The array of partners that are involved in developing, enhancing, and managing a destination is considerable, since many aspects of a local or regional economy are related and linked to tourism. Along with non-government tourism partners, all levels of governments (federal, provincial, Indigenous, and local) influence destination development.
To address this complexity, Seeds Consulting co-led the creation of an implementation guide to accelerate actions for destination development where local government roles intersect with tourism planning and management. The Vancouver, Coast & Mountains Destination Management and Development Implementation Guide was initiated to help drive objectives at a community level.
The Guide was introduced at a presentation for over 100 tourism partners to better engage with local government and help drive destination development objectives at a community level. When residents and their community officials see themselves as tourism leaders, this creates a sense of ownership, and can result in economic gains, more responsible tourism, better visitor experiences, and stronger reviews of a destination.
“Over the past decade I have worked with Diana on destination development and management in Whistler, Metro Vancouver and across BC. Our focus has been on implementing strategic plans to grow tourism while balancing resident interests and maintaining a strong sense of place. Throughout this work we have employed innovative community engagement tools to build support and local ownership of tourism initiatives. In Whistler this work contributed to a pre-pandemic increase in annual visitation from 2.3 million to 3.2 million. Diana is a natural facilitator, strategic thinker and focused on achieving client deliverables. She has excellent project management skills, professional report writing abilities and is a committed partnership builder.” Mike Furey, Retired CAO Resort Municipality of whistler
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