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Travel Forward is the theme of the 2023 National Travel and Tourism week in the United States. At George Washington University International Institute of Tourism Studies (GW IITS), we are traveling forward by assisting destinations at the forefront of tourism sustainability, stewardship and community engagement. We help tourist destinations go further and engage their communities at a deeper level to create meaningful change for locals and visitors alike. 

We’ve had the privilege of working with a variety of destinations on their aspirations to travel forward. Here are a few reflections from three projects we have been working on in the past year.

Jackson Hole – Leaning into a Sustainable Future

In Jackson Hole, Wyoming, tourism was beginning to overtake the community. As visitation levels rose higher, and rose throughout the four seasons of the year, mitigating the negative visitor impacts on the environment and the community became increasingly difficult. Working with the Jackson Hole Travel and Tourism Board (JHTTB), GW IITS and Confluence Sustainability developed a Destination Stewardship Plan during an 18-month planning process. A strong focus on community impacts and engagement drove the planning process and generated record participation from the community through a resident sentiment survey and workshops. In order to fully represent the wide range of community interests and initiate the destination stewardship plan, Jackson Hole is creating a destination stewardship council to implement the plan. This month, JHTTB hired a Destination Management Coordinator to support the destination stewardship council. To learn more about GW IITS’ work in Jackson Hole visit our blog and check out the plan on the JHTTB local engagement site at https://www.visitjacksonhole.com/locals.

Maine - Connecting Cultural and Natural Assets

At the recent Governor’s Conference on Tourism, GW IITS Executive Director Seleni Matus spoke on Outdoor Recreation and Cultural Tourism: Where Discovery Meets Inspiration. Matus urged connecting Maine's cultural and outdoor recreation landscapes to create compelling new visitor experiences in Native American communities. 

Native American tribes–the Wabanaki–have rich culture, landscapes and experiences to offer visitors. To help integrate Wabanaki culture and landscapes into the Maine visitors’ experience, GW IITS is partnering with the Four Directions Development Corporation (FDDC), with support from the Maine Office of Tourism, to facilitate the creation of a multi-year Native tourism development and management plan for the Wabanaki Tribal Nations in Maine. The project will assist Wabanaki Tribal Nations develop additional tourism products and experiences to offer visitors. Adopting the plan will help  Maine tourism travel forward and gain new opportunities for increased visitation and enhancement of visitors’ experience while the Wabanaki Nations gain opportunities for economic development and creation of Native tourism products that share their cultures. The development and management plan is expected to be completed in August.

Ketchikan – Creating a Collaborative Sustainability Strategy

In every destination traveling forward, collaboration is key. At the southernmost boundary of Alaska, in the Southeast Panhandle, lies the Ketchikan Gateway Borough, also known as the “Gateway to Alaska”. Its natural beauty as an island rainforest and its rich cultural heritage is the first Alaskan cruise stop for many travelers to the 49th state. In 2022, more than one million cruise passengers visited Ketchikan, a destination with approximately 8,000 residents. In order to stay ahead of the crowds and manage tourism before impacts became irreversible, the Ketchikan Gateway Borough (KGB) called upon GW IITS and Confluence Sustainability to facilitate creation of the Ketchikan Tourism Strategy over a 15-month process. In order to execute an impactful strategy, cross-jurisdictional collaboration was critical, i.e. collaboration among Ketchikan Gateway Borough, City of Ketchikan, City of Saxman, Village of Saxman, Ketchikan Indian Community, and KGB lands. With so many jurisdictions present and fragmentation of tourism efforts a reality, a shared vision was needed to tackle complex challenges and balance the needs and aspirations of all communities and stakeholder groups. Read about early phases of the KTS development in our blog post here.

Photo from Visit Taos

Taos – New Entry in the Travel Forward Movement

Taos is another destination that has committed to travel forward, recently joining a growing number of destinations –  Jackson Hole, Breckenridge, Vail, Sedona, Park City –  that are developing and implementing tourism plans focused on sustainability and stewardship.  GW IITS is excited to assist this culturally and naturally rich destination alongside our partner, the Center for Responsible Travel (CREST), to create a destination stewardship plan of responsible tourism practices that promote, preserve, and celebrate Taos’ natural and cultural heritage.

Photo from Casetta Group

In the summer of 2021, driven largely by people seeking outdoor vacations during COVID, national parks and other public lands around the nation set records for visitors. That summer’s unique challenges were pivotal for Teton County, WY, home to the magnificent natural resources of Jackson Hole, Grand Teton National Park, Yellowstone National Park and Bridgerton-Teton National Forest.    

The Jackson Hole community was feeling the impacts that unmitigated visitation can inflict on human and natural resources, the pillars of Jackson Hole’s destination economy. The Jackson Hole Travel and Tourism Board (JHTTB) recognized those impacts and decided to act.

They followed the lead of other major tourist destinations—Aspen, Brekenridge, Sedona and Vail among them—who were threatened by their own tourism success and had already developed or were developing destination management plans to respond to tourism sustainability issues. This trend in planning is also happening around the world. Queensland, New Zealand feared overtourism, so the destination reacted with a management plan that invested in roads, public transport, housing and parking, and created a visitor care code and communication campaigns to enhance and promote visitor responsibility.

Needing help to design a sustainable tourism future, the JHTTB called on George Washington University International Institute of Tourism Studies (GW IITS) and Confluence Sustainability to guide them in the creation of a Sustainable Destination Management Plan (SDMP).

An intense 18-month planning process ensued, wrapping up in December 2022 after engaging nearly 5,000 residents, and in January 2023 the finished plan was adopted unanimously by the JHTTB. In announcing the adoption of the plan, the Board said “together we will ensure that the power of travel and tourism contributes to the health and well-being of our community, our economy and our environment.”

JHTTB also adopted one of the plan’s cornerstone recommendations and created the Teton County Destination Stewardship Council to manage and implement the Sustainable Destination Management Plan in the short-term. Work is already on the way to bring the Destination Stewardship Council to fruition. 

The destination’s engagement website https://www.visitjacksonhole.com/locals shares the plan and other previous research from the GW IITS team, and stresses the importance that residents be engaged and active in the SDMP implementation.

“For Teton County, Wyoming, sustainability means balancing the aspirations and needs of community members, businesses, and visitors with the protection of the public lands that are core to the county's heritage, culture, and economy” says Crista Valentino, Interim Executive Director, JHTTB. “GW International Institute of Tourism Studies and Confluence Sustainability played an essential role in building consensus amongst the many stakeholders within our community to build a short and long-term holistic approach towards tourism.” 

JHTTB will stay involved to fund projects, events, and initiatives that are eligible for funding under the Wyoming lodging tax statutes. Full implementation funding requires collaborative approaches across jurisdictions and partner organizations named in the plan. The same commitment to collaboration that produced the plan, if brought to implementation, will guarantee Jackson Hole’s sustainable future.

The George Washington University International Institute of Tourism Studies (GW IITS) celebrates big news this month. Our ongoing facilitation of the South Dakota Native Tourism Alliance makes us especially proud to announce that Alliance members Tiana and Guss Yellowhair were recently presented the “Excellence in Customer Service” Award from the American Indian Alaska Native Tourism Association (AIANTA).

We are also celebrating the addition of Ed Hall to the GW IITS team as the Indigenous Tourism and Economic Development Executive in Residence.

Guss and Tiana Yellowhair at the AIANTA Excellence in Tourism Awards. Photo from the South Dakota Native Tourism Alliance

The Yellowhair father and daughter, Guss and Tiana, own Tatanka Rez Tourz on the Pine Ridge Reservation, established in collaboration and partnership with many local, regional and national Native organizations. At the 2022 AIANTA conference, the Yellowhairs were cited for their “Excellence in Customer Service”, an award commending their work providing authentic Native tour experiences to visitors while educating them about Native issues.

Takanka Rez Tourz connects visitors with the Lakota language and culture and provides past and present history of the reservation. “A lot of hard work and long days went into this business in order to share knowledge, build bridges and carry-on the traditions and practices of everyday Lakota teachings,” said Gus Yellowhair to the Lakota Times.

Tanka Rez Tourz provides male, female, elder and youth perspectives. The Yellowhair team make visitors feel welcomed and at home and introduces them to etiquette that best respects Native communities.

As artists, Guss (a traditional hide drum-maker) and Tianna (an illustrator) share their work and invite local artists and performers to showcase their talents–singing, dancing, speaking, performing or storytelling. Visitors experience Lakota artistry firsthand.

GW IITS treasures their partnership in the South Dakota Native Tourism Alliance and applauds their exemplary business model and excellence in customer service.

We are also celebrating the addition of Ed Hall as Indigenous Tourism and Economic Development Executive in Residence. Ed’s distinguished background in Indigenous tourism includes three decades of experience at the U.S Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), including more than two decades as BIA Tourism Coordinator. Ed has spearheaded innumerable initiatives that continue to have major positive impacts in Indigenous tourism.

He established a permanent tribal presence in the National Academy of Science Transportation Research Board, which led to the Inter-tribal Transportation Association, an arm of the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI). That series of events helped raise Indian roads funding levels from $100 million in 1992 to more than $550 million in 2021.  

Ed helped write and guide the Native American Tourism Improving Visitor Experience (NATIVE) Act, a law designed to increase American Indian, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian capacity for tourism. Ed was also lead staff for the U.S. Department of Interior in the implementation of the NATIVE Act, which has been subsequently funded annually since 2018.

Ed’s work has ensured that tribal groups are included in U.S. agency programs and discussions. He created the tribal outreach program for the National Scenic Byways America’s Byways Resource Center, and was instrumental in establishing the American Indian Tourism Conference in 1998 which led to the formation of American Indian Alaska Native Tourism Association (AIANTA). He represented the BIA in the creation of the Tribal Technical Assistance Program for the Federal Highways Administration and contributed to the incorporation of Indian Country into Lewis and Clark Bicentennial and Sesquicentennial of the Civil War commemorations. A speech Ed gave on U.S. tribal tourism at the Organization of American States (OAS) Ministerial on tourism in Lima, Peru, led to a collaboration between OAS, the Office of Indian Economic Development (OIED) and GW IITS and the creation of the Indigenous Tourism Forum of the Americas and the Indigenous Tourism Collaborative of the Americas.

In addition to his new role for GW, Ed serves on the Executive Council of the Native American Food Sovereignty Alliance (NAFSA), is an Advisory Board Member for Travel Unity, is the President of the Carlisle Indian School Project Board of Directors, and is on the Advisory Board of the Anne Marie Deruyttere Indigenous Peoples Foundation.

This Native Heritage Month, we proudly celebrate the accomplishments of Guss and Tianna Yellowhair and the talents and vision of Ed Hall, whose commitment to building Indigenous community capacity, amplifying Indigenous voices, and creating positive change will lift GW IITS efforts to promote, develop, and sustain Indigenous tourism.

Indigenous people living in the Great Plains, Black Hills, and Badlands have recently developed a new one-of-a-kind Dakotas tour and are excited to be able to welcome visitors and share their history and culture. Destination America, in partnership with the South and North Dakota Tribal Nations, South Dakota Department of Tourism, and the George Washington University International Institute of Tourism Studies (GW IITS), has created and will offer a nine day cultural tour of tribal lands in the Dakotas starting in Spring 2023. This tour, called “National Parks and Native Trails of the Dakotas,” is a fascinating journey through South and North Dakota. Travelers can take the tour from May through August in a 20-30 person coach.

Creating the tour took intense collaboration, time, and testing. The tour is designed to delight visitors in meaningful Indigenous tribal experiences, support local Native American communities and allow tribes to share their culture, history and legacy in their own ways through the powerful incorporation of storytelling.

GW IITS supported the South Dakota Native Tourism Alliance (SDNTA) and North Dakota Native Tourism Alliance (NDNTA) during the tour planning process which included a familiarization (FAM) tour for Destination America, in-person product development workshops, and a test run of Destination America’s multi-day tour.

Visitors learn about the geography and culture at Pine Ridge Reservation

Tour development began back in July 2021 with the FAM tour showcasing tourism sites and attractions in South and North Dakotas that could be included in a tour itinerary. Sites included the Lakota Youth Development Initiative and many points of interest on Pine Ridge, Rosebud and Standing Rock Reservations, as well as the Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara Nation. The FAM tour was led by SDNTA and NDNTA members.. GW IITS’ participation during the FAM tour helped identify technical assistance needs for development, pricing and successful operation of the new tour.

A guide presents stories and history at the Sitting Bull Visitor Center

GW IITS held in-person product development studio workshops and training sessions in November 2021 for each tribal nation and native organization contributing to the developing tour. Tribal participants were guided in creating engaging itineraries that are profitably priced. At the workshop’s conclusion, all the tribes and organizations were ready to submit their tour packages–itineraries and prices–to Destination America.

Visitors got a hands-on approach to learn about Native culture during the Oglala Lakota Living History Village Tour

The final step of the tour development process was a test tour of the multi-day itinerary. In July 2022, GW IITS and the SD Department of Tourism co-hosted a four-day test evaluating the tribal components of the upcoming tour. Planned stops in national parks and monuments were not included in the test. The twenty test participants were a mix of tour operators, marketers, guides, and SDNTA members who provided practical feedback on touring sites on the Pine Ridge Reservation, Rosebud Reservation, the Lakota Youth Development Camp in Milks Camp, and the Sitting Bull Visitor Center in Standing Rock Nation. Activities included storytelling performances, a traditional native food tasting of dishes made with fresh produce, a Native tea demonstration and touring a living history village, cultural heritage museums and art galleries.

Traditional Native food was served for lunch at the Lakota Youth Development Tour

Rated a great success, the test tour gave tour providers valuable practical insights and guidance and allowed tour providers and operators to strengthen their developing relationships.

The National Parks and Native Trails of the Dakotas tour launches to great fanfare in the Spring of 2023. Proud participants GW IITS, SDNTA, NDNTA, Destination America, and participating tribes and national parks are all excited to share the first-of-its-kind tour with curious travelers.

For more information about this tour, visit the tour package from Destination America here: https://www.trafalgar.com/en-au/tours/national-parks-and-native-trails-of-the-dakotas

It was all smiles during the FAM tour at the Rosebud Reservation

Lovely, once-sleepy Ketchikan has evolved into the Gateway to Alaska and Salmon Capital of the World. Set within the Tongass National Forest on Revillagigedo Island in a salt-water channel, Ketchikan is a steep and narrow town with a creek running through it and a mountain rising immediately east of downtown. Bursting with natural beauty and cultural heritage, it has become one of Alaska’s most popular cruise ship stops. 

Before the Covid-19 pandemic, the number of cruise passengers visiting Ketchikan began to overwhelm the town. In 2019, cruise visitors outnumbered the 14,000 locals 88 to 1. While the 2020 cruise season was cut short and the 2021 season canceled, cruise visitation made a strong comeback in 2022 with arrivals anticipated to match or pass the 2019 season. 

Recognizing that the impressive rate of tourism rebound and constant outpouring of cruise visitors could overwhelm their small community, the Ketchikan Gateway Borough (KGB) government partnered with Confluence Sustainability and the GW IITS to evaluate the state of tourism in Ketchikan and help create a plan to sustain tourism, the top industry, while protecting the local people, land, and culture that makes Ketchikan such a desirable destination.

KGB Planning Director Richard Harney captured the essence of the project: “Ketchikan is a host community. Hosting and entertaining people from all over the world is what we do and who we are. We, as a community, invite people to Ketchikan so we can share our culture and heritage, but over the years, we as a community have somewhat forgotten this as the single-day visitors have overwhelmed some of the community. GW IITS has been a huge help to our community in figuring out what tourism looks like in the future. I am excited about where we have come from and where this process will take us.”

The GW IITS began working with the KGB in January 2022 to complete a destination assessment and formulate the Ketchikan Tourism Strategy (KTS). 

The first phase of this project included a situation analysis evaluating the current state of tourism and sustainability in the destination. Next, the situation analysis was validated during an onsite visit in July 2022 where nearly 85 local stakeholders engaged in focus groups, interviews, and community meetings (with roughly 300 more participating in this meeting on Facebook live). Simultaneously to stakeholder meetings, a resident survey was conducted to evaluate resident sentiment towards tourism, and a visitor review analysis was completed using online reviews from Tripadvisor to gain visitors’ perspectives. Residents in Ketchikan recognize the importance of tourism in the economy but feel that it can negatively impact traffic and congestion, the natural environment, and more. Tourism management is an important factor for the future of Ketchikan, and residents would like to be actively engaged in this process.

Richard Harney, Planning Director of the KGB, addresses tourism stakeholders during a KTS workshop

After evaluating stakeholder, resident and visitor responses, the situation analysis was updated and the GW IITS/Confluence Sustainability team returned to Ketchikan in October 2022 to conduct visioning and planning workshops. Attended by 46 tourism stakeholders, the workshops prioritized key issues previously identified and discussed some potential solutions. To enhance the validity of those discussions with a larger sample, the GW IITS/Confluence Sustainability team set up a table at a local art walk event, an additional opportunity to meet with members of the community and engage another 50+ residents on their views about key tourism issues.

Residents share their perspectives on tourism issues during the Ketchikan art walk

Between the site visits, key meetings were held with local governance entities including the Ketchikan Indian Community, the Ketchikan Visitors Bureau, the City of Ketchikan, the KGB, and the Chamber of Commerce. A Steering Committee and Community Advisory Committee were regularly consulted throughout the planning process.

The development of the Ketchikan Tourism Strategy will be completed in Spring 2023, including an implementation plan and toolkit to guide Ketchikan to a more sustainable tourism future.  For the dedicated community that lives and loves Ketchikan, it’s a key step toward protecting their treasured resources and rich heritage while maintaining a thriving tourism economy.

The GW International Institute of Tourism Studies’ Consulting Practicum provides Master of Tourism Administration students with opportunities to participate in ongoing research and consulting projects that support sustainable tourism development. Each year, we partner with a select university in a host country to address tourism development issues and identify strategies, sustainable products and markets for these destinations. The 2022 consulting practicum took place in Tbilisi, Republic of Georgia in partnership with Caucasus University. Student consultants were paired with local Georgian students and tasked with assessing 36 local wineries, accommodation providers and attractions in Kakheti–the foremost wine region in Georgia. The students also developed new product ideas and identified marketing optimization strategies. Some students who were involved in the consulting program are now working with USAID-Georgia to develop and pilot test a Wine Passport initiative.

This project was made possible by funding and partnership with USAID-Georgia Economic Security Program and the Georgia National Tourism Administration.

Three student consultant participants from this program shared some of their thoughts and experiences from the recent project in the Republic of Georgia.

“Our group's contributions primarily expanded the toolbox that Georgia’s wine tourism industry planners and strategists can use to gain competitive advantage and draw new attention to the region. The field work we conducted helped to identify the needs and capacities of smaller operators and to help prioritize these needs. To me, the most significant contribution we made was to bring less-noticed voices into the conversation so that they can benefit equally.” - Ad Lane

“We provided about a dozen actionable recommendations to our Georgian project sponsors based on a combination of academic and field research. Tourism stakeholders will decide whether to adopt or modify our recommendations but we believe they’re great starting points to improve existing products, increase marketing and introduce new products to Georgia's gastronomy and wine tourism sector.” - Anthony Chu

“Before going to Georgia, we spent time in a classroom setting learning about the principles and ethics of business consultation and this knowledge proved to be helpful and applicable once onsite. The social collaboration approach we learned about to gather data and information helped to identify key issues while completing analysis.” - Abraham Soyem

“For many Georgians, wine is part of daily life, not only in consumption but also production. Georgia heritage and lineage, like the grapevines, are nurtured by the land and community appreciation for small beginnings. In the month before our project in Tbilisi and Kakheti, I visited 7 other countries but Georgia felt closest to home despite being so different to where I come from. Truly, the most surprising personal finding was how eager I was to come back and continue my work in the country as soon as I left.” - Ad Lane

“We visited more than 30 businesses and organizations that provide tourism services, with many locations marketed as small-enterprise stops on the Wine Route. I was most surprised that some of the businessowners we encountered were solidly in other professions and in some instances treated operating the winery as a hobby, a personal passion. That they are able to build a business like a winery as a part-time gig while working full-time in another city says a lot about their drive, and I hope they benefit from our team's work.” - Anthony Chu

“Personally, I learned a lot from this project on becoming a business consultant. A key consideration for businesses is to network and broaden different services they provide in order to reach goals. When setting these goals, it is important to keep them attainable for the business itself, working closely with the business along the way and considering these potential partnerships.” - Abraham Soyem

“I experienced the famous Georgian hospitality first-hand and witnessed the legacy of Georgia's "cradle of wine" region in the country’s economy.. I enjoyed the culture-sharing, observing the intellectual interactions between the staff and students at Caucasus University, and learning about the structure of Georgia’s tourism industry.” - Anthony Chu

“The most meaningful aspect of the lovely and welcoming Georgia experience was the  opportunity to collaborate with future leaders of the country's tourism industry studying at Caucasus University. Their exuberance, creativity, and resourcefulness gave me confidence in the work we left behind.” - Ad Lane

“Traveling to a new country, experiencing the local sights and culture, and working with both GWU and Caucasus University staff and  students were the most worthwhile aspects of the study abroad experience. I'm a history buff, but even so, I learned a lot I didn’t know about the history and culture of Georgia, the region, winemaking and gastronomy. I regret I didn't spend extra time in the area and explore further, but it gives me an excuse to travel back as a tourist!” - Anthony Chu

GW International Institute of Tourism Studies Guides Teton County Towards Destination Stewardship

Nestled between mountain ranges of Grand Teton National Park and the wondrous landscapes of Yellowstone National Park, Jackson Hole, Wyoming is a town with a distinct personality and big ambitions. It is one thing to be a place that caters to tourists attracted to world-class skiing and hiking with awe-inspiring scenery and wildlife, and another to create a world-class plan to keep the destination and the communities that serve them sustainable.

The George Washington University International Institute of Tourism Studies (GW IITS), –in partnership with Confluence Sustainability–has joined a high-profile effort to steer the mountain resort destination in the development of a sustainable destination management plan.  The past lack of a destination management plan and the enormous success and year-round influx of visitors to Jackson Hole and Teton County, gateways to two of the most popular national parks in the U.S., has naturally created some questions about how to balance the need to protect the local environment and culture and make tourism more valuable for the local community. Traffic, housing, workforce shortage, and overcrowding at recreation facilities are commonly cited.

“Bringing people with differing interests and concerns together to create a destination management plan for a mature destination is never easy.  The key is bringing people together and finding common ground.  Our team at the George Washington University International Institute of Tourism Studies and Confluence Sustainability is well-positioned to assist Jackson Hole toward sustainability,” said Seleni Matus, executive director of George Washington University International Institute of Tourism Studies. “We’ve developed destination management plans for many global destinations including mountain resort and gateway communities, and our team has been at the forefront of shaping global destination certification standards. We also have strong ties to the community, having supported Teton County’s past sustainability assessment and certification efforts.”

The year-long project is consulting businesses, residents, local non-profits, governments and Federal land managers throughout the planning process. To ensure community buy-in and to develop a shared sense of responsibility for sustainable management, GW IITS has conducted a situational analysis with stakeholders, held stakeholder meetings and focus groups, and conducted a resident survey. The GW IITS and Confluence Sustainability team recently led two visioning and planning workshops in Jackson Hole and Idaho. 

A steering committee of community stakeholders is providing oversight for the planning process, which build on past and existing sustainability efforts.

“Since our inception in 2011, the Jackson Hole Travel and Tourism Board has been integral in building a strong tourism economy for the Jackson community. The current Board recognizes the need to prioritize destination stewardship with a renewed focus on enhancing the quality of life of our community. As we embark on this process, we intend to build on our valued community partners’ well-established and pioneering work on sustainability initiatives,” said Cory Carlson, JHTTB Board Chair. 

Follow the project’s progress at https://www.visitjacksonhole.com/locals 

GW International Institute of Tourism Studies Celebrates Indigenous Breakthroughs in Travel and Tourism

During this year’s National Travel and Tourism Week, themed “The Future of Travel”,  the George Washington University International Institute of Tourism Studies (GW IITS) celebrated four ground-breaking awards achieved by its Indigenous tourism projects, project members and project managers:

CONGRATULATIONS SOUTH DAKOTA

Dew Bad Warrior—project manager of the South Dakota Native Tourism Alliance (SDNTA) from the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe—received the Visit Rapid City Extra Mile Award this spring for her above-and-beyond support of Native tourism development.

For her leadership and contributions to Native tourism, Sarah Kills-in-Water—a South Dakota Native Tourism Alliance member from the Rosebud Sioux Tribe—was recently honored at the 2022 South Dakota Governor’s Conference on Tourism with the coveted Rising Star Award, which celebrates a tourism professional who has been in the industry for 2-4 years and is expected to make a strong impact on the tourism industry over their career.

Sarah Kills-in-Water, who received the South Dakota 2021 Governor’s Tourism Rising Star Award in recognition of her leadership and contributions to native tourism development.

In collaboration with GW IITS, the state of South Dakota–home to nine Native tribes–has actively embraced a destination identity that includes the state’s tribes, their cultures, land and people. GW IITS, along with tribal leaders and the Department of Tourism, have worked together to create the South Dakota Native Tourism Alliance and a five-year Native American Tourism Development and Management Plan (NATDMP) to inject indigenous culture into the state’s tourism program.

Seleni Matus of GWU IITS presents to the South Dakota Native Tourism Alliance  

Calvin Bloemendaal, who has represented the South Dakota Department of Tourism in the Alliance from its inception, commented. “South Dakota is proud to lead in the ground-braking movement of collaboration with tribes and industry state-wide to bring Native tourism into the mainstream and support their achievements every step of the way.”

Sarah has been a source of inspiration and knowledge in the South Dakota Native Tourism Alliance from its inception to the recent roll-out of the Alliance’s strategic plan. She has endorsed and promotes the Native American Tourism Development and Management Plan, South Dakota 2020–2025 because it “represents a true collaboration between tribes, the state and the tourism industry and will demonstrate that there can be enormous benefits for everyone when Native voices are welcomed and Native communities creating visitor experiences are supported by their state.”

Tamara St. John, tribal historian and South Dakota state legislator, praised the plan as “one of the most pro-sovereignty things that a tribe can do, to take control of their cultural history and tell their stories, define their own narrative, and tell what they’d like to share with the world.”

But it’s not just South Dakota that’s breaching a historically wide gulf in Native equity and inclusion that began in the 1800s with forcing tribes off their land, or taking away their land ownership and claiming the natural resources for the U.S. North Dakota is also bridging the gap.

CELEBRATING IN NORTH DAKOTA

Vision, initiative and hard work abound in Native efforts across the Dakotas and in April, the efforts of the North Dakota Native Tourism Alliance (NDNTA) to create authentic cultural experiences for tour operators landed them the 2022 North Dakota Governor’s Trailblazer Award.

The NDTA Board receives the 2022 North Dakota Governor's Trailblazer Award

Native tourism was on the rise prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, with 1.9 million overseas visitors reporting visiting Native America in 2019, and popular tour companies are recognizing the demand for authentic experiences. Destination America, a sister company to Trafalgar, is offering 40-50 Native community experiences in North America this year. Intrepid Travel has also been expanding its tourism offerings in Native America.

Taking advantage of this opportunity is the North Dakota Tribal Tourism Alliance, another success story that began as a GW IITS project to bring the North Dakota tribes together to create tours and build tourism capacity.

With an increase in demand for Native tourism destinations across the country, Native community engagement is needed now more than ever to help prepare tribal communities for tourism.

CELEBRATING IN THE AMERICAS

For its “outstanding commitment to diversity and inclusion in the last year through a campaign, content, partnership or other initiative,” Wanderful awarded its 2022 Bessie Award for Inclusion to the Indigenous Tourism Collaborative of the Americas.

Also breaking new ground in sustainable tourism is the Indigenous Tourism Collaborative of the Americas (ITCA), which has Native leadership, tourism industry support, GW IITS project management and a steering collaborative that includes the Organization of American States and the U.S. Department of the Interior Office of Indian Economics Development. ITCA is thriving and building an Indigenous tourism resources portal, tackling their priorities of COVID recovery, building sustainable tourism capacity and securing inclusion in industry and government decision-making.

“We are honored to receive an award named for Bessie Coleman,” steering committee member Katherine D. Edwards said, “who was the first licensed Native American and African American female pilot.   Achieving new heights in sustainable economic opportunity through inclusion in tourism is what our collaboration is about.”

Begun as a forum put on by GW IITS in 2020 and endorsed by the U.S. State Department, ITCA is tackling some of the most important issues in sustainable tourism throughout indigenous communities in North and South America with the help and support of some of the most significant forces in travel and tourism including Planeterra, Intrepid Travel, Travel Foundation, Destinations International, Tourism Cares G Adventures, Adventures Travel Trade Association and the Center for Responsible Travel (CREST).  

ONTO MAINE

As the success of the Dakota Native alliances have come to the attention of other states, Maine has emerged as the next state desiring GW IITS assistance to facilitate more inclusive Indigenous tourism planning on the East Coast.  GW IITS is delighted to begin work in collaboration with Four Directions Development Corporation and the Maine Office of Tourism on a Native American tourism development and management plan to support stronger, more sustainable Native tourism opportunities.  

New Promise for Authentic, Safe and Seamless Jamaican Visits

Clear blue water, soft sand, and salty air make destinations in the Caribbean irresistible for travelers. Jamaica’s high-quality, sustainable resorts give it an edge as a top tourist destination, and to remain competitive, the country is striving to deliver high-value experiences to visitors beyond its many resorts.

Committed to continued tourism improvement, the Government of Jamaica’s Ministry of Tourism (MOT) has partnered with the George Washington University International Institute of Tourism Studies (GWU IITS) and developed a national tourism Destination Assurance Framework and Strategy (DAFS), the first of its kind in the Caribbean. The DAFS was accomplished through an extensive participatory planning process facilitated by GWU IITS that engaged nearly 300 stakeholders from the public, private and third (civic) sectors and spanned eight months. It is now under review by the Cabinet. 

Destination assurance is Jamaica’s brand promise to visitors for an authentic, safe and seamless experience respectful of  communities  and the environment. The ultimate goal of destination assurance is increasing visitor satisfaction–crucial to the long-term success of the tourism industry. 

Hon. Edmund Bartlett, Tourism Minister of Jamaica, asserts that destination assurance is  “a promise to visitors that assures an authentic, safe and seamless experience, which is respectful to the community and environment,” and that the DAFS “aims to ensure that the integrity, quality and standards of Jamaica’s tourism product are maintained.” While destination assurance was incorporated in the country’s tourism model in the past, Bartlett noted that the current  specialized framework and strategy was created “to better meet the needs of the GEN-C travelers who have a vested interest in unique experiences which are safe”.

Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, addresses a Jamaica Information Service (JIS) 'Think Tank', on April 23, at the agency's Head Office in Kingston.” Photo by Dave Reid

The new plan is for individual businesses as well as the overall destination. At the business level, licensing will be streamlined in order for more businesses to attain licenses and operate under safe, legal practices. The plan offers suggested voluntary business standards within a quality management system, destination assurance, and product development.

A national system for certifying business sustainability is also encouraged in the plan  so tourists can identify businesses that are making an effort to be more sustainable. Once the National Destination Assurance Programme is enacted for tourism businesses, it can be expanded to include the certification of local destinations.

The development of regional destination management organizations (DMOs) are part of the plan and can help tackle infrastructure and security issues to ensure seamless and safe transit around Jamaica. Many Caribbean destinations have been historically perceived as unsafe outside resort walls. By enacting the assurance plan at the national and destination level, Jamaica intends  to eliminate its inclusion in that  narrative. 

While a majority of the new standards are advisory and voluntary, the plan makes a persuasive case that actions stemming from the DAFS standards will put Jamaica and its businesses in a stronger strategic and competitive position in the Caribbean. When these new standards take effect, they will make Jamaica safer for visitors. Jamaica’s success in coordinated efforts to achieve greater destination assurance will result in travelers eager to visit the country beyond its resorts and enjoy Jamaica’s rich culture and engaging communities.