LEADING VOICES

What comes after the age of mass tourism? The Travel Beyond podcast brings you the people and places taking action toward a sustainable, just, and thriving future for all. The solutions are in sight. This season, we travel to Queenstown Lakes on the South Island of Aotearoa New Zealand, where the district has set a goal to reach carbon zero by 2030. Meet the community leaders and travel entrepreneurs who have rallied local passion, ambition, and action behind this climate commitment.

As discussed at Destinations International's Annual Conference in Dallas, Ewout Versloot and the NBTC have set off on an ambitious plan to reimagine tourism in the Netherlands. Discover the driving force behind their vision and meet the trailblazers rewriting the rule book on how tourism should harmoniously relate to society. #DIAC23Dallas Dig deeper: Listen to the Netherlands season of the Travel Beyond podcast, available now. Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/travel-beyond/id1653667206 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4gJ7Wkr6YgCXEjYu5yQx01 With thanks to the Netherlands Board of Tourism and Conventions.

The Elephant in the Room: that's what some of Europe's travel leaders met in Sofia to discuss earlier this year. From climate emergencies to maintaining resident quality of life, solutions all over Europe are addressing these externalities and changing the way cities are being managed. But are they enough? And is implementation happening quickly enough? We sat down with some of Europe's boldest leaders to learn about what is being done and what is holding them back. With thanks to City Destinations Alliance.

From the Travel Beyond podcast: This season, pack your toque and scarf – we’re heading north. 200 km past the Arctic Circle, the people of Inuvik, Northwest Territories are showing the rest of us how to live well in one of the harshest areas on the planet. The Indigenous Gwich’in and Inuvialuit peoples have been home here for millennia, but today’s residents and visitors are witnessing dramatic impacts of the climate crisis, and it’s testing the region’s ingenuity and resiliency. This season, we hear from Indigenous leaders passing on the wisdom of Elders, climate scientists studying permafrost, and folks working to adapt northern living and travel to new realities. Inuvik and the North have many lessons to teach visitors and travel leaders – if we’re willing to listen. With thanks to the Town of Inuvik for sponsoring this season. Listen to the Travel Beyond podcast on Apple Podcast, Spotify, or your favourite podcast player. https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/travel-beyond/id1653667206

Leaders in Aspen, Colorado know that the community’s values are at the root of meaningful change toward sustainability. The ski resort town has made meaningful progress, and Aspen’s travel industry is working to connect visitors and locals with what truly matters. On this new season of the Travel Beyond podcast, we examine the challenges Aspen faces and hear about some incredible examples of sustainable innovations. Learn what Aspen can teach the world's places and tourism destinations by subscribing through Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or anywhere you get your podcasts. This season is sponsored by Aspen Chamber Resort Association.

This season of Travel Beyond shows a way forward for every place grappling with climate risks and what it means to host visitors on Indigenous territory. Visiting Tofino, British Columbia wouldn’t be the highly desired experience it is today without the efforts of many who have fought to protect and restore the natural environment. Millennia-long, Indigenous traditions of stewardship have been guiding that battle. We visit Načiks (Tofino), located on Tla-o-qui-aht lands, on the west coast of Vancouver Island in Canada, to learn what opportunities and challenges tourism is bringing to local First Nations and the settlers coming alongside them as allies. We learn why everyone here is so passionate about restoration work. Our guests tell us about the War in the Woods, the myth of wilderness, and new projects led by the Tla-o-qui-aht and Ahousaht First Nations to gain greater benefits from visitation and fund much-needed stewardship actions. The lessons and practical solutions from this season point to positive systemic change. With thanks to Tourism Tofino for sponsoring this podcast season, and to the many community members, including leaders and Elders from Tla-o-qui-aht and Ahousaht First Nations, for entrusting us with their stories. Get the Travel Beyond podcast on - Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/travel-beyond/id1653667206 - Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4gJ7Wkr6YgCXEjYu5yQx01?si=4d428e1f77a0483b - or your favourite podcasting app. http://www.destinationthink.com

How did Copenhagen become known as one of the world’s greenest cities, and what can today’s changemakers learn from the journey? This season immerses us in the Danish capital’s transformation and its long-term visionary planning backed up by action. Through interviews with inspiring leaders, we explore the link between tourism and education, highlighting how Copenhagen's entrepreneurs and experiences help to improve travellers' understanding of sustainable practices and enable the city to spread positive solutions across the globe. This season on the Travel Beyond podcast, we speak with: - Jens Kramer Mikkelsen, Copenhagen's longest-serving mayor, who gives us a rare glimpse at what it was like to lead a decades-long, collective vision and then see it become reality. - Mikkel Aarø-Hansen, CEO at Wonderful Copenhagen, who shares the two biggest jobs ahead for travel destinations. - Anders Lendager, an influential architect using design to show locals and travellers that sustainability solutions already exist, and aren’t as unreachable as they may think. - Helene Hjortlund and Tobias Weber-Andersen, whose tourism organizations give locals the chance to make a difference when they visit and learn about taking better care of nature. - Dorthe Barsøe, Director of the Danish Architecture Center, where the power of travel to show people new ways of living is on full display. With thanks to Wonderful Copenhagen for their support in creating this podcast season with us and for their willingness to be bold. Subscribe to Travel Beyond through your favourite podcast player. Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/travel-beyond/id1653667206 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4gJ7Wkr6YgCXEjYu5yQx01 www.destinationthink.com

If it was your job to invite the world to visit one of Canada's most famous travel destinations while also working fiercely alongside the tourism industry and community to protect its incredible environment, how would you do it? You'd need to find alignment on what matters most. Leslie Bruce and her team at Banff & Lake Louise Tourism collaborated with the Town of Banff, Parks Canada, and more than 2,000 local residents to create a vision for tourism that remains in harmony with the needs of both the community and the environment. "One of our big 'aha' moments as a group of partners was that in order for us to stay the same, we absolutely have to change." Here's the story behind the community's vision to Lead Tourism for Good in Banff National Park while innovating and adapting to preserve its incredible environment and visitor experiences.