A curated summary of key ideas from the International Symposium on Destination Stewardship

Destination Canada hosted the International Symposium on Destination Stewardship on November 6-8th, 2023 in Gatineau, Quebec, Canada at the Canadian Museum of History.

This Destination Stewardship Legacy is intended to make this remarkable event live on by distilling the essence of what we heard, and by sharing key ideas that everyone in this industry can implement individually, within their organization or at the wider community level to deliver tourism in a different following the regenerative approach  principles.

Within the Symposium legacy you’ll find:

• Bright Ideas: Distilled from the thought-provoking presentations, offering avenues for reflection.
• Short Videos: Bringing presentation ideas to life and providing a dynamic perspective.
• Quotes and Illustrations: Intended to provoke and inspire, encapsulating the essence of our shared journey.

The symposium leveraged previous and existing initiatives to explore how a regenerative approach integrates residents, community, economy, culture and the environment.

The legacy is shaped around the four key themes the event explored:

• Fostering connection with people: Bringing people from different industries together to learn and connect with each other, understanding our joint influence and impact on tourism.
• Fostering connection with nature: Emphasizing the importance of preserving and appreciating our environment, recognizing the significance of nature on our destinations and the role of tourism in climate action.
• Fostering connection with the economy: Exploring the interconnectedness between a regenerative approach, profitability, social returns on investment and overall prosperity.
• Fostering connection with community: Highlighting the role communities play in shaping and sustaining successful destinations, and exploring the agency that communities should have in the guest and host relationship.

Explore the International Symposium on Destination Stewardship Legacy here.