Sustainable Tourism & Destination Development
Tourism is the ultimate “think global, act local” industry.
We work with countries, cities, unique attractions and commercial clients developing tourism strategy and luxury hotels & resorts. Our experiences have led us to challenging projects on islands, remote wilderness and within Protected Areas with unique cultural sites across 8 countries in 6 regions of the world.
Destinations are most successful deploying our Sustainable Tourism Development Plan (STDP) framework; while detailed, it is based on the 6 fundamental Pillars of Destination Development.
1. Investment
Public & Private sector investments into the development of appropriate physical assets, accommodation, attractions and hard infrastructure which align with the destinations’ tourism strategy.
2. Mobility, connectivity & access
Tourism Visa regimes regulate international and regional access. Transport and connectivity into and across destination attractions is essential to providing tourist service infrastructure.
3. Capacity building
Enabling technology, education, training & development to advance the “soft” skills required within the local community workforce to support and participate in tourism and hospitality businesses.
4. Legal processes and standards
Regulatory regimes should align to provide clear standards and guidelines across tourism sector businesses. Mechanisms should be in place to ensure compliance, with swift mediation and a reactive judiciary providing appropriate, unbiased corrective actions.
5. Destination Marketing
Understanding target and source market sectors, and then developing a Destinations’ brand which aligns with realistic tourist expectations and authentic experiences, is the key starting point for building an identity on which future distribution and growth is based.
6. Commercial environment
A competitive local market is essential to the fair pricing of tourism services, while also ensuring equitable wages and work conditions for the workforce.
Growing a tourism destination is complex; with inter-dependent public, private and business sectors combining to create tourist services and commercial value-chains. Understanding this is one of our strengths.
The challenge for tourism into the future is not about marketing, branding or developing attractions to increase visitor numbers, but rather one of growing tourism sustainably within the natural environment, with available resources and the regional culture of the destination.
Many destinations have become overcrowded and under-serviced victims of their own success. When local communities see little commercial benefit from tourism, or see local resources channelled into tourism developments at their expense, then tourists are at odds with the local community and tourism cannot flourish.
With 35 years of both strategy and operational management experience in tourism and hospitality development, we work alongside thought-leaders and trend-setters.
We have assessed and analysed hundreds of the world’s leading sustainable destinations, resorts and tourism companies, and understand the clear route to success.
Using this in-depth knowledge we provide practical, on-the-ground advice to develop sustainable, integrated tourism strategy and direction.
From the creation of new products and service categories to setting regulatory standards in tourism and hospitality, we separate information and data from the ‘noise’.
Destination Development Services
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