I live in the world of community planning and development. Tourism can be viewed both negatively or positively-depending on who is at the table. Mass tourism, historic, medical, agri-tourism are only a few examples of the variety of experiences available to a traveler. The other side of this equation is the site itself and the impacts tourism has on that location and it’s people.  I believe that by carefully examining the reason why an attraction is created-the intention, and monitoring its potential effects on the existing community as well as the geographic location can be powerful. To start this conversation, Sustaining Tourism has created a list of questions  developers and community leaders should consider throughout the planning process to better navigate tourism development.

Image by Hospitality Times