Many Destination Management Organisations (DMOs) and National Tourism Organisations (NTOs) aim to better serve their communities by growing and spreading the benefits of tourism.
However, 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. But what does an equitable tourism model look like? This report explores that question to help DMOs create a more balanced and equitable tourism model.
Through our research, we uncover some of tourism’s unintended consequences that exacerbate inequities. Revenue from tourism can leak from the destination and benefit few people locally. It can be challenging for small local businesses to access opportunities, which are instead taken by large international companies with greater resources. Jobs can be poorly paid without social and legal benefits, particularly for certain groups, while tourism pushes up the cost of living. Access to public spaces such as beaches can become restricted, while amenities and services developed for tourists often fail to meet the daily needs of locals, or are priced beyond their reach.
However, we also see how tourism can provide significant opportunities to boost entrepreneurship and community wellbeing. Our report includes 25 information-rich case studies from around the world. We identify 25 possible equitable outcomes from tourism which can be linked to broader societal goals (the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals - SDGs). These outcomes fall into five categories: economic, environmental, spatial, cultural and tourism experience equity. We also identify around 40 mechanisms 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, licensing 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.
Many Destination Management Organisations (DMOs) and National Tourism Organisations (NTOs) aim to better serve their communities by growing and spreading the benefits of tourism.
However, 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. But what does an equitable tourism model look like? This report explores that question to help DMOs create a more balanced and equitable tourism model.
Through our research, we uncover some of tourism’s unintended consequences that exacerbate inequities. Revenue from tourism can leak from the destination and benefit few people locally. It can be challenging for small local businesses to access opportunities, which are instead taken by large international companies with greater resources. Jobs can be poorly paid without social and legal benefits, particularly for certain groups, while tourism pushes up the cost of living. Access to public spaces such as beaches can become restricted, while amenities and services developed for tourists often fail to meet the daily needs of locals, or are priced beyond their reach.
However, we also see how tourism can provide significant opportunities to boost entrepreneurship and community wellbeing. Our report includes 25 information-rich case studies from around the world. We identify 25 possible equitable outcomes from tourism which can be linked to broader societal goals (the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals - SDGs). These outcomes fall into five categories: economic, environmental, spatial, cultural and tourism experience equity. We also identify around 40 mechanisms 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, licensing 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.
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