SOUTHEAST TOURISM SOCIETY
SPRING CONFERENCE 2010
Commissioner Susan Whitaker
Tennessee Department of
Tourist Development
Susan.whitaker@tn.gov
March 23, 2010
www.tnsustainabletourism.com
www.tnvacation.com/green
WHAT IS SUSTAINABLE
TOURISM?
• Sustaining the
environment,
culture and
heritage of a region
while at the same
time sustaining the
economic growth
through tourism.
Cades Cove - Great Smoky Mountains
WHY SHOULD WE CARE?
Economic Benefits
• Townies
• Tourists
• Business
Recruitment
• It’s all inter-related!
Tourism is an Economic Engine
$14.4 Billion Industry in TN
ECONOMIC BOOST TO YOUR
LOCAL COMMUNITY
“Affluent, educated and higher-end
travelers are the most sustainabilityoriented.”
Source: U.S. Travel Association and YPartnership’s TravelHorizons ™
WHAT SHOULD WE DO AS
TOURISM LEADERS?
Define Objective
• Tourism businesses become sustainable,
one step at a time.
Create Industry Awareness
• Generate buy-in with all stakeholders
• Inclusivity - demonizing NOT allowed
WHAT SHOULD WE DO AS
TOURISM LEADERS?
Educational Component
• Town Hall Forums
• Sustainable Tourism Workshops
• GeoGreen Webinars
Provide Resources
• Expertise
• Best Practices / Case Studies
• Sustainable Tourism Toolbox
• Funding Opportunities
DEVELOP CRITICAL
PARTNERSHIPS
KEY TO CREDIBILITY & SPONSORSHIP
• Governor and Cabinet
• National sustainability leaders National Geographic
•
•
•
•
State Congressional leadership
State and local sustainability leaders
Local political leaders
Local industry leaders
TENNESSEE’S APPROACH
• Great Smoky Mountains
Sustainable Tourism
Summit
April 2008 – Knoxville, TN
• Go for the Gold!
• Get the ‘Talk’ Right!
Dirk Kempthorne, Secretary of the Interior
U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander
STRATEGY
• Create an initiative
with sizzle and
substance
• Define target markets
critical to success
• Give credit where
credit is due!
University of TN Students
GSM Summit - April 2008
FUNDING
WHO PAID FOR THIS?
• Attendees
• Sponsorships
• Resource Fair
(Pay to Play)
Sustainable Resource Fair
GSM Summit - April 2008
TENNESSEE’S SUSTAINABLE
TOURISM INITIATIVE
Program Accomplishments
• Created an open forum
• Generated growing awareness
• Grassroots level results
• Award winning program
• National model for sustainable tourism
planning
PROGRAM
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
• Tennessee Sustainable Tourism Initiative:
recognized by U.S. Travel Association as a
best practice for sustainable tourism planning
travelgreen.org.
PROGRAM
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
• STS’ Shining Example Award for
Tourism for Tomorrow
• Tnsustainabletourism.com
and tnvacation.com/green
rank in the top 10 Google search
results for keywords “sustainable
tourism” and “sustainable travel”
THE RIPPLE EFFECT
• ARC Gems of Appalachia grants
announced and awarded in 2008,
2009 and 2010.
- grants to promote sustainable tourism in
the gateway communities of TN and NC
• RubyFalls receives TNCET grant for
installation of solar panels.
- Tennessee Department of Economic and
Community Development’s Office of Energy
Policy grant.
THE RIPPLE EFFECT
• Great Smoky Mountains National
Park - “Do Your Part” visitor campaign
• 1st Green Certification program
launched in Chattanooga
• Unicoi County implements sustainable
tourism development plan and community
training workshops
• Gateway Green – Blount, Sevier, Cocke
PROGRAM
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
• Sustainable Tourism Summit
• Industry Web site launched
(16,125 page views)
www.tnsustainabletourism.com
• Eco-friendly toolbox –
print and online
1,000+ distributed
PROGRAM
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
• Green travel planning
website launched
for consumers
www.tnvacation.com/green
7,027 page views since
launch in May 2009
PROGRAM
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Sustaining our Heritage
• Tennessee Civil War Trails Program
• Launched Civil War website
www.tncivilwar150.com
10,677 page views since
launch on February 2010.
Ranks in top 20 pages viewed.
PROGRAM
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
• 5 statewide sustainable
tourism educational
workshops
• 6 GeoGreen Webinars
in 2009
• 5 webinars planned for
Spring / Summer 2010
Upper Cumberland Workshop
Baxter, TN - June 2009
INDUSTRY SUSTAINABLE
TOURISM ACCOMPLISHMENTS
• 1st new LEED certified hotel opens Gatlinburg
• Ruby Falls 1st attraction in U.S. to be
Green Globe certified
• Ripley “From Red to Green” sustainable tourism revitalization plan
• Chattanooga’s Green Lodging
Certification Program - 1st U.S. based
program fully recognized by Green Globe
INDUSTRY SUSTAINABLE
TOURISM ACCOMPLISHMENTS
• Cooper Hotels plans solar for two
existing TN hotels while challenging other
properties to lead by example through solar
• Gatlinburg Green receives 75%
participation from local businesses in green
certification program
• Deaderick Street named TN’s 1st green
street – $5 million investment
INDUSTRY SUSTAINABLE
TOURISM ACCOMPLISHMENTS
• Greener Welcome at TN Welcome
Centers – new Lookout Valley I-24
Welcome Center utilizes Geothermal
• Tennessee State Parks offers eco-friendly
LEED certified cabins – Montgomery Bell
State Park
• Festivals Go Green!
- Bonnaroo, Manchester
- Secret City Festival, Oak Ridge
- River and Spires Festival, Clarksville
INDUSTRY SUSTAINABLE
TOURISM ACCOMPLISHMENTS
• Solar America Cities Project Knoxville selected to join project
• Tennessee’s 1st solar powered
convention center –
Knoxville Convention Center in planning
phase to implement solar
• Largest green roof in Chattanooga
planned at the Creative Discovery Museum
WHAT’S NEXT FOR 2010?
• Continue partnership with TDEC
• Geo-Green Webinars
• EPA Funding – Source Reduction
Grant to develop Statewide Green
Certification Program for Tennessee’s
Tour and Travel Industry
SUSTAINABLE TOURISM MAKES
BOTH DOLLARS & SENSE
“At the end of the day, most green business activity
is—or should be—about making companies, and
economies, more resilient and competitive. That
seems to me to be a recipe for success during good
times and bad. Green can make sense when times are
tough—and even because times are tough.”
Joel Makower, Author
Strategies for the Green Economy
Source: “Thinking Green in a Blue Economy”
(October, 2008)
Tennessee Department of
Tourist Development
Susan Whitaker, Commissioner
susan.whitaker@tn.gov
tnsustainabletourism.com
tnvacation.com/green
tncivilwar150.com