Introduction: Several Foundational Strategies are necessary before industry leadership can effectively implement destination stewardship for travelers. These include allocating personnel resources, strengthening collaboration and local coalitions, and advancing DEIA initiatives to ensure actions align with commitments. By laying this groundwork, the marketing, management, and communications efforts aimed at travelers will become more targeted and impactful.
Goal: Strengthen the foundation of Colorado’s tourism industry by implementing key strategies that promote sustainable, inclusive, and effectively managed tourism.
Objective: By 2035, tourism industry leadership organizations in Colorado will demonstrate a commitment to destination stewardship through their staffing, programs, and communication activities.
Strategies
Foundational 1: Identify Internal Resources for Destination Stewardship
Integrating destination stewardship resources into the core functions and budgets of organizations leading tourism across the state is crucial. By embedding stewardship responsibilities into staff roles and allocating budgets to related activities, organizations will establish a solid foundation for all destination stewardship efforts.
- Integrate destination stewardship responsibilities into job descriptions
- Hire or appoint a dedicated employee whose primary focus is on developing and implementing stewardship strategies
- Allocate a portion of the annual budget to fund destination stewardship initiatives
Role of the Tourism Industry
Integrate destination stewardship into operational priorities by providing resources that empower dedicated staff to implement effective stewardship initiatives.
Key Performance Indicators
- Number of employees with destination stewardship included in their job responsibilities
- Presence of a dedicated destination stewardship role or team within organizations
- Number of organizations with a dedicated budget for destination stewardship
Potential Supporting Partners
Colorado Association of Destination Marketing Organizations (CADMO) members, Colorado Association of Ski Towns (CAST) members
Foundational 2: Strengthen Local Coalitions for Advancing Destination Stewardship
This strategy focuses on forming and strengthening local coalitions to enhance destination stewardship efforts. By bringing together various stakeholders (including tourism businesses, community leaders, and environmental organizations) these coalitions can more effectively address priority issues. Partnerships with stewardship-centric organizations facilitate the adoption of best practices and the creation of tailored content that addresses local needs and challenges.
- Establish a formal local or regional coalition of stakeholders dedicated to destination stewardship
- Create partnerships with stewardship-centric organizations to leverage their expertise and resources
- Collaboratively identify priority stewardship issues specific to the local area
- Develop and distribute custom content and guidelines that address identified issues
- Connect and collaborate with members of CPW’s Regional Partnerships Initiative
Key Performance Indicators
- Number of aligned local stewardship coalitions
- Level of engagement and participation in coalition activities by local stakeholders
Role of the Tourism Industry
Join local stewardship coalitions, contribute insights and resources, and promote initiatives through statewide networks.
Potential Supporting Partners
Colorado Association of Destination Marketing Organizations (CADMO) members, Colorado Association of Ski Towns (CAST) members, Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) regional partnerships
Foundational 3: Identify Resources to Advance Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) Initiatives
To advance DEIA initiatives, it is essential to identify resources such as toolkits of best practices and successful statewide initiatives. These resources will help partners implement effective DEIA strategies, fostering an environment that celebrates diversity and promotes accessible travel opportunities.
- Connect with and utilize the CTO’s Inclusivity in Travel Coalition to create toolkits and turnkey solutions
- Research audiences to create relevant and authentic content
- Apply for CTO competitive grants or Destination Development programs to support DEIA initiatives
Key Performance Indicators
Number of of DEIA initiatives or improvement projects across Colorado destinations
Role of the Tourism Industry
Adopt and champion DEIA best practices to enhance the accessibility and inclusivity of tourism services and experiences.
Potential Supporting Partners
CADMO, Bureau of Land Management (BLM), National Park Service (NPS), United States Forest Service (USFS), visitor and welcome centers
Foundational 4: Elevate Destination Stewardship Efforts
For years, the CTO has offered Tourism Marketing Matching grants and Tourism Management grants to bolster tourism marketing campaigns and local destination stewardship initiatives. Sustaining these grants is vital for the effective implementation of the destination stewardship plan, allowing DMOs to overcome resource limitations and execute impactful marketing and management strategies that enhance Colorado’s allure as a tourism destination.
- Continue CTO competitive grant and co-op programs
- Identify and promote destination stewardship reporting and action planning tools for DMOs
- Develop toolkits on how to participate in stewardship efforts
- Participate in speaking roles on relevant panels and at conferences
Key Performance Indicators
- Percentage of grant funding awarded to stewardship initiatives
- Number of destinations supporting state stewardship campaigns
Role of the Tourism Industry
Partner with your local DMO to leverage grants and cooperative programs for collaborative marketing and management efforts.
Potential Supporting Partners
Foundational 5: Encourage the Adoption of Green Business Practices
This strategy aims to help local tourism businesses identify and engage with programs that promote sustainable practices, such as the Colorado Green Business Network (CGBN), Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC), Actively Green, and other relevant certification bodies. Led by the CTO in collaboration with DMOs, and various partners, the goal is to raise awareness and support businesses in understanding and adopting best practices in areas like energy efficiency, water conservation, waste reduction, and corporate social responsibility. By connecting businesses with the appropriate resources and certification opportunities, this strategy encourages the broader adoption of sustainable practices, ultimately enhancing the environmental and social responsibility of the tourism industry.
- Leverage the Care for Colorado Coalition to identify businesses that can support stewardship efforts and participate in CGBN
- Work with industry associations to introduce programs to members
- Establish partnerships between green business programs and DMOs to enhance support to local businesses
- Promote and leverage green business program resources and opportunities
- Recognize and promote certified businesses to the public through CTO and DMO marketing efforts
Key Performance Indicators
- Number of industry events to introduce the initiative
- Number of tourism businesses participating in green business programs
- Number of DMOs promoting the initiative
Role of the Tourism Industry
Utilize relevant green certification resources to implement sustainable practices within operations and seek certification, contributing to Colorado’s reputation as a leader in responsible tourism.
Potential Supporting Partners
Chambers of Commerce, Colorado Green Business Network (CGBN), Actively Green, Global Sustainable Tourism Council, other Green Business programs
Foundational 6: Support Local Tourism Destinations and Attractions to Advance Destination Stewardship
Fostering innovation and providing support for destinations in their unique destination stewardship endeavors are crucial for addressing the specific priorities of each community in Colorado. The CTO aims to increase awareness of opportunities that are designed to benchmark, improve, and recognize destinations’ sustainability strategies, performance, and regenerative efforts.
- Leverage the Care for Colorado Coalition to identify destinations to support stewardship efforts and participate in certification programs
- Create customized Do Colorado Right assets
- Utilize the CTO’s Destination Development Programs
- Promote success stories and share lessons learned
Key Performance Indicators
Number of destination organizations participating in certification programs, such as the Global Destination Sustainability Index, Wayfinder, or the Mountain IDEAL program
Role of the Tourism Industry
Engage in the process of supporting your community’s destination stewardship efforts and utilize the available resources and programs offered throughout the state and globally.
Potential Supporting Partners
DMOs, Nonprofits such as the Global Destination Sustainability Index, Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria (GSTC), Walking Mountain Science Center, Local and Tribal governments
