overtourism – International Institute of Tourism Studies

Jackson Hole Creates Destination Stewardship Council to Implement New Plan

amandareiserMarch 2, 2023March 2, 2023Leave a comment

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.

World Class Destination Jackson Hole Tackles Sustainable Destination Management

amandareiserJune 2, 2022July 26, 2022Leave a comment

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

Overtourism Forum Draws Thought Leaders From Around the World

GW IITSOctober 18, 2018Leave a comment

In collaboration with our colleagues at the Center for Responsible Travel, on World Tourism Day—September 27th—the International Institute of Tourism Studies gathered industry leaders from around the world to share their approaches to the vexing challenges that stem from overtourism.

The forum, Overtourism: Seeking Solutions, was a great success in terms of attendance, media coverage and the sharing of ideas for possible pathways forward. As all presenters stressed, overtourism stems from a complex set of challenges; solutions will need to be multi-faceted and site-specific.

Francesca Street—who interviewed three of our panelists for her CNN feature Can the World Be Saved from Overtourism?—summarized the key takeaway as follows: “Speakers agree that government, locals and tourism companies working together is the best recipe for success. Events such as the World Tourism Day Forum also allow for cross-pollination and sharing of ideas on a wider scale."

Johanna Jainchill, in her Travel Weekly story Experts Talk Threat of Overtourism and Possible Solutions, said: "Among the clearest takeaways from the event was that governments worldwide need to step up and recognize they are the first line of defense in saving their historical cities and natural treasures from being "loved to death."

A few additional takeaways...

Recognize the tipping point: More isn't always better. Determine maximum capacity for your destination and monitor social media to determine whether it's on traveler hot lists.
Plan ahead: Make tourism part of comprehensive urban, regional and destination plans.
Stay flexible and adaptable: What works for historic sites doesn't necessarily work for beach communities, for example. Needs differ and change over time.
Rethink good governance and management: DMOs have a vital role to play beyond marketing; they need to participate in the sustainable management of destinations.
Redirect visitors: Encourage visitors to travel smarter, to seek out hidden gems and to contribute to the protection of the places they visit.

For those unable to attend the forum in person or via livestream, we've posted video recordings of the entire day on the International Institute of Tourism YouTube playlist.