This paper presents four Destination Stewardship scenarios based on different levels of engagement from the public and private sector. The scenarios serve to support destination stakeholders in assessing their current context and the pathway towards greater stewardship. A Destination Stewardship Governance Diagnostic framework is built on the scenarios to support its stakeholders in considering how to move along that pathway, identifying the key aspects of governance that are either facilitating or frustrating a destination stewardship approach, and the required actions and resources to achieve an improved scenario. Moreover, the scenarios and diagnostic framework support stakeholders to come together to debate and scrutinise how tourism is managed in a way that meets the needs of the destination, casting new light on the barriers and opportunities for greater destination stewardship.
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The general aim of this research project has been to examine this phenomenon of tourism flow switching and consider the factors driving the geopolitical instability that can compromise destination security. On a more practical level the research has also examined what the reactions of Dutch tourists are to security threats affecting their tourism decisions and looked at the development of preventive measures against attacks by destinations and travel organisations. Finally, the research on the regional geopolitics of the MENA and European areas have together with the attitudes of Dutch tourists towards destination security been used as inputs into a scenario planning process involving the steering group of tour operators who originally commissioned this research, as participants. This process has focussed on macro environmental analysis, identification of key uncertainties, and the development of resilient strategies for the future.
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Until the recent outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the growth of tourism had confronted many destinations with policy decisions that had impacted regional ecosystems and the quality of life of their resident population. To counter the threats driven by dominant tourism growth models, a number of tourism scholars have called for revisiting the philosophical foundation upon which tourism activities are developed. Informed by debates in philosophy and the wider social sciences, including tourism scholarship, this conceptual paper, therefore, suggests an alternative governance paradigm for tourism destinations, which is articulated in four propositions that reflect a new materialist perspective. These propositions are a monist post-anthropocentric ontology, a participatory epistemology, resilient forms of tourism and participation as methodologies, and social eudaimonia as societal value. The core argument presented in this paper is that the Anthropocene requires tourism destinations to espouse alternative governance approaches drawing from ideas emerging from new materialist scholarship.
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Dit onderzoek richt zich op de relatie tussen ‘collaborative foresight’, ‘anticipatory governance’ en stakeholderprocessen. Dit binnen de context van Sociaal Ecologische Systemen (SES) en met name Nationaal Park Alde Feanen, dat zich wil (door)ontwikkelen tot een zgn. 'Nationaal Park Nieuwe Stijl' in lijn met het recente nationale beleidsprogramma 'Nationale Parken 2024-2030'. Het overkoepelende doel van deze PD is: te identificeren hoe gezamenlijke foresight-praktijken effectief moeten worden ingericht en opgevolgd, zodat hiermee de governance van natuurtoeristische bestemmingen, zoals het Nationaal Park Alde Feanen, wordt versterkt. Hierbij rekening houdend met complexe multi-stakeholder processen waarin dit plaatsvindt. Deze PD sluit aan bij een aantal grote transitie vraagstukken waar landelijke gebieden in Nederland mee te maken hebben rondom natuur, water, landbouw, energie, wonen en het evenwichtig gebruik van schaars beschikbare ruimte. De opgaven vragen om een integrale en gezamenlijke aanpak naar de toekomst. Het Leisure, Tourism en Hospitality (LTH) domein kan hierin een sleutelrol spelen als overkoepelende drager voor ruimtelijke transities, zo ook binnen het ‘Nationaal Park Alde Feanen Nieuwe Stijl’. Door middel van een kwalitatieve onderzoeksaanpak zal deze PD de voorwaarden, belemmeringen en kansen identificeren om toekomstvisies om te zetten in collectieve actie richting de toekomst van het Nationaal Park. Ook wil deze PD een prototype ontwerp ontwikkelen voor een zgn. 'Anticipatory Futures Stakeholder Lab'. Een soort ‘infrastructuur’ gericht op continue en gezamenlijke anticiperende activiteiten, om opvolging en invulling te geven aan de trajecten naar de toekomst. De onderzoeksuitkomsten kunnen actoren in het LTH-domein ondersteunen in deze transitieprocessen, specifiek in het (omliggende) Alde Feanen gebied. Het sluit aan bij hun ambities om als voorbeeld te dienen voor andere Nederlandse nationale parken. Theoretisch wil het onderzoek bijdragen aan innovatie van bestaande foresight methoden en aan het huidige academische discours over hoe ‘Foresight’ en ‘Anticipation’ samenhangen met 'Good Governance' van sociaal-ecologische systemen.
The purpose of this project was to create a roadmap with selected mechanisms to assist destination management organisations to optimize the benefits generated by tourism for their destination communities and ensure that it is shared equitably. By providing tools to identify and address inequality in terms of access to the benefits and value tourism generates, it is envisaged that a more equitable tourism model can be implemented leading to the fair distribution of benefits in destination communities, potentially increasing the value for previously excluded or underserved groups. To produce the roadmap, the study team will explore the range of challenges that hinder the equitable distribution of tourism-induced benefits in destinations as well as the enabling factors that influence the extent to which this is achieved. The central question the research team has set out to answer is the following: What does an equitable tourism model look like for destination communities?Societal issueHowever, while those directly involved in tourism will gain the most, the burden of hosting visitors is widely felt by local communities. This imbalance has, unsurprisingly, sparked civil mobilisations and protests in destinations around the world. It’s clear that placemaking and benefit-sharing must be part of the future of destination management to maintain public support. This project addressed issues around equity (environmental, economic, spatial, cultural and tourism experience). In line with the intentions set out in the CELTH Agenda Conscious Destinations.Benefit to societyBased on 25 case studies around 40 mechanisms were identified that can grow or better distribute the value from tourism, so that more people in destination communities benefit. These mechanisms are real-world practices already in use. DMOs and NTOs can consider introducing the mechanisms that best fit their destination context, pulling levers such as: taxes and revenue sharing, business incubation and training, licencing and zoning, community enterprises and volunteering, and product development..This report also outlines a pathway to an Equity-Driven Management (EDM) approach, which is grounded in participatory decision-making principles and aims to create a more equitable tourism system by strengthening the hand of destination governance and retaining control of local resources.Collaborative partnersNBTC, the Travel Foundation, Destination Think, CELTH, ETFI, HZ.
The project ‘Towards resilient leisure, tourism and hospitality (LTH) ecosystems in Europe’ addresses the critical problem of unsustainable practices in the tourism and travel industry. The LTH industry is ‘back on track’ after recovering from the global Covid-19 crisis. Destinations show increased numbers of international arrivals and rapid growth of tourism-related revenues. It is foreseen that cities like Amsterdam, but also vulnerable natural areas, will receive record numbers of visitors in the coming decade. The dominant economic model operating within the industry nonetheless prioritizes short-term gains, resulting in extreme exploitation of resources, labour, and local communities, evidenced by negative impacts in European destinations like Venice and the Canary Islands. The project aims to shift the industry’s focus to long-term sustainability, addressing systemic constraints and facilitating a transition that aligns with European priorities for a sustainable and just future. It builds vital connections between regional, national, and European research priorities by addressing and advocating for climate and social justice. Regionally, it investigates best practices across diverse tourism environments in Finland, Spain, Sweden, the UK, Scotland, and The Netherlands. Nationally, it challenges the status quo by proposing alternative governance frameworks that individual countries could adopt to encourage sustainable tourism practices. On a European scale, the project aligns with EU goals of climate action and sustainable development, supporting objectives of the European Green Deal and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It aims to build solid theoretical foundations necessary for a transition towards more resilient and environmentally and socially inclusive LTH ecosystems. Through integrating insights from multiple regions, the project transcends local boundaries and offers scalable solutions that can influence policy and industry standards at both national and European levels. The project's transdisciplinary nature ensures that proposed solutions are grounded in diverse eco-socioeconomic contexts, making them robust and adaptable.
