Destinations International
The growth of regenerative travel
DON WELSH , PRESIDENT AND CEO OF DESTINATIONS INTERNATIONAL , SAYS WE MUST LEAD BY EXAMPLE TO CREATE SUSTAINABLE , SAFE AND LIVABLE DESTINATIONS
T he work of the Destinations International ( DI ) European Pathfinders Programme is uncovering the key areas of importance when it comes to the role of convention and visitors bureaus and destination organisations around the world . Of the many fluid challenges , regenerative travel and sustainability are two focus areas leaders are increasingly faced with across the travel and tourism industry .
We believe the destination organisation community has a global commitment to be part of the solution when it comes to creating sustainable , safe and livable destinations . This effort must be collaborative between elected leaders , tourism officials , key stakeholders and the citizens of the community .
As destinations around the world prioritise these critical initiatives , there are numerous examples of communities big and small that have already done great work . When it comes to meetings and events , we are seeing many destinations develop strategies on meetings legacy and those events having lasting positive impacts in host communities .
An example of this is Fáilte Ireland . The destination is looking at developing a wider impact and legacy measurement framework to measure across five success factors including social , sectoral , economic , environmental and political .
Our host city for our CEO Summit in early April , Victoria , BC Canada , has a carbon neutral conference centre . During the event , we tackled many topics that destination leaders are facing , including sustainability . The summit had an afternoon dedicated to exploring regenerative tourism .
During the event , Yrjötapio ‘ YT ’ Kivisaari , CEO of Visit Oulu in Finland , shared with the group that sustainability starts with each of us . He urged the audience to step up and make decisions personally toward sustainability before asking our community to follow . YT holds a master ’ s degree in leadership and sustainability from the University of Cumbria , UK , and has been using his experience and educational knowledge to help the destination of Oulu continue to be a sustainable destination . Visit Oulu is a pioneer in ground-breaking technology and sustainable solutions . You may read more about Visit Oulu ’ s sustainability efforts at visitoulu . fi / en / sustainability .
Coming together to exchange ideas is one of the unique advantages of the
CEO Summit attendees gather at The Butchart Gardens for the Opening Reception
Above : Don Welsh
Destinations International Board chair , Al Hutchinson Foundation Board chair , Vail Ross join Don Welsh and CEO Gretchen Hall at Destinations International ’ s CEO Summit in Victoria , BC , Canada
global membership of DI . Our association has members in 23 countries around the world where destination leaders share best practices and guidance on pressing topics – all available through peer-to-peer networking and educational opportunities .
We look forward to welcoming leaders from around the world to our Annual Convention , 18-20 July , 2023 , in Dallas , Texas , USA , where we will continue to address the key areas of regenerative travel and sustainable tourism .
For more information and to register , visit destinationsinternational . org / annual .
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