Six organisations have come together for the first time to form The Future of Tourism Coalition with a mission to place destinations at the centre of recovery strategies.
It will see the coming together of the Travel Foundation, the Centre for Responsible Travel, Destination Stewardship Centre, Green Destinations, Sustainable Travel International and Tourism Cares, with the guidance of the Global Sustainable Tourism Council.
And 22 founding signatories will provide guidance to the coalition as plans are put in place to support travel and tourism entities long-term.
They include the Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA), G Adventures, Government of the Azores, Government of Colombia, Hilton, Intrepid Travel, Jordan Tourism Board, Lindblad Expeditions, Seychelles Ministry of Tourism, Slovenian Tourist Board, The Travel Corporation and the World Wildlife Fund.
To rally global change, the coalition has put forward guiding principles that outline a bold vision for tourism’s path forward, and is calling on tourism agencies, travel companies, governments, investors, non-governmental organisations, and destination communities to commit to them.
The guiding principles provide a clear moral and business imperative for building a healthier tourism industry while protecting the places and people on which it depends.
Those principles call for signatories to:
1. See the whole picture
2. Use sustainability standards
3. Collaborate in destination management
4. Choose quality over quantity
5. Demand fair income distribution
6. Reduce tourism’s burden
7. Redefine economic success
8. Mitigate climate impacts
9. Close the loop on resources
10. Contain tourism’s land use
11. Diversify source markets
12. Protect sense of place
13. Operate business responsibly
Interested travel and tourism stakeholders are invited to show their support and become part of the movement by joining as signatories. Visit futureoftourism.org