Sharing Best Practices with Visitors

Encouraging responsible travel is a collective effort, and DMOs play a key role in shaping visitor behavior. One effective approach is sharing best practices with visitors. In other words, educating them on sustainable behaviors, promoting local initiatives, and leading by example. Singapore, Finland, and Iceland share sustainable travel tips and implement various strategies to increase responsible travel behavior that are easily accessible on their website.

Singapore’s tourism board provides visitors with practical and easy to implement tips before and during their stay in Singapore, such as using public transportation, reducing plastic waste, and respecting local biodiversity. DMOs can take a similar approach by integrating sustainability messaging across their visitor touchpoints:

• Develop a dedicated webpage with sustainability guidelines.
• Encouraging tour operators and other stakeholders to provide eco-friendly travel tips in pre-trip emails and booking confirmations.
• Collaborate with airlines and hotels to reinforce these messages.

Visit Finland has created a certification program to highlight businesses committed to sustainability. This promotes and showcases sustainable businesses and experiences. This initiative makes it easy for visitors to identify and support responsible operators. DMOs can adopt similar strategies by:

• Creating or utilizing an official sustainability certification for local businesses.
• Showcasing eco-friendly accommodations, tours, and restaurants on their website.
• Encouraging travelers to choose experiences that align with sustainability principles.

Iceland invites visitors to take ‘The Icelandic Pledge,’ a promise to respect nature and travel responsibly. This is one of many examples of travel pledges being implemented destination-wide. This campaign not only raises awareness but also fosters a sense of responsibility among tourists. DMOs can implement similar campaigns by:

• Developing a pledge that visitors can sign online or at tourism centers.
• Utilizing social media and digital marketing to spread awareness.
• Partnering with influencers to share responsible travel messages.

DMOs can use these tips to successfully share best practices with visitors and foster a culture of responsible travel. Taking inspiration from Singapore, Finland, and Iceland, destinations and national DMOs can create engaging, informative, and impactful sustainability programs that benefit both travelers and local communities.