Sustainable Travel - If the Local People Hate Tourism, There's Something Wrong

What is sustainable tourism and how can we be better travelers? And, equally important, how can we protect our own natural, cultural and historical places where we live from overtourism? It's a balance but more and more destinations are making it happen. That's good news.

Jonathan B. Tourtellot, a National Geographic Explorer, is a journalist, editor, speaker, and consultant specializing in the intersection between tourism and care for places. While at National Geographic, he introduced the concept of destination stewardship and launched the “Places Rated” surveys reported annually as National Geographic Traveler cover stories. He now runs the nonprofit Destination Stewardship Center (DSC), including an online e-magazine, the Destination Stewardship Report. He was a contributing author in the book Overtourism: Lessons for a Better Future (Island Press, 2021) and is featured prominently in the just-published book Destination Stewardship by Tonya Fitzpatrick (KoganPage, 2026). In his new Substack, The Fragile Map, he reveals how the taxes travelers pay for lodging can promote overtourism. Look for his story entitled “The Mystery Tax.”

Resources:

www.DestinationCenter.org

Destination Stewardship Report

The Fragile Map

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