Helpful resources from across the web for tourism professionals, students, and educators:
SUSTAINABLE DESTINATION MANAGEMENT
2017 International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development, United Nations – Background on how tourism supports UN’s Sustainable Development Goals
Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria, Global Sustainable Tourism Council – Criteria for creating certification programs
Guide for Sustainable Tourism Best Practices, Rainforest Alliance
WTM Responsible Tourism, World Travel Mart
Tourism and Visitor Management in Protected Areas, IUCN – Guidelines that provide guidance on key issues to help managers achieve sustainable tourism in protected areas.
Building and Operating Biodiversity-Friendly Hotels, IUCN – A guide to sustainable use of biological resources and siting and design of hotels and resorts.
Biodiversity: My Hotel, IUCN – A guide to help owners and managers of small and large hotels located in all areas to conserve nature
Sustainable Destination Stewardship, World Travel & Tourism Council – A framework for understanding the problems of over-tourism and identifying specific solutions that can make a real difference.
Destination 2030: Global Cities’ Readiness for Tourism Growth, World Travel & Tourism Council – An assessment of cities’ readiness for tourism growth and solutions to foster sustainable growth in tourism activity
Sustainable Destination Management Strategies in the OIC Member Countries, Standing Committee for Economic and Commercial Cooperation of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation – A study that identifies sustainable destination management strategies, compares best practices, and provides policy recommendations for OIC Member states
Tourism and the Sustainable Development Goals: Journey to 2030, United Nations World Tourism Organization – Aims to build knowledge, empower and inspire tourism stakeholders to take necessary action to accelerate the shift towards a more sustainable tourism sector by aligning policies, business operations and investments with the SDGs.
SUSTAINABLE TOURISM BUSINESSES
Guide Qualifications & Performance Standards, Adventure Travel Trade Association – Best practices in guide qualifications
Standard Criteria and Indicators for Tourism Businesses, Green Globe – A well respected standard for sustainable tourism operations.
Destination Promotion: An Engine of Economic Development, Destination International – Understand how investments in the visitor economy drive broader economic growth.
Sustainability Reporting, World Travel and Tourism Council – A four-part report on sustainability reporting to help travel and tourism companies understand the key concepts behind reporting.
2017 Power & Performance Rankings, World Travel and Tourism Council – A report that looks at the performance of 185 countries after the financial crisis (2011-2017) ended and when most countries commenced their journeys to economic recovery.
Baseline Report on the Integration of Sustainable Consumption and Production Patterns into Tourism Policies, UN World Tourism Organization – A report that aims to inspire stakeholders and encourage them to advance the implementation of the SDGs through sustainable tourism.
Sustainable Tourism and Natural World Heritage: priorities for action, IUCN – A study aimed at examining the gaps in our understanding of how tourism development affects natural World Heritage Sites in order to support the development of sustainable tourism at these sites.
The Definitive Guide for Sustainable Tourism, Biosphere Tourism- A guide to what companies in the tourism sector should do to position themselves at the forefront of sustainable tourism.
Survival of the Fittest, The Travel Foundation – The business benefits for taking a sustainable approach, as well as advice and guidance on applying to your business.
TOURISM TRENDS
UNWTO Tourism Highlights 2018 Edition, UNWTO – A concise overview of international tourism in the world based on the results for the year 2017
World, Transformed: Megatrends and Their Implications for Travel & Tourism, WTTC – A report that attempts to help businesses and policy-makers anticipate the transformations ahead and provide prospects for solutions for long-term competitiveness.
OECD Tourism Trends and Policies 2018, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development – The 2018 edition analyses tourism performance and policy trends across 49 OECD countries and partner economies.
The Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report 2017, World Economic Forum – A look at the set of factors and policies that enable the sustainable development of the travel and tourism sector, which in turn, contributes to the development and competitiveness of a country.
Travel Trends Report 2019, Trekksoft – The latest data-driven insights, tourism trends, and key market insights from industry experts.
REPORTS ON SPECIFIC NICHE MARKETS
2019 State of the Food Travel Industry Report, World Food Travel Association – A report that serves as a bellwether or compass for the food tourism industry, all related business sectors and media
Adventure Tourism Development Index, Adventure Travel Trade Association / George Washington University – An assessment of the potential adventure tourism competitiveness of countries around the globe.
20 Adventure Travel Trends to Watch in 2018 – Adventure Travel Trade Association – A comprehensive look at the issues facing adventure travel businesses and destinations in 2018
Extending Business Travel into Leisure Time: Bleisure Study, Global Business Travel Association – A study with answers to common business and leisure travel questions and the implications for managed corporate travel.
Tourism and Culture Synergies, UNWTO – A report that highlights the symbolic relationship between tourism and culture and the interdependency of the two sectors.
Walking Tourism: Promoting Regional Development, UNWTO – This report showcases various successful examples of walking tourism and aims to serve as a practical reference for destinations with a focus on the role of walking tourism in regional development.
CASE STUDIES
Compendium of Best Practices in Sustainable Tourism, United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs – Case studies of the best practices collected and analyzed by four main criteria: Conservation, Community, Culture, and Commerce.
Innovative Catalysts Boosting Sustainability in the Tourism Sector: Based on cases and initiatives from Germany, UNWTO – An analysis of different successful sustainable tourism initiatives with the aim to identify specific elements that have visibly ‘catalyzed’ the shift towards a more sustainable consumption and production patterns in tourism in Germany.
Integrating Business Skills into Ecotourism Operations, IUCN / Kuoni Group – A collection of case studies, checklists, and revision questions designed to help conservation organizations,
