Bringing thought leaders collectively in a single room is among the strongest points of Journey Journey Commerce Affiliation occasions. Throughout this 12 months’s Journey Journey World Summit in Panama, 24 leaders from 11 international locations gathered in dialog for 3 hours to share the challenges and alternatives going through the locations they signify. Almost half of the leaders current introduced greater than 20 years of expertise and are deeply concerned with their tourism board’s advertising and marketing and branding efforts. This dialogue constructed on earlier “Vacation spot Insights” classes that had been held earlier this 12 months on the ATTA’s three regional AdventureELEVATE occasions, and the key traits and takeaways from these classes had been additional developed on the Summit.
Vacation spot improvement emerged as a key matter, with sustainability firmly on the core of vacation spot administration methods. Many leaders want to discover methods to contain regional companions and tour operators in product improvement; are going through points equivalent to excessive volumes of single day guests and a standardized strategy to expertise improvement; and are going through an rising urgency in balancing genuine, native experiences with the expectations of worldwide guests.
As a complete, the group agreed that vacation spot improvement must occur from the within out, with training and sources wanted to assist tour operators develop past the ‘tried and true’ locations into lesser-known areas, and as an alternative transferring away from overtourism to foster financial development within the locations that might profit from tourism. Nonetheless, some leaders cautioned that transferring guests to extra distant areas with out correct infrastructure has the potential to trigger extra issues.
Examples like Jordan’s significant journey map and the rise in path improvement globally was cited as a constructive transfer in the direction of extra ‘sluggish journey’ experiences. Rwanda was additionally highlighted as a hit story of managing demand: by rising training and promotion, the nation attracted fewer guests who stayed longer. This ensured tourism revenues remained excessive, however the unfavorable impression decreased.
Leaders additionally confused the necessity to steadiness promotion with vacation spot administration. Some locations are discovering extra methods to construct collaborative insurance policies and programing between private and non-private sectors. For instance, sure areas have created insurance policies round AirBnB to cut back the unfavorable impression on inexpensive housing in city facilities. In the meantime, rising locations are focusing their advertising and marketing efforts to draw guests who respect the land, tradition, and communities. A key query that arose was how to make sure the income generated by guests is invested again into communities and infrastructure, and never simply funneled into further advertising and marketing and promotion. Canada’s information collective and up to date announcement of a brand new wealth and wellbeing index had been highlighted pretty much as good examples of shifting the main target of vacation spot improvement again to residents and communities.
All through the focus onions, leaders agreed that there’s a important want to coach municipal management and neighborhood influencers. Municipal and neighborhood planning is continuously finished in isolation, with out important enter or engagement from the tourism sector – regardless of its potential for financial development and profit. With out understanding that tourism will be developed with intention and responsibly, usually politicians and metropolis officers push again over issues about potential unfavorable impacts.
At instances vacation spot administration plans are used in opposition to tourism improvement, particularly if there is no such thing as a information to again up suggestions. Leaders additionally mentioned the worth of third-party certifications and packages just like the International Vacation spot Sustainability Index and International Sustainable Tourism Standards, which had been each cited as essential instruments for coaching and vacation spot improvement. These holistic approaches to vacation spot improvement, which combine financial, environmental, cultural, and social targets present each information and highway maps that assist with governance and collaboration between non-public and public sectors.
The insights shared at ATWS 2024 echo a rising dedication to refine tourism methods in order that they prioritize sustainable improvement, profit the neighborhood and native financial system, and decrease unfavorable customer impression. Vacation spot leaders are emphasizing considerate approaches the place collaborative insurance policies, citizen engagement, and conscientious vacationers are the important thing to driving sustainable development. Insights will evolve as locations proceed to shift their methods – and they’re invited to maintain the dialog going by sharing further ideas on the brand new ATTA Member HUB.