“What are tourist boards for?” He asked. The girl replied “They’re a service to the traveller and they’re judged by how many tourists they bring to a destination”.
It’s a natural mistake, isn’t it?
Who pays the tourist board, and what do they want for their money?
The local population pay for the tourist board, they want a tourist trade, but they’d be just as happy with the money the tourist brings – without the tourists.
Sustainable tourism BEGINS in the destination.
In a perfect, sustainable, world the tourist board agrees the number and type of tourists that the destination requires, when and where they require them. It then manages this requirement on behalf of the destination.
Locals, after all, not tourists, own the tourism product (the local environment, roads, property, culture). Tourists buy into it for a very short period of time.
Whatever the UN WTO says, or the WTTC, or anybody who has an interest in moving people around for a profit.
It’s ONLY the destination that can be truly sustainable. We may be world citizens, but primarily, we’re ALL local citizens.
I’ve been in Amsterdam, working for a unique floating hotel for a few days and trying to get something interesting and sustainable set up.
More later…
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