About Us

Solimar International is a Washington, DC–based sustainable tourism consulting and marketing firm that helps destinations and tourism businesses plan, fund, build, and market tourism that protects natural and cultural assets while improving the lives of local residents.

We deliver end-to-end, outcome-driven support—from strategy and stakeholder alignment to implementation assistance, tools, and market activation. Our work is structured around five core service areas including Destination Planning, Destination Development, Destination Marketing, Destination Stewardship, and Destination Partnerships & Investment.  Within each area, we offer specific solutions that can be delivered individually or combined into a comprehensive program—ensuring projects are not only well designed, but implemented and sustained over time.

Solimar operates worldwide through a global network of professionals dedicated to advancing sustainable tourism. We support national tourism authorities, regional tourism associations, destination organizations, and private sector operators with services that include planning, product development, investment promotion, partnership design, stewardship systems, and marketing execution.

What sets us
Apart

We have a long track record with leading development and conservation partners and clients, including USAID, the World Bank Group (IFC), IDB, UN agencies, national and subnational governments, conservation NGOs, industry associations, and private enterprises. Since 2001, Solimar has delivered tourism development and marketing work across 500+ destinations, pairing on-the-ground delivery with a market-oriented approach that connects stewardship outcomes to real demand.

What sets Solimar apart is our ability to integrate planning, development, stewardship, partnerships, and marketing into a single, coordinated pathway—so strategies are implementable, initiatives are funded, visitor experiences are strengthened, and progress is visible over time.

Through our partner network, we also help clients connect to the global travel community and the latest thinking in sustainable tourism, with relationships that have included National Geographic and other leading institutions.

Why Tourism

Tourism is one of the world’s largest industries and a major driver of trade and economic growth. According to the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), Travel & Tourism contributes about 10% of the world economy and supports roughly 1 in 10 jobs. 

In short, tourism is big business. Thoughtfully developed, it can also be an environmentally and socially beneficial industry—creating incentives to protect natural and cultural assets, strengthen local enterprises, and finance conservation and destination stewardship. Tourism is uniquely positioned to do this because many of a destination’s most distinctive attractions—such as indigenous culture, wildlife, and protected landscapes—are often located in rural areas where livelihoods can be limited. This creates powerful opportunities for tourism to contribute to inclusive economic development while reinforcing conservation outcomes.

Results Focused

Since our inception in 2001, Solimar has:

  • Implemented over 200 sustainable tourism programs around the world
  • Introduced more than 500 emerging destinations to the international marketplace
  • Inspired over 25 million travelers through innovative marketing campaigns
  • Assisted over 3,000 small tourism enterprises in more than 50 countries
  • Supported biodiversity conservation in more than 200 parks and protected areas
  • Created 25 Sustainable Destination Partnerships alongside the National Geographic Society
  • Trained more than 5,000 people in better tourism management, marketing, and environmental conservation