From the seeds of a local community project established in 2007, Burren and Cliffs of Moher Geopark today represents a vibrant and successful destination-wide partnership between the private sector, local villagers and municipal authorities working together to safeguard one of Ireland?s ? and the world?s ? most beautiful natural landscapes. Their sustainable destination strategy, GeoparkLIFE, demonstrates the power of well-planned and managed tourism to improve local livelihoods and provide a high quality, educational visitor experience. Working in partnership with the Burren Ecotourism Network, along Ireland?s Wild Atlantic Way, Burren and Cliffs of Moher Geopark have established a tailored training and mentoring program for local businesses with specific benchmarks that include green operations and support for the protection of natural and cultural heritage.

With its designation as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1980, Destination Røros works to protect and preserve the historic mining town of Røros, while creating a thriving, authentic, living community today. With over one million tourists annually, Destination Røros collaborates with more than 200 local businesses to encourage cooperation and careful planning for tourism development, ensuring that sustainable tourism principles remain at the core of the strategy for growth, particularly promoting local businesses, such as small food producers and locally based tour operators focused on the community?s history and culture. With the founding of partner company VisitRørosAS in 2012, they have worked to expand the concept of destination stewardship across all of Norway, serving as a model for other communities to follow.

On behalf of the State of Oregon, Travel Oregon works to promote economic development opportunities through such programs as the Rural Tourism Studio (RTS), including more than 1,000 participants across eight regions in Oregon, representing a destination wide effort that combines marketing, capacity building and training in sustainable tourism best practices. Areas that are accepted in the program are ensured a multiyear commitment from Travel Oregon to support sustainable rural economic growth based upon care for local people and the environment. Local communities receiving assistance are empowered to take the lead on projects and bring their own ideas for implementing tourism development. This ensures a bottom-up approach for tourism planning with local people at the heart of the process.