In difficult times, not to mention crisis, resilience and sustainability are two fundamental elements for future survival. Each tourist destination has found itself facing difficulties related to pandemics, climate change and international crises and each of them has had to find specific ways to overcome negative peaks and re-propose itself to tourists as an attractive destination.
The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), in partnership with ICF, has just published an interesting report to help destinations find the most effective way in terms of resilience and sustainability. The two concepts, as stated in the document, are closely linked. If the former refers to short-term situations, sustainability is not possible without resilience, while the latter is rarely achievable without sustainability. The ability to put these two aspects together represents the best insurance for the future.
The WTTC report is full of suggestions and inspirations that indicate how the resilience capacity is strictly connected to specific destinations and specific moments in time. For example, those who work in areas more exposed to climate risks must pay greater attention to infrastructure and the environment, while those who work on a seasonal basis must seek the greatest possible consensus in the local society.
The document, consisting of about 30 pages, also includes several case studies useful for better understanding what strategies destinations can implement. The recommendations for the future focus on four key areas: developing successful governance models; guarantee ownership, legitimacy, and transparency; promoting shared value projects for the destination; preparation and processes for the next catastrophic shock (while dealing with recurring stresses).
The “Enhancing resilience to drive sustainability in destinations” report is freely downloadable from the WTTC website.
The Caravan Salon 2021 opened in Düsseldorf: we’ll be there for a week too!