Center For Responsible Travel

TO PROMOTE RESPONSIBLE TOURISM POLICIES AND PRACTICES GLOBALLY SO THAT LOCAL COMMUNITIES MAY THRIVE AND STEWARD THEIR CULTURAL RESOURCES AND BIODIVERSITY.

FISCAL SPONSORSHIP PROGRAMS: CREST SERVES AS THE FISCAL SPONSOR FOR TWO DESTINATION STEWARDSHIP FOCUSED INITIATIVES THAT MOBILIZE HUMAN AND FINANCIAL RESOURCES TOWARDS DESTINATION-LEVEL SUSTAINABILITY ACTION PROJECTS AND RESEARCH. THE TORRES DEL PAINE LEGACY FUND IN CHILEAN PATAGONIA HAD NUMEROUS ACCOMPLISHMENTS INCLUDING THE INSTALLATION OF TWO WATERLESS, COMPOSTING ECO-TOILETS IN BACKCOUNTRY CAMPGROUNDS; GRANTING $16,500 IN PANDEMIC RECOVERY FUNDS TO SUSTAINABLE TOURISM BUSINESSES; COMPLETION OF A SUSTAINABLE AND INTERPRETIVE HIKING TRAIL; AND HIRING OF A LOCAL RESIDENT AS DIRECTOR OF THE PROGRAM. CREST ALSO FISCALLY-SPONSORS CARE FOR THE CAPE AND ISLANDS, A GRASSROOTS ORGANIZATION WORKING TO ENGAGE VISITORS AND RESIDENTS TO PRESERVE AND PROTECT THE NATURAL ENVIRONMENT, AND CULTURAL AND HISTORICAL TREASURES OF CAPE COD, MARTHA'S VINEYARD AND NANTUCKET ISLANDS. IN 2021, CARE HELD EDUCATIONAL WEBINARS FOR LOCAL BUSINESSES ON COMPOSTING AND REDUCING PLASTIC USE, INSTALLED 25 NEW SIDEWALK BUTTLERS, AND HELPED DEDICATE THE NEW AFRICAN AMERICAN NAMELESS TRAIL, ONE OF ITS FUNDED PROJECTS. IN OCTOBER, CARE HOSTED ITS FIFTH ANNUAL CARE FOR THE CAPE & ISLANDS DAY AT THE CHATHAM DRAMA GUILD, ACTIVATING 75+ VOLUNTEER HOURS TO CONDUCT NEEDED MAINTENANCE AND UPKEEP ON A BELOVED COMMUNITY THEATER OPERATED SOLELY BY VOLUNTEERS.

ALASKA: CREST EMBARKED ON AN INDEPENDENT ECONOMIC ANALYSIS IN SOUTHEAST ALASKA TO DETERMINE THE BENEFITS AND COSTS OF LARGE-SCALE CRUISE TOURISM COMPARED WITH OTHER TYPES OF TOURISM, LIKE SMALL VESSEL CRUISES. THE AIM OF THIS CREST STUDY IS TO PROVIDE FACTUAL, UNBIASED INFORMATION AND ANALYSIS THAT CAN BE USED AS A FOUNDATION FOR DIALOGUE AND DISCUSSION AMONG ALASKA POLICYMAKERS AND GOVERNMENT AGENCIES, CRUISE LINES, CIVIC GROUPS, TRIBAL ORGANIZATIONS, TOURISM BUSINESSES AND ASSOCIATIONS, ACADEMIC AND RESEARCH INSTITUTIONS, AND THE MEDIA. THE RESULTS WILL BE FREELY AND PUBLICLY DISSEMINATED IN 2022.

MICHIGAN:IN 2021, CREST HELP BUILD THE CAPACITY FOR THE BIG BAY STEWARDSHIP COUNCIL (BBSC), AN ORGANIZATION MADE UP OF MULTI-SECTOR REPRESENTATIVES IN BIG BAY, MICHIGAN. THIS YEAR, SOME OF THE BBSC'S ACCOMPLISHMENTS WERE REGISTERING AS A LEGAL ENTITY AND APPLYING FOR NONPROFIT STATUS, LAUNCHING THE DISCOVER BIG BAY TOURISM BRAND AND MICROSITE DISCOVERBIGBAY.COM ON TRAVEL MARQUETTE'S WEBSITE, HOSTING THE BIG BAY FALL FESTIVAL TO SHARE THE COMMUNITY WITH VISITORS DURING THE OFF-SEASON, PARTNERING WITH LEAVE NO TRACE TO PROMOTE RESPONSIBLE RECREATION IN BIG BAY, AND DESIGNING AND INSTALLING CRITICAL WAY-FINDING SIGNAGE WITHIN POWELL TOWNSHIP, AMONG OTHER ACTIONS.

OTHER PROGRAM SERVICES:WORLD TOURISM DAY FORUM: IN SEPTEMBER, CREST HOSTED ITS FIFTH ANNUAL WORLD TOURISM DAY FORUM, THIS YEAR IN PARTNERSHIP WITH TOURISM DECLARES A CLIMATE EMERGENCY. THIS VIRTUAL EVENT, ATTENDED BY 270 INDIVIDUALS FROM AROUND THE WORLD, FOCUSED ON HELPING KEY SECTORS BRIDGE THE DISCONNECT BETWEEN THE GOALS THEY ARE WARNED MUST BE MET WHEN IT COMES TO MITIGATING THE CLIMATE CRISIS AND THE ACTION STEPS THEY CAN TAKE TO DO SO. THE EVENT AIMED TO HELP PARTICIPANTS TAKE POSITIVE DIRECTIONAL ACTION, NO MATTER WHERE THEY WERE IN THEIR CLIMATE JOURNEY. PARTICIPANTS ENJOYED TWO-DAYS OF PLENARY SESSIONS, SMALL GROUP TECHNICAL TRACK WORKSHOPS, AND DISCUSSIONS ON MEANINGFUL ACTION TOWARDS CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION AND ADAPTATION WITH INDUSTRY EXPERTS. D: COVID-19 AND CLIMATE CHANGE IN CUBA: IN LATE 2021, CREST RELEASED THE ENGLISH EBOOK FILLED WITH ADDITIONAL RESOURCES AND EXAMPLES FROM THROUGHOUT THE GREATER CARIBBEAN, THIS EBOOK EXPLORES THE IMPACTS OF AND LINKAGES AMONG COVID-19, CLIMATE CHANGE, AND TOURISM. IT ALSO DIVES DEEPER INTO SPECIFIC SUBSECTORS OF THE CUBAN TOURISM INDUSTRY, SUCH AS CRUISE TOURISM, AGRITOURISM, AND ACCOMMODATIONS TO POSE POINTS OF CONSIDERATION FOR THEIR RECOVERY. THIS PUBLICATION DRAWS INSIGHTFUL CONCLUSIONS ABOUT WHAT THE FUTURE MIGHT IMPLY FOR COMBATTING THESE DUAL CRISES, AND PROVOKES THOUGHTFUL DIALOGUE FOR THE TRAVEL INDUSTRY, POLICY MAKERS, AND CIVIL SOCIETY-- NOT ONLY OF CUBA, BUT OF THE GREATER CARIBBEAN-- TO ENGAGE IN URGENT MOBILIZATION TOWARDS A RESPONSIBLE, SUSTAINABLE TOURISM RECOVERY.OTHER PROGRAMS:- OVERTOURISM BOOK (LESSONS FOR A BETTER FUTURE): IN MAY, CREST AND EDITORS MARTHA HONEY AND KELSEY FRENKIEL RELEASED OVERTOURISM: LESSONS FOR A BETTER FUTURE, AN EDITED VOLUME CONTAINING ESSAYS AND CASE STUDIES FROM MORE THAN 20 TOURISM EXPERTS ACROSS THE WORLD. THIS BOOK CHARTS A PATH FOR TRULY SUSTAINABLE TOURISM, FOCUSING ON THE TRIPLE BOTTOM LINE OF PEOPLE, PLANET, AND PROSPERITY. BRINGING TOGETHER TOURISM OFFICIALS, CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS, TRAVEL JOURNALISTS, CONSULTANTS, SCHOLARS, AND TRADE ASSOCIATION MEMBERS, THIS PRACTICAL BOOK EXPLORES OVERCROWDING FROM A VARIETY OF PERSPECTIVES AND DESTINATIONS.- TOURISM IN A CHANGING CLIMATE : IN 2021, CREST PARTNERED WITH BUSINESSES & DESTINATIONS TO PROVIDE EDUCATION AND RESOURCES ON CLIMATE CHANGE. CREST SIGNED ON TO TOURISM DECLARES A CLIMATE EMERGENCY, AN INITIATIVE THAT SUPPORTS TOURISM BUSINESSES, ORGANIZATIONS, AND INDIVIDUALS IN TAKING PURPOSEFUL ACTION TO REDUCE THEIR CARBON EMISSIONS. WE HAVE COMMITTED TO DEVELOPING A CLIMATE ACTION PLAN AND ADVOCATING FOR CHANGE. IN NOVEMBER, CREST ALSO BECAME A LAUNCH PARTNER OF THE GLASGOW DECLARATION ON CLIMATE ACTION IN TOURISM, A CATALYST FOR INCREASED URGENCY ABOUT THE NEED TO ACCELERATE CLIMATE ACTION IN TOURISM AND TO SECURE STRONG ACTIONS AND COMMITMENT TO CUT TOURISM EMISSIONS IN HALF OVER THE NEXT DECADE AND REACH NET ZERO EMISSIONS AS SOON AS POSSIBLE BEFORE 2050.- ACADEMIC AFFILIATES: CREST CONTINUED TO EXPAND AND STRENGTHEN OUR ACADEMIC AFFILIATES PROGRAM BY INTRODUCING FOUR NEW ACADEMIC AFFILIATES TO THE NETWORK. IN FEBRUARY, CREST HELD A VIRTUAL ACADEMIC AFFILIATES MEETING TO DISCUSS CREST'S STRATEGIC THEME FOR THE YEAR, TOURISM IN A CLIMATE CRISIS. PARTICIPANTS IDEATED WAYS THAT CREST COULD HELP THE SECTOR MITIGATE AND ADAPT TO THIS INCREASING THREAT. THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, VARIOUS ACADEMIC AFFILIATES ALSO PARTNERED WITH CREST ON RESEARCH, EVENTS, AND PROJECTS.- BELIZE: IN 2021, CREST DEVELOPED A MARKETING AND BRANDING STRATEGY AND COMMUNICATIONS PLAN TO STRENGTHEN THE BELIZEAN AND INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY'S PERCEPTION OF THE IMPORTANCE OF THE BELIZE BARRIER REEF. CREST DEVELOPED A NEW LOGO AND BRAND FOR THE BELIZE BARRIER REEF, EMPHASIZING CONSERVATION AND STEWARDSHIP AND ITS UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE STATUS. AS PART OF PILOT ACTIONS FOR THE PROJECT, CREST ALSO DEVELOPED CONTENT FOR THE BELIZE TOURISM BOARD WEBSITE THAT CONSOLIDATES INFORMATION ABOUT THE SEVEN MARINE PROTECTED AREAS WITHIN THE WORLD HERITAGE SITE AND EDUCATES TRAVELERS ON HOW TO VISIT RESPONSIBLY.- INDIGENOUS TOURISM COLLABORATIVE: THROUGHOUT 2021, CREST WORKED DILIGENTLY WITH A NETWORK OF 50 INDIGENOUS LEADERS AND INDUSTRY CHAMPIONS TO CREATE A HEMISPHERIC COLLABORATIVE. THE NEWLY LAUNCHED INDIGENOUS TOURISM COLLABORATIVE OF THE AMERICAS WILL PROVIDE A PLATFORM FOR COMMUNITY LEADERS, POLICYMAKERS AND BUSINESS OWNERS TO SHARE THEIR EXPERIENCES, TO LEARN FROM ONE ANOTHER, TO TAKE COLLECTIVE ACTION, AND TO BETTER UNDERSTAND HOW TO PROMOTE CHANGE THROUGH TOURISM WITHOUT COMPROMISING CULTURAL VALUES.- FUTURE OF TOURISM COALITION: THE FUTURE OF TOURISM COALITION (FOTC) IS A COALITION OF SIX NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS THAT CAME TOGETHER IN 2020 TO STAND UNITED IN AN APPEAL FOR CHANGE AND TO CREATE AN INCLUSIVE, MULTISECTOR GLOBAL MOVEMENT THAT PUTS DESTINATION NEEDS AT THE CENTER OF TOURISM FOR A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE. IN 2021 THE COALITION DEVELOPED LONG-TERM GOALS, PRODUCED A WEBINAR SERIES ON SUSTAINABLE TOURISM PRACTICES, LAUNCHED A COMMUNITY RESOURCE PLATFORM, AND BECAME A LAUNCH PARTNER OF THE GLASGOW DECLARATION.