°auIII II ul a l�fia Wio aii t lu s v III lie „aydy II ru naH Ill�a II bua l� �u ul ul9u ;w° Do you have a tourism plan or strategy document? If so, how up to date is it? Does your business already have a sustainability plan or responsible travel policy in place? If so, what does it include? Gays WorII �"i�!:u amu°'g IIaaIIIld n woinideircainlp, Codi°rlcs o'P'' Sa,eai* o'P: Wa xIh liiigtoii "'ll'ou.airllsune 89 What are you already doing on sustainability, social responsibility, climate action or diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility? Could you make any immediate changes within your organization's structure and operations to improve sustainability? Do you have policies in place to improve DEIA? Can you think of any changes you could make in your organization that would widen opportunities for marginalized or underrepresented groups? What other groups or organizations in your community could you engage with to strengthen existing plans/ develop a new plan? Do you have any relationships with or tourism initiatives in place with Indigenous communities? What organizations would you like to reach out to and support or engage for advice? II S.IIk? 11 fai y fl f fu g III II we i Iiisy� C q) 111Tu lu° ni t.I� n 1u t What insights do you already have on the economic, environmental, social and cultural impacts of tourism in your destination? How were each of these areas affected by the pandemic? How might they be impacted by climate change? What existing data is available to better understand these impacts? 'j'1a III ii n al g III III IIIg III III II ��,ac t What are the main negative visitor impacts in your community? Do you have any strategies to minimize these impacts? Do you have tools in place for tracking the flow of visitors in your community? Ac:iaI),tfiuilugIll�,il,rµwa°itii s&exIpei� iiit^„uii))c s • Can you make any immediate tweaks to your products that would increase the benefits for local people, diverse communities, and the environment? • What about longer-term changes to the way you design and package tourism products and experiences in your community? Do any of your existing products tap into the demand for local and sustainable products and experiences? Can you think of any new products thatyou could develop that would align to this demand and shift toward sustainability? AciaI �vthil ilg "w.l i atfr III I'M What is the visitor profile of the biggest market segment to your community? Would different types of visitors provide more value? Could you make any changes to your products to attract different types of visitors? Do you have strategies in place that target specific visitor groups who are more environmentally conscious? Do you have marketing strategies in place that boost the profile of sustainable products and experiences? E.g., cycling tours, local -food products, experiences that support local businesses or underrepresented groups or social entrepreneurs? Can you think of any small tweaks you can make to your marketing and communications that would boost the sustainability and resilience of your community? SuIla„ :AoII tIlillli°Iig a41U1Mlllle"ises, What existing financial support mechanisms are available? 0 Are they being accessed by businesses? What new knowledge/skills might be required to improve sustainability and inclusion in tourism in your community or to respond to future challenges? What skills gaps are there? Where are the labor shortages? How can these needs/gaps best be addressed? 01yi-nll,ux• IlenInsuIam Msitors 113u. reau.u, Coo.iii,t,,„,yo'�:Sti�oo�'G:Wasliliig`toa iii ”"uuu.au°lsinn 90 wIIIea sl IV III ICllnf du llIFnP �' uNiiu` a..w How will you define success? Do your chosen metrics address what is important? How much emphasis have you placed on effort vs effectiveness? m^ Have you planned for baseline data collection as well as ongoing monitoring and measuring? Can you easily adapt? QuestionsA Checklist Of Plan Is Deliverable This final section outlines some key questions that should be considered in reviewing your plan. Questions around capacity, resources and collaboration will help to ensure that the plans are both feasible and aligned at the destination level with other strategies. i4 ��o :!uul hIII II°hbiuul°yo .a inIllsIlla��eµ iu�,o ails IIIivi,luls y;,, lt,Iiuli- III III ul°uh°� Have residents, diverse community groups, important partners, and Tribal governments, and their priorities and perspectives been taken into account in developing the plan? Are roles and responsibilities for delivering and monitoring the plan clearly outlined, recognizing the contributions that the public and private sector will make? m� Is there sufficient capacity to deliver the plan— both in terms of staff resources and staff skill sets? 0 Is there sufficient budget and/or access to finance to deliver the plan? Is the timeframe appropriate and are there key milestones to inform measuring progress? * Are there ongoing communication mechanisms in place to ensure cross -sector alignment and collaboration (across the public, private and third sectors) to deliver the plan? Is the plan aligned with other community level strategies? Once these key questions have been considered comes the most important step: the implementation of the plan! The plan should be considered a `work in progress' that needs to be adapted according to the changing needs of the local community, �1��i� the market, tourism businesses and I r��110 ongoing national and global trends.or Congratulations! III hope that the information l tfooh � � I o t°his handbook has been hiIlw.11s uio suhhor.tiohore„s to think° ohilli���)ot the overall hoofs forjtooc organization and your cots i�nunityr and hoioHl can start -to deiol�elo an a�A��'tion hloo to help you to achieve these goals, olt°loPotell„r locce,x�zsing sostoloo,hllltytwnc oshi�iif�4r, and resilience for the fotoce� u' �u ��� , h �� h s � you'll visit tio7e and again to ��s ckite an revise ��� �oc�':,�ses�°�h���t° oos��o ��s oo �t°eco�t°�w�,��m��l��, coc�':,����sw sos�°������,t ������ ,�� and refine, but the 1nihoctoot thing ls.yo,o've committed to this roc4?ss ofc eating o better future for tour° sin to your Iromniuolty, , and thot',s sosoethloh to c elehcr°:ztel V��' w df �n' � v. � ,,,, i��. � a, U aero wr�u�w.. ,,, , N„ ti� ,,, y, .: .,, n. ne���A� i ts The Port of Seattle acknowledges tourism and recreation across Washington takes place on the homelands of Indigenous peoples, Tribes and Nations including: Chehalis, Colville, Cowlitz, Duhamish, Hoh, Jamestown S'Klallam, Kalispel, Lower Elwha Klallam, Lummi, Makah, Muckleshoot, Nisqually, Nooksack, Port Gamble S'Klallam, Puyallup, Quileute, Quinault, Samish, Sauk-Suiattle, Shoalwater Bay, Skokomish, Snoqualmie, Spokane, Squaxin Island, Stillaguamish, Suquamish, Swinomish, Tulalip, Upper Skagit, Yakama - who have lived, and cared for their ancestral lands since time immemorial. We are grateful to live, work, and recreate as guests on these lands, and strive to do so as respectfully as possible. The Port of Seattle, the Travel Foundation, and Tourism Cares wish to acknowledge the many individuals and organizations whose contributions, input, insights, reviews, edits, suggestions, images, and more, were instrumental in the development of this responsible travel handbook for Washington tourism organizations. Organizations and specialists across the sector — including Tribal governments, tourism and recreation industry associations, destination marketing & management organizations, community and cultural organizations, environmental organizations, and specialists in diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility — were invited to participate in four input sessions as well as individual interviews that took place from June to August 2023. The purpose of these sessions was to gather perspectives, understand current challenges and opportunities, and identify priority content for the handbook. The following individuals gave of their time and we thank them for helping to shape this important tool. They are, in alphabetical order: ��ia Adii a Ac ; a i,.11,.11ll�„�u i a WM)iDu:iitu"uvli1111e Wiliuui? Coauatag .. ..,, gMile ” II Nea.i�. ioi II.°�ii�a. �ss,aw, W�a���uiis��- ton ClhuuudI< Cairteu,, Vislt SIIaoka ine ,Joey 0h ua11 i-naii.,u, C&IIII'A. �Zci"ull eu.uu"ud,, Cascade Il. ooll;°a 0l -)i -My Gau-imairu:i, Vsit Illss quuuMlh IIlieu°,Muey u' ell,m,uai��°���, Ilsi.t .6iis���ylh.0 a irn a',,,,,ara. Jacci�lhas<u�i,u, Vslit Wa.11lla. Walllla. Ste"!."Il uuMn° e J6,i i°°us0i a 'll ollivei , II: IIKKscll< II Na& taye Sodeuy of Washi.roMgtoiri S°uatil" Johiro Iluellalleyfjoirl Ilxrofh: :Iirofessioirua aiiie II1„MIhue , II 111 11lds s'f watiaiIIrontIC:�KKui°liu Arlibl ioriy llli ove,,, II""iraviiulllhing Mifl1im. II �!IIasl4< s'lai IIie II..M:uve, Iii, un:vr Ili rigWlluilla a cII�: s"lout Il..yoris, ""'ll""'ICaiIII Ali: Chi, My IIN„"i"ag", io, Se a.uwuwlle Soutlh. sHe Jaii,.i,.ue II„Jai,.tliiri„ Sirioquua.IIinIhe IIIndli�i.�Ii,u l i°'iiIhce ",'Iegari Il ',^Ica.����t,�uliire, Sea.ttlle S��auu.tlh.uru'He iau.nes '1jcuaw by" '�,willes, II'Vl lles Ih Mille Olu,ulhi) h°iIl�;:�,u II^w���:�ue„ �� :uut:e �an' WasIhuliiu� t�Maiu ..Il..oai,.iisiuu aylloi°° Its^'Ioirgan„ II'M,IIM:Mi.& c II11u.usieuuin Syi.en II°�J a g ll<.yi ile, II `i sa llls llrr d IL N'ii ka ire Ai°ny II14esM eir„ Visit Sall .JUan IIIsIainds M1,:: gtlluew Ozuuria, State of Was iiii ugtor I6uuii'isi,n Ai,un, e Il litts II xIlu,iia iii��°:aa 0lyi-n aia AIksoiri Scott, WTC Slea"4'tlle Ad!iarin Stewart, Visit "''(all�Ji°na s"iitcllielllle ""II""'Ilu uiuuw,,, Statin, of Waslh.Mingtorl Ilouirisin Produced by the Port of Seattle in partnership with the Travel Foundation and Tourism Cares Design by Linda Rapp Design 2023 % VIII '' dNNHl� IIUU ADW' `UUU' IIIUI� �DVb IIIIIIIIIII, u i i .o w ry uu iU i(f 0i U I �U,H iUU IIII CUU ru ll6III Illli IIU UIIII III VIII UII 011 Ilflll 'lIU 'lIU i(f Ii U I UIIII tlf ilU UIU +l. i lll ' � uwliihi - II {I uu // I I I U N � uullfVU� Y U U � � / II IIIIIIII�I U, � > > r>I� pJ� IUUUu d II U 1 U r� rcrcNtlrU�� � b�kf� 1111111 �I��i 1111111 ��I�i u�i,»�tttttt,���11111, I ��r, �Itt uui� �ylllllkl ��III,PNN r����tt, IIIIIIII� °�»„I�u I��uttry��ll ��1�»» 11111111111111 olllli,�„��ia� �yll� 1111111 �IIIINN 1111111 �Il��i ���rc��>�r, 1111111 I�II� 1111111 I�II� 11111111111111 �Ill�i � IIIIIIIIIII ,�NO��,,,,.�r�o� 1111111 �IIIII ��ti �>,���� „y„a Ill���u�h U 1 �UttUO�I�N Links to tourism strategy/planning documents from tourism destinations around the world. Destination Link Banff, AB Lead Tourism for Goad: 10 -year vision for tourism in Banff and Lake Louise Breckenridge, CO Destination Managernent Plan Copenhagen stainable Tourism hy 2030 Edinburgh, Scotland Edinburgh's Tourism Strategy 2030 Finland Visit Finland Stra�2021-2025 Glacier Country, MT Glacier Country Destination Stewardship Plan Glasgow, Scotland Glasgow Tourism and Visitor Plan 2023 Jackson Hole, WY Jackson l tole Sustainable Destination Management Plan Inverness, Scotland Visit Inverness Loch Ness Climate Action Plan Oregon Travel Oregon 2021-2023 Strategic Plan Oregon Coast, OR Mitigation, Ada.pt:tion a.nd Resilience Plan Palau Stratev'to make Palau a carbon neutral island Netherlands Destination The Netherlands: Persective 2030 New Zealand New Zealand -Aotearoa Government Tourism Stratev Norway National Tourism Strategy 2030 Ottawa, Canada Ottawa Destination Stewardship Plan Queenstown, NZ Queenstown Lakes Regenerative Tourism Plan Sedona, AZ Sedona Sustainable Tourism Plan Tahoe, CA/NV Lake Tahoe Destination Stewardship Plan Vail, CO Vail's Stewardship Poaclap Valencia, Spain Valencia, Sustainable Tourism Strategy 9,rrd9G, jfjI III 0�11!.*,, 4M.F rmerlyTourism Vancouver lslandlm 1---p -------- gyact Strate 2022 American lndian Alaska Native Tourism Association (ALANM ............... Amsterdam Untourist Guide (2020) Becker. Elizabeth Oveirk—L—A Onl BehaviorSMART The First Mile Blacks in Tourism & the Cultural Hen ale Economic Alliance BBC - British Broadcastina..C.o.mp ..... ....... an I -------------- �M ). Boo ki n ............................................................ P� g-c-o-m—A 021) Sugainable Travel Re rt B Tourism For Good Movement Butler Cycle of Evolution: lminfications for Mana. ement of Resources Caf6 Reconcile New Orleans City Nation V�lace (2CD2C) /ill your recoverySlau� be sustainable Coastal Guardian Watchmen P_ . ram Conde Nast Traveler .2.017 Dubrovnik ls � m n Down Harder on Tourist Overcrowding ............... ) ........................................................... C.A ........ . .............................................................................................................................. ......................... Conde Nast Traveler 2021Sustainable Tourism Conde Nast Traveler (2021)........o.w.........l..cel.and...i..s..Re..t...h.i..n.k.'.n Touri�smfor the Lon g U Vaal Conservation Northwest Resources for Racial ,Justice,Anti-racism and All (Shlo in the Outdoors Conservation Northwest Wildlife -Recreation Coexistence Program Coral Restoration Foundation Cornell Sustainable Destination Manaveme-4- Ce.tCor.a.e.1.1 self -.paced online course}. Cornish Stuff (2021) Declare a hou i..n Qqnaw.all Crosscut (2022) Meet -the M POCgroups rkin.to make -the outdoors accessible . ....................................................................................................................................... Crowdlbffl.2. (2021)._.1..2._u C u I �in �TouHsm mAflian�ce Deloitte State of the Consumer Tracker Destination BC Diversity ui. lnclusion and AccessibilityStrate Destinations lnternational2.023.).Whatis cultural c.om.Deten rand it: matters for your lausiness ...... ....... Destination Think (201M These 5 DMOs Are On Track With Covid-19 Communications Destination Stewardship Center's Destination Stewardshio Reool,F 11-Ag....n.g..us Q uardiwn Programs as a Destination Stewarclshi Tool Dolomites Tourism Board (2n)n).,..Future..Lab Edinb h Tourism Acti nGro a ver Plan tol-0-0wrg .................................. 0 ........................ U.p ( 020) Refi. nce,...Reboot..& R.e.c. U Edinb hTorisStra e tlolementation Edinburgh Tourism Str IMP-Wrg um Eurolaean Travel Commission (2D2(3) Covid-1 Recovery Strategies For National Tourism Oryanisations Expedia Group 2021 -tudy _C) SuAgi.D.A.b.l.e Travel S ................ Expslore Sorra hese Feld, S. and Basso K.11996 Senses of Place I Future of Tourism Coalition - Guicling;y Principles and Toolkit GAdventures Plane -terra ln-ternational lns-ti-tu-te of Tourism Studies at and -the Travel lndus-tr : Global Good Practice Guidelines Good Life Goals (.S..D..G Prhme.r). Global Sustainable Tourism Council GSTC Destination Criteria Globe-trender. (20201 Travel In The C.P.A..d.7.1.9. Globetrender (2021) Mniorhy of Gen Z Consumers Want To Travel More Responsibly Governor's Office of Indian Affairs Green Destinations Tourism for SDGs Self -Assessment (1 he) Guardian (2D2(3) Nota asVc in sight: thousands ffloclzto Yellows -tone as pa,A, 95 Hartman and heslin a 2022} The in h_nu.:t._Des:tination:_a lq. yira VCate Via ortlu's �ou�hnut Econorn��Zersp�ective to rethink tourism destination manavernent. Journal of Tourism Futures. hotelier f201 1._�07a�D�ra es and Ci�SFortunit ee.s: ,Staff nn Stru les Hud user Affordable housing in a Mural Touris -Based Community Vndigenous Leadership Vnitiadve Vnftenous Tourism Association of Canada Vndi r7 us_T _urisuv�._ ssac.ia:tu�su ._�s:._ _au7ada..._hied.ia Guidel_ines..._12._ ays To Better Choose Cour Words When e Write About Vndi enous Peoples Vndi era us_Thu_risen._B.C.......Co.r. carat ..(2021._kidi, enous Tourism Recovery Fund Vndigenous Tourism BC Working........_i.th._V_rodp enn.us._ ro.Y�rn. situ s Jackson hole Sustainable Destination Vdana,gemaent Rlan Lake Tahoe Destination Ste ardshi fs Plan Localhood, Wonderful Cofsenhaen McKinsey and Gown anv._=.).62 im inin the 9 trillion -tourism economy - what will it taker lv MGA l the Conscientious Consumer M M1GY 2023) Portrait of the American Traveler Sprin _Edi.:t on. Mountains to Sound Greenway 1 lPOC Outdoors and Conservation Careers (Resource Guide fThe} Mountaineers Emotional Safety._i.n.:..he Q.u:td...uuts._e.- .u.ur.se. National AICA Network online educational resources National Congress of American Vndians Tribal Nations & the United States: An Vntroduction National lurk Service (2020) Native Land TerritoryAckno Vedeent fThe} Nature Conservancy Vndian Country 1131 Training Netherlands Board of Tourism & Conventions holland Marketing(2019} Perspective 2030: ..._Destina:tior�._:the._ Netherlands; A new vision for destination the Netherlands to benefit all Dutch Deople (The} Vale _ork Times f2018}..�C� an or �(e etarian? fou have More Travel and l7ininB C3rrtions Than Ever Norton E., Ford FounEdward Norton on in: uaRyand ecology North Tahoe Community Alliance Northwest Lesbian ale Gay history One Kitchen Collective Outside Online (201 Nor ay's Bold Plan to Tackle Overtourism Pacific Asia Travel Association Crisis Resource Center(2C}2C3} Destination Recovery Resource Kit - Tour C) Derator Resource KlT Veath ays l'rojec't Port of Seattle. Office of Eouft.v Diversity Vnclusion Port of Seattle Community Grants Port of Seattle Anti -Racism (Resources ResQ Club Sedona Arizona's Sustainable Tourism Plan Skift Me atrends 20323 Skyscanner (2(321} (how to travel better: Make Bremer choices with Skyscanner Smart Travel Lab & Kantar (X32&3} Anticipating he Future of travel Snoc{ualni Tribe Ancestral Lands Movement SraocluaVmie Tribe Ancestral Lands fovemaent Recreation Vm�acts on SnouaVmie Tribe Ancestral Lands State of Washinytan._Tgwri.s .._Disc..y _r_ asbj... ton's Native American heritage State of Wash ing:tion Tog rism._Wash_iroBton Tourism Resource Center, Grant Vero, rarvus, Tourism Skillshor), Rural Tourism Su ort VDro rare Thoml ®kana an Re io. al Pled e Seven Affirrruations For Seven Generations Time -for DMOcracyCommunity._En gement Toolkit Tourism Cares MeaningfulTravelPatf�rm andMeani:._:.._..ngfu.l_Travel.._ ap Tourism Cares Sustainability_PieipDes6c._ S E -D- a J6 Tourism Diversity Matters Tourism in 2030 Net Zero info raphic Travel Be ins at 40 (2021._ .us:t iunable_To.uu is.........._at..:the_ _eor:V._o:l _a'..ro oI.pM...bJ Travel Care on Creon Food Trails Travel Agent Central C2()1_}Stats: ��°! of MIIlenniaVs Consider Company Ethics When Booking Travel The Travel Foundation Cornell University's Centre for Sustainable Global Enterprise and EplerWood Vnternational (2019}. Destinations at Risk: The lnvisible Burden of Tourism The Travel Foundation Centre of Expertise in Leisure Tourism and Hosaital°uty Breda University_of_ pplied Sciences the European Tourism Futures lnstitute and the Netherlands Board of Tourism and Conventions. Envision in�xTourism in 2030 and Beyond: The chap i.n shape of tourism in a decarbonizing world Travel Unity DU Standards -for Travel and Tourism Travel Weeklv(2021 `Goo I_a.to_sho......_s...po........ur, consumer° demand for sustainable travel' TREAD Map Abp Tribal Parks and Allies Vero ram Tourism Exchange Australia - TA (2020)... United Nations Sustainable Development Goals UNWTC, Glascow Declaration on Climate Action in Tourism UNWTO TranSDort-related CO2 emission -from -the'tourism sector UNWTC Tourism for SDGs United Nations Secretary General Statements and Messes es (2020 ._COVlD-1.9 Touarisria°s._Sec.to_r._ �V.Ia.V�s�. Re fres Green, Equitable ftebuildin, Secretary-General Say.s at policy Brief Launch US Access Board Vail's Stewardship Roadmap Visit California 12020}._FHaa.........ycau can support California's Iblack-o ned Vausinesses USDA Forest Service Equity Action Plan Visit California (2020) Travel California Respoc:t Cal :ffornua Visit Flanders Ylisit V2aVei h 12(72(7}._15C}._ ays..: o._Support V aacal Businesses in V alei h, N.C., by Slrooppin inline Visit Seattle Seattle's Cultural Heritapre Visit Seattle Support: Seattle's BlPOC-C3 ned Businesses Visit Scotland (2021} Enjoy Scotland Responsibly To fa Tips Washington.S.tato._De.partment of Natural V�esources Wildland Fire Cost F�ecoarery and Vnvesti ation..Pro ram Washin fiort._S:t a:t o._Heal:thear ._ ia:dlhes_ri:¢y (ores..Jl�erji_oroj._Land._ackno........Voc� ements: /� wa t pest the first peoples oV the Vand Washing:eoru_s.PA . _De.partrruent oP Corrrorr7erce State Tourisurs Marketing flan (20'VB} Washington Tribes The Tribes of Washin ton (Map) World Economic Forum Global Frisks Report 2023 World Travel and Tourism Council (24121} Destination Stewardship Framework WTTC Diversi . Inclusion Guidelines WTTC- McKinsey Travel Demand RecoveryCDashboard Yosemite Autocamin 9 Washington Organizations (Referenced Throughout the Handbook) Black Heritage Society of Washington State The Burke Museum Chelan -1 ouolas Land Trust Chi natown-I n ternational District BlA Converge Conservation Northwest: Disabled Hikers Friends of Waterfront: Seattle Golden Bricks Events GSBA Mountains to Sound Greenwav Trust National Nordic Museum Northwest African American Museum The Mountaineers Okan oran-Wenatchee National Forest Qjym ic National Park i it CutdoorAfro Outdoor Asian Pacific Northwest Trail Association Sea Mar Museum of C,,ica 11 , .ti-- I- Culture SEA potential Sustainable Seattle Travelinv While Black Washington National Park Fund ................... Wias�hhin ton Trust for Historic Preservation WingLuke -Museum Saliywn Days 2022, Co� iii tesy of Visk Issaqua Confederated Tribes of the Chehalis Reservation Confederated Tribes of the Colville Peservation Cowlitz lndian Tribe Hoh Tribe Jamestown S'Kiallam Tribe KahsRel Tribe of lndians Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe Lummi Nation Makah Tribal Council Muckleshoot lndian Tribe Nksquall3jndian Tribe Nooksack lndian Tribe Port Gamble S'Klallam Tribe Ruyalba pidb-e- Qui cute Nation Quinault lndian Nation Samish lndian Nation Sauk-Suiattle lndian Tribe Shoalwater Bad Ind'uan Tribe Skokomish lndian Tribe SnoAualmie lndian Tribe - Spokane Tribe of ln&ans Squaxin lsland Tribe StMilaguarnish Tribe of lndians SuAuam ish Tribe Swinomish lndian Tribal Comunity Tularip Tribes peer Skagit lndHan Tribe Yakama Nation Confederated Tribes and Bands