2019 - Innovative and Promising Practices in Sustainable Tourism (Vol. 1)
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Item Indigenous tourism and reconciliation: The case of Kitcisakik cultural immersions(VIU Publications, 2019-09) Arellano, Alexandra; Friis, Joseph; Stuart, Stephen A.This case study explores an initiative originating in the Anicinape community of Kitcisakik, Québec. The community hosts non-Indigenous students for an experiential and immersive outdoor engagement with Anicinape ways. Innovative ways of learning about an Indigenous culture and related sociopolitical issues are considered acts of building reconciliation, via the lens of an Anicinape land-based pedagogy. Kitcisakik’s experiential education initiative foreshadowed Canada’s Truth and Reconciliation Committee’s Call to Action to include Indigenous knowledge and teaching methods in Canadian curricula to aid a process of reconciliation. This case study demonstrates how visiting the community and experiencing Kitcisakik through Indigenous land-based pedagogies is an opportunity for building intercultural understanding and citizen awareness of Indigenous histories and cultures, while learning specific principles of the Anicinape way and the current issues the community faces in a modern Canada. This is an exceptional example of the reconciliation process in action.Item Hawaii Ecotourism Association's Sustainable Tour Certification program: Promoting best practices to conserve a unique place(VIU Publications, 2019-09) Cox, Linda J.The United Nation World Tourism Organization (2017) concluded that a well-designed and managed tourism sector could support the host’s sustainability goals. Quality systems similar to Fodor’s star rating system for hotels provide a number of potential benefits as a means of tracking tourism’s sustainability performance (Kozak and Nield, 2004), assuming that they promulgate meaningful best practices. In 2016, Hawaii hosted 8.855 million visitors that spent $15 billion and visitor arrivals are expected to increase to more than 9 million visitors in 2018 (Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism, 2018). On an average day, the State has 6.50 visitors for every resident and this ratio is expected to increase with more visitor arrivals (Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism, 2018). In order to educate businesses, residents and visitors about protecting the State’s natural and cultural resources, the Hawaii Ecotourism Association (HEA), a 501c3, piloted an Ecotourism Certification Program in 2011 and 14 tour operators were certified statewide. Today, HEA’s Sustainable Tourism Certification Program includes 52 tour operators across the State and HEA working to further a partnership with the Global Sustainable Tourism Council for operator certification. Hawaii is one of two states in the U.S. with a certification program aimed at tour operators and HEA’s recommendations for best practices are on par with leading international programs. This case study summarizes the knowledge contributed by the Cooperative Extension Service that supported this effort, describes the lengthy, on-going process of developing HEA’s Certification program with the assistance of Cooperative Extension and provides lessons learned for other regions interested in a more sustainable tourism sector.Item Transdisciplinary university engagement for sustainable tourism planning(VIU Publications, 2019-09) Eades, Daniel; Butler, Peter M.; Arbogast, Doug; Faulkes, EveSustainable tourism literature reveals an increasing understanding of the complexity of tourism development and the need for a holistic approach to sustainable tourism planning. This includes mixed-methods approaches that draw from multiple perspectives, and participatory planning processes that strengthen partnerships between community members, visitors, and tourism development stakeholders. This study describes transdisciplinary planning and design activities developed and implemented by the West Virginia University Rural Tourism Design Team (RTDT) to support the development of a cultural tourism performance agenda for the Tucker County, WV Cultural District Authority (CDA). We demonstrate how a transdisciplinary approach successfully engages the community and scaffolds outputs to create synergies between researchers and research outputs. Local ownership and stewardship of actionable items is enhanced through this scaffolded process leading to implementation.Item Expanding agritourism in Butte County, California(VIU Publications, 2019-09) Hardesty, Shermain; Leff, Penny; George, HollyThis case study examines the strategies and impacts of collaboration among diverse Butte County stakeholders to support agritourism development and increase agritourism participation by out-of-area visitors to the sparsely populated rural county. The three local initiatives implemented were: the Sierra Oro Farm Trails’ Passport Weekend; the Tourism Business Improvement District’s Explore Butte County marketing program; and the county government’s agritourism-friendly programs. Overall, the hospitality industry’s collaboration with an agritourism association and other community organizations, in conjunction with supportive county regulations, low permitting fees and helpful county staff, appears to be generating continued growth of farm and ranch agritourism businesses and increased regional tourism in Butte County.Item Recreation economies and sustainable tourism: Mountain biking at Kingdom Trail Association in Vermont(VIU Publications, 2019-09) Kelsey, Amy; Chase, Lisa; Long, AbigailRural communities that are dependent on manufacturing, mining, energy, and timber are witnessing population declines while amenity-rich communities are growing, particularly those with a desirable physical environment and a positive small town atmosphere. This trend is apparent in communities in Vermont with access to high quality outdoor recreation. Rural communities that have successfully branded themselves as hubs for nature-based tourism have much to share with communities seeking to develop their economies around outdoor recreation.