A Renewable City

When one thinks of sustainability in the tourism industry, one's mind should go straight to the coastal seaport city of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. This is my favorite destination where the environment and how it is affected by tourism is front of mind for the destination as a whole. The DMO, Tourism Vancouver, provides information to tourists about their sustainability efforts which are considered a specialized form of destination planning where "the emphasis is on the long-term sustainability of natural, social, heritage and cultural resources." (Morrison 2013, pg. 63). This definition fits the destination of Vancouver perfectly for many reasons which are highlighted in this blog post entitled Sustainable Vancouver: A Renewable City. 

"Imagine a city where jobs and businesses are diverse and economically strong; where homes and offices have clean and comfortable environments, that are less expensive to heat and cool; where the transportation system is abundant and efficient; a city that supports a thriving economy while improving affordability, and provides citizens the opportunity to be healthy and mobile. Imagine a city powered only by renewable energy." (Renewable City Strategy, pg. 3). This is the opening paragraph of the City of Vancouver's Renewable City Strategy that was published in 2015. This document provides the plan for Vancouver to become a completely Renewable City by the year 2050. This is truly a statement to the world letting everyone know that the City of Vancouver is dedicated to sustainability. This idea of sustainability cannot just be thought of overnight, there must be extensive planning involved to produce a strategy of this magnitude. Morrison writes, "In order to minimize tourism-induced problems and secure both the sustainability of the tourism industry and coastal resources used by other sectors, increased attention must be given to proper planning and better integration of tourism in coastal development." (Morrison 2013, pg. 64). The Renewable Strategy for the City of Vancouver highlights all of the goals of becoming a completely renewable city, deadlines on when these goals will be accomplished and the effects of the results of these goals. 

One of the sections of the Renewable City Strategy for the City of Vancouver which I feel is the best practice of the strategy is the Transportation 2040 Plan. "Transportation 2040, the City’s strategic transportation plan, establishes a clear hierarchy of transportation modes that are consistent with the strategic approach of reducing the need for motorized transport and prioritizing walking, cycling, and transit." (Renewable City Strategy, pg. 41). As seen in the video below, Vancouver is focused on different ways to promote sustainability in the transportation industry including integrating more electric cars onto the roads, promoting living close to attractions so you can either walk or bike, and improvements with the public transportation. These facets of transportation are all a part of the destination mix, which defines a place as a tourist destination. " Transportation, infrastructure, and hospitality resources are the other elements of the destination mix." (Morrison 2013, pg. 4). I feel that making these improvements to transportation will attract more tourists to the beautiful natural beauty of Vancouver who is looking for a destination where traveling to the location's points of interest is a breeze! 

The City of Vancouver's website has a link entitled 'Be a Sustainable Driver.' This part of the website provides the user with information on how they can reduce their carbon footprint in the city of Vancouver. Vancouver has the lowest number of vehicles per capita due to the efforts put forth highlighted on this website. Some of the tips include car sharing/carpooling/ride sharing and driving an electric vehicle. For those tourists that have or rent an electric car, the website provides directions to charging stations throughout the city of Vancouver which guests can use for a small fee. 

                                                

On the Tourism Vancouver website, the first item that is listed under Things to Do is Adventure. There are many natural beauty destinations within the City of Vancouver that consumers can experience all while still contributing and benefiting from the city's Renewable City Strategy. "Consumers are showing increasing concern for the environment and this is extending into the travel trips that they take. As a result, the demand for nature-based and ecotourism destinations and packages is growing." (Morrison 2013, pg. 424). By taking advantage of these experiences, tourists feel that they are making a difference and helping to save the earth. 

Sustainability is also connected with tourism in relation to special interest tourism. This is the type of tourism that benefits the destination from the actions of the tourists. One way that Vancouver can benefit from this type of tourism while still focusing on their Renewable City Strategy is through voluntourism. "This is a form of tourism in which people volunteer their time when they are traveling. People who engage in voluntourism are on holiday but they also want to help local destinations through volunteer elements within their trip. They feel good by giving something back to local communities and believe they get more authentic cultural exchange." (Morrison 2013, pg. 488). The city of Vancouver has different types of volunteer opportunities including EMBERS (Eastside Movement for Business & Economic Renewal Society), BEST (Better Environmentally Sound Transportation) which is a bike valet program, and an event called Car Free Day Vancouver which is a festival that celebrates the earth by not driving a car, but by walking to different events around the city. These are all activities that both tourists and local can participate in each year. Conducting a festival like the Car Free Day Vancouver is a very beneficial programming tool that other DMOs can take advantage of to promote sustainability. "The DMO can encourage the development of new events or festivals..." (Morrison 2013, pg. 175) which satisfies tourists who are looking for special-interest experiences like ecotourism or voluntourism. 

DMOs that focus on sustainability can benefit greatly from having a published Renewable City Strategy plan like the City of Vancouver on a website that is easily accessible for everyone. This is a way that DMOs can build relationships with current and future stakeholders. "DMOs must constantly keep in touch with tourism sector stakeholders and therefore needs to find the right channels to do so. Websites are one of the most popular ways to communicate with stakeholders, but the social media and printed materials like newsletters are also used." (Morrison 2013, pg. 237). The City of Vancouver has an entire website dedicated to sharing the ways that they are promoting their Renewable City project. You can also sign up for an email newsletter and follow social media outlets including Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram which provides information daily to all of their followers. 

The Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency is a group that develops high-quality assessments for the country of Canada on environmental issues and other topics related to sustainability. Research done by this agency can help promote and justify the Renewal City project of Vancouver. I think that period-research ("research projects and information gathering that are done repeatedly by the DMO, but not each year" (Morrison 2013, pg. 114).) done by a government agency like the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency every other year would provide encouragement to both the Vancouver DMO and also other Canadian DMOs to continue with their sustainable efforts. This research also provides encouragement to stakeholders who are involved and make them feel like they are truly making a difference, even though the deadline for the goal is 2050; many years away! 

Another organization that would be beneficial towards the goal of encouraging sustainability would be the Canadian Marketing Association. This association is considered the #1 marketing firm in all of Canada and would help any DMO promote sustainability. I think that a partnership between the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency and the Canadian Marketing Association would be beneficial due to the fact that each has its own area of expertise. The Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency could conduct all of the research for destination focusing on sustainability, while the Canadian Marketing Association can push this out to the tourists and provide the encouragement to participate. 

If I were in charge of this organization I would do the following things to ensure that the goal of sustainability in the City of Vancouver is front of mind:

• Partnerships: "A partnership is a synergistic relationship between a DMO and other organizations or individuals within or outside of the destination." (Morrison 2013, pg. 191.) I would partner with different local businesses and organizations who have a focus on sustainable efforts. There are many benefits from the partnerships including sharing of research, marketing/ promotional advantages, and community relations advantages. These partnerships would be beneficial because more tourists and potential tourists who seek experiences which are in relation to sustainability would be touched with the messaging. 
• Digital Media: Along with the partnerships that would be created, a universal website (like the site published by Tourism Vancouver) would be created where a tourist could go as a one-stop shop for information on events, volunteer opportunities and articles that relate to the Renewable City project and sustainability. Also included would be website links to social media platforms where followers can like, retweet and share information on the ways that sustainability benefits the great city of Vancouver. 
• Communication: Communication is key to any successful project. Making sure that the stakeholders and tourists are aware of events, updates, and ways they can be involved is extremely important. One way to ensure open communication would be by creating a digital newsletter. This would be a cost-effective and easy way to reach out and connect with those stakeholders or tourists that are seeking information on sustainability within the destination. 

It is all of our jobs to support and contribute towards sustainable practices when visiting different destinations all over the globe. These practices are important and should be the main focus of the future of destination management and marketing. Focusing on "Geophysical super-trend: 'going green' which is the eighth super-trend and related to the increasing emphasis on sustainable tourism development and green practices." (Morrison 2013, pg. 558) will allow future generations to have the same enjoyable experiences we do. 

References

Morrison, A.M. (2013). Marketing and managing tourism destinations. New York: Routledge.

(n.d.) Retrieved April 20, 2017, from https://www.tourismvancouver.com

(n.d.) Retrieved April 20, 2017, from http://vancouver.ca/files/cov/renewable-city-strategy-booklet-2015.pdf 

(n.d.) Retrieved April 22, 2017, from https://www.canada.ca/en/environmental-assessment-agency.html 

(n.d.) Retrieved April 22, 2017, from https://www.the-cma.org