Explore Resources

This Parks Canada toolkit for tour operators provides practical sustainability tips and guidance to tour operators and related tourism business owners and managers with a special focus on small- and medium-size enterprises.

The GSTC Destination criteria presents a comprehensive list of certification standards, indicators, criteria, and best practices for tourism stakeholder to use as basic guidelines for sustainable destination development and management. The GSTC criteria is organized into four main categories: management, socioeconomic, culture, and the environment.

The GSTC criteria for hotels and tour operators provides business owners with standards and indicators to effectively conduct sustainable planning while maximizing social and economic benefits for the local community, enhancing cultural heritage, and reducing negative impacts to the environment, as a basis for certification for sustainability.

With over 50 international expert contributors, this Handbook provides a user-friendly toolkit and step-by-step guide for investigating and addressing realistic challenges with modest timeframes and resources in sustainable tourism development and management.

This resource shares several trial examples from Croatia, intended to strengthen relationships between the tourism sector and local communities by taking a more inclusive approach to tourism development.

This IUCN global standard aims to equip users with a robust framework for designing and verifying nature-based solutions (NbS) that yield the outcomes desired, in solving one or several societal challenge(s). The Standard is designed to support users to apply, learn and continuously strengthen and improve the effectiveness, sustainability and adaptability of their NbS interventions.

Traditional rural livelihoods are disappearing due to natural resource decline, climate pressure and,
also modernization. This study explores livelihood diversification from primary economic activities
into tourism employment in rural communities. We examine the developmental role of tourism in
areas where traditional activities, in this case fishing, have declined and tourism is growing. This
article presents the findings of two case studies: the coastal communities of Padstow (UK) and Paternoster (South Africa).

This document sets forth a vision for a tourism industry in the Maldives that leads the world in climate change innovation by centering communities and regenerating nature. This vision was informed by research conducted over a year and key conversations with a wide range of stakeholders. Designed to align Goal 4 of the Maldives Fifth Tourism Master Plan— Build Climate Resilience and Protect Natural Assets—the Action Plan outlines five strategic objectives for achieving this vision, including integrating community experiences and priorities, protecting destination assets, regenerating nature, diversifying business models, and aligning with global initiatives. Core actions are presented under each objective, linking to the 10 Business Climate Action Investments presented in Section 3—a “menu” of innovative adaptation solutions businesses can invest in today to increase their resilience for tomorrow—and guidance on financing and practical steps businesses can take to adopt these critical adaptation measures.

This presentation explains The Mediterranean Experience of Ecotourism (MEET) group that acts as a Destination Management Organization and includes a target-oriented network of people and organizations managing ecotourism products built around the natural and cultural attractions of protected areas and local communities. Featured countries include: Italy, France, Spain, Jordan, Lebanon, ROWA, Malta, Cyprus, Greece and Tunisia.

This Ecotourism Development Toolkit, developed by the Queensland Government, provides developers and investors with the knowledge and guidelines to help make informed decisions regarding the development of ecotourism products on different land tenures.