Useful Links

Destination Management Handbook : A Guide to the Planning and Implementation of Destination Management – Prepared by the World Bank Group to highlight the challenges and opportunities that destination managers face at all stages of tourism development. It has been written primarily to guide destinations that do not have broad tourism management experience.

Destination Stewardship Yearbook 2024–2025 (GSTC/CREST/DSC) – Case-led playbook of stewardship practices—from governance to climate and community benefits—useful for benchmarking DMO program design.

GDS-Index 2024 Report (GDS-Movement) – Global destination sustainability benchmarking with methodologies and leaderboards; great for setting targets and KPI language with city/region peers.

Glasgow Declaration – 2024 Annual Progress Report – Tracks climate-action progress by destinations and businesses; highlights common barriers and practical steps to accelerate implementation.

UN adopts Statistical Framework to Measure Sustainability of Tourism (MST) – Establishes a global standard to align environmental, social, and economic tourism data—ideal for building an integrated DMO measurement plan.

Linking Tourism, Communities, and Conservation: Tourism Assessment Process – A rapid assessment methodology developed by Conservation International (CI) and The George Washington University (GW) to evaluate the potential for sustainable tourism in a destination by analyzing its attractions, infrastructure, community capacity, and economic feasibility.

A Destination’s Guide to New EU Sustainability Regulations (ETC & GDS-Movement, 2025) – Clear primer on CSRD, green-claims rules, and supply-chain implications for DMOs; includes practical checklists and timelines.

ASEAN Sustainable Tourism Measurement Toolkits (2024) – Step‑by‑step KPI and indicator toolkits with templates—adaptable beyond ASEAN for regional DMO scorecards.

Destination Stewardship Report (Quarterly) – Ongoing case studies and governance stories you can cite in stakeholder workshops and policy briefs.

Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria, Global Sustainable Tourism Council – Criteria for creating certification programs

Guide for Sustainable Tourism Best Practices, Rainforest Alliance

WTM Responsible Tourism, World Travel Mart

Tourism and Visitor Management in Protected Areas, IUCN – Guidelines that provide guidance on key issues to help managers achieve sustainable tourism in protected areas.

Building and Operating Biodiversity-Friendly Hotels, IUCN – A guide to sustainable use of biological resources and siting and design of hotels and resorts.

Biodiversity: My Hotel, IUCN – A guide to help owners and managers of small and large hotels located in all areas to conserve nature

Sustainable Destination Stewardship, World Travel & Tourism Council – A framework for understanding the problems of over-tourism and identifying specific solutions that can make a real difference.

Destination 2030: Global Cities’ Readiness for Tourism Growth, World Travel & Tourism Council – An assessment of cities’ readiness for tourism growth and solutions to foster sustainable growth in tourism activity

Sustainable Destination Management Strategies in the OIC Member Countries, Standing Committee for Economic and Commercial Cooperation of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation – A study that identifies sustainable destination management strategies, compares best practices, and provides policy recommendations for OIC Member states

Tourism and the Sustainable Development Goals: Journey to 2030, United Nations World Tourism Organization – Aims to build knowledge, empower and inspire tourism stakeholders to take necessary action to accelerate the shift towards a more sustainable tourism sector by aligning policies, business operations and investments with the SDGs.

Booking.com – Sustainable Travel Report 2025 – Global consumer attitudes toward sustainable options—useful for product messaging, pricing trade‑offs, and myth‑busting in partner trainings.

WTTC – Hotel Sustainability Basics – Accessible 12‑point entry standard for accommodations; a good on‑ramp for SMEs before pursuing certification.

WTTC/SGS – Basics Verification Portal – How hotels verify “Basics” compliance; includes onboarding information and FAQs for partners.

Sustainable Hospitality Alliance – Pathway to Net Positive Hospitality – Roadmap with maturity stages and tools to move from reduce‑impact to net‑positive operations.

Sustainable Hospitality Alliance – 2024 Progress Report – Year‑in‑review examples and metrics to show what large and independent brands are actually implementing.

GSTC Industry Criteria (Hotels & Tour Operators) – The global baseline for responsible practices; forms the backbone of credible certification and procurement language.

Global Tourism Plastics Initiative – Annual Progress Report 2024 (pub. 2025) – Concrete actions and results from tourism businesses reducing plastics and waste—useful for supplier engagement.

Guide Qualifications & Performance Standards, Adventure Travel Trade Association – Best practices in guide qualifications

Standard Criteria and Indicators for Tourism Businesses, Green Globe – A well respected standard for sustainable tourism operations.

Destination Promotion: An Engine of Economic Development, Destination International – Understand how investments in the visitor economy drive broader economic growth.

Sustainability Reporting, World Travel and Tourism Council – A four-part report on sustainability reporting to help travel and tourism companies understand the key concepts behind reporting.

Baseline Report on the Integration of Sustainable Consumption and Production Patterns into Tourism Policies, UN World Tourism Organization – A report that aims to inspire stakeholders and encourage them to advance the implementation of the SDGs through sustainable tourism.

Sustainable Tourism and Natural World Heritage: priorities for action, IUCN – A study aimed at examining the gaps in our understanding of how tourism development affects natural World Heritage Sites in order to support the development of sustainable tourism at these sites.

The Definitive Guide for Sustainable Tourism, Biosphere Tourism- A guide to what companies in the tourism sector should do to position themselves at the forefront of sustainable tourism.

Survival of the Fittest, The Travel Foundation – The business benefits for taking a sustainable approach, as well as advice and guidance on applying to your business.

UN Tourism – World Tourism Barometer (May 2025) – Latest international arrivals and sentiment indicators; ideal for situational updates with policymakers.

WTTC – Economic Impact Research 2025 – Country and city‑level GDP, jobs, and spending data with 2025 outlooks; handy for investment and workforce briefs.

OECD – Tourism Trends & Policies 2024 – Policy‑level lens on structural shifts (productivity, resilience, sustainability) across 50+ countries.

Skift – Travel Megatrends 2025 – Editorial synthesis on where distribution, media, and traveler behavior are heading (good for exec slides and talking points).

Euromonitor – Top Five Trends in Travel (Jan 2025) – Analyst perspective on macro drivers; free summary is useful even without subscription access.

Expedia Group – 2025 Traveler Value Index – Large‑scale consumer survey on value trade‑offs, flexibility, and loyalty expectations.

Amadeus – Travel Trends 2025 –  Tech‑forward outlook (AI, biometrics, retailing) with practical implications for products and partnerships.

World, Transformed: Megatrends and Their Implications for Travel & Tourism, WTTC – A report that attempts to help businesses and policy-makers anticipate the transformations ahead and provide prospects for solutions for long-term competitiveness.

Adventure Travel – ATTA Industry Snapshot 2024 – Pricing, demand, and product mix benchmarks to guide route design and guide training.

Wellness Tourism – Global Wellness Economy Monitor 2024 (GWI) Sector sizing and growth outlook; clarifies definitions across wellness tourism, spas, and retreats.

Culinary/Gastronomy – World Food Travel Association Annual Report (2024) – Motivations, traveler segments, and product ideas for food‑led itineraries and events.

Accessible Travel – Global Accessibility Report (2024) overview – Destination readiness, standards, and practical improvements to serve travelers with disabilities.

Indigenous Tourism – ITAC Annual Report 2023/24 – Program and market development insights from Canada with lessons applicable to destination‑partner models.

Community/Voluntourism – Planeterra Impact Report 2024 – Social and economic outcomes of community‑based tourism projects; great for CSR and tour‑operator partnerships.

Agritourism – Market Outlook to 2030 (Grand View Research) – Market size, drivers, and forecast—useful for rural diversification strategies.

Birdwatching/Nature – Market Outlook to 2030 (Grand View Research) – Emerging niche with strong conservation tie‑ins; informs trail/experience development.

LGBTQ+ Travel – IGLTA Foundation Research Hub – Inclusive‑travel insights and briefs to shape marketing and partner training

2019 State of the Food Travel Industry Report, World Food Travel Association – A report that serves as a bellwether or compass for the food tourism industry, all related business sectors and media

Adventure Tourism Development Index, Adventure Travel Trade Association / George Washington University – An assessment of the potential adventure tourism competitiveness of countries around the globe.

20 Adventure Travel Trends to Watch in 2018 – Adventure Travel Trade Association – A comprehensive look at the issues facing adventure travel businesses and destinations in 2018

Extending Business Travel into Leisure Time: Bleisure Study, Global Business Travel Association – A study with answers to common business and leisure travel questions and the implications for managed corporate travel.

Tourism and Culture Synergies, UNWTO – A report that highlights the symbolic relationship between tourism and culture and the interdependency of the two sectors.

Walking Tourism: Promoting Regional Development, UNWTO – This report showcases various successful examples of walking tourism and aims to serve as a practical reference for destinations with a focus on the role of walking tourism in regional development.

Compendium of Best Practices in Sustainable Tourism, United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs – Case studies of the best practices collected and analyzed by four main criteria: Conservation, Community, Culture, and Commerce.

Innovative Catalysts Boosting Sustainability in the Tourism Sector: Based on cases and initiatives from Germany, UNWTO – An analysis of different successful sustainable tourism initiatives with the aim to identify specific elements that have visibly ‘catalyzed’ the shift towards a more sustainable consumption and production patterns in tourism in Germany.

Integrating Business Skills into Ecotourism Operations, IUCN / Kuoni Group – A collection of case studies, checklists, and revision questions designed to help conservation organizations,