I have worked in the international tourism industry for...well longer than I dare say. Sustainable Tourism Development is primarily what my background has entailed, from developing diversification plans post-foot and mouth in rural areas of Lancashire, England, to coastal development and market town initiatives, I tend to have a lot to say about how destinations are managed.
So, when I was asked to participate in the National Geographic Sustainable Tourism Panel, I was thrilled and went about the task of reviewing global tourist destinations that I had visited over the past five years with a professional focus balanced with that of an average tourist and looking forward to how each destination might fare in the next few years. What threats might there be and is the site ready to be proactive and not reactive to challenges.
I found the exercise a great way of piecing together both my travels and the things that I found memorable and things, some unsavoury and some just plain dangerous, which I had chosen to forget.
To quote the website:
"
This is the sixth annual survey of destination stewardship to appear in Traveler. Conducted by the National Geographic Society's Center for Sustainable Destinations, it revisits some of the iconic places we first surveyed in 2003 and rated in April 2004. We also threw in a few new destinations to keep things interesting.
The condition of any destination is a mix of what local governments, residents, and businesses can control—pollution, cultural quality and authenticity, tourism management—and what they can't, such as natural disasters and global economic meltdowns. After more than five years, how have the scores changed?
At first glance the survey method may seem less than exact. We contact as many experts in pertinent fields as we can and ask them to rate the places they know. We then average their scores and publish the results. But statistical experience shows that group judgment can be surprisingly accurate—the "wisdom of crowds" effect. In 2003, when we conducted our first survey and had about 200 experts on the survey panel, the top-scoring destination was the Norwegian Fjords area, the lowest Spain's Costa del Sol"http://traveler.nationalgeographic.com/2009/11/destinations-rated/intro-textAfter completing the survey, which was lengthy and undertaken in two rounds, I was subsequently asked if they could use a quote of mine about Sri Lanka in the NG Traveler Magazine featuring the survey results (December).
Of course I was delighted. Sri Lanka is a precious place, which has suffered internal and natural disasters, which have impacted on the tourist industry. It's a place I feel passionate about. The people are the jewels of the green and lush country and I was happy to share the positives of this wonderful place as well as give my insight into the negatives.
Sure enough, there I am on page...no, you'll have to buy a copy to find out!
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