RESPONSIBLE TOURISM
THE GREATER GREAT OUTDOORS
MARQUETTE COUNTY, MICHIGAN, UNITED STATES
Minimize your impact on your next adventure by adhering to local recommendations for behavior and etiquette. In Marquette County, Michigan, a coalition formed to instill respect for the land and the people. If the place you visit does not have guidelines, lean on Leave No Trace’s principles to guide your decisions.
What's
changing
The 2023 Outdoor Trends Participation Report found that 55% of the U.S. population over the age of 6 participates in some outdoor recreation. As more people venture into natural spaces, varying levels of understanding about outdoor best practices and etiquette can threaten fragile ecosystems at popular destinations. Communities are uniting around shared values and messages asking everyone to preserve the natural beauty that draws them.
What's already
possible
The Respect Marquette County coalition brings together government organizations, trail associations and some businesses to inspire locals and visitors to respect the culture and nature of the area.
Seizing
the opportunity
The coalition collaborates with Leave No Trace to create messages that establish a minimum expectation for people’s behavior in the outdoors. A video series applies Leave No Trace’s seven principles to specific activities and circumstances in Marquette, offering more relevant and actionable guidance. Respect Marquette County’s blog series provides readers with seasonal content that aids in responsible travel planning. It also shows visitors how they can support stewardship causes like conservation and watershed health. Coalition members meet quarterly to share activities and data and to align objectives that support the destination as a whole.
Standout
tactic
The Respect Marquette County video is played at orientation for Northern Michigan University so new students have an understanding of how to respect nature in the region.
How
it helps
The Respect Marquette County coalition has 36 partners that spread consistent messages from the group to a wider audience. After 2 years, the public has been shown to be more aware of the principles the organization promotes.
Diving
deeper
How can collaborative efforts ensure that partnerships go beyond symbolic gestures and result in meaningful contributions to environmental and social sustainability?
Increasing
impact
Environmental coalitions focused on education can expand into hands-on stewardship activities, such as organizing volunteers to maintain trails or offering local conservation workshops.
Traveling
better
Travel is inherently carbon intensive. Whether you are taking a mini-break or an annual vacation, consider ways to minimize your impact by staying longer in one place, reconsidering how you travel to the destination, and supporting businesses that are working to make their community and the world a better place.
