General Information
What is destination stewardship?
Destination stewardship is the continuous pursuit of a net-positive tourism ecosystem that exists in alignment with shared community values.
Learn more about the four guiding principles of destination stewardship that support destination organization decision-making while balancing the needs of residents and visitors alike in our white paper, Navigating Your Stewardship Journey.
What is Destination Wayfinder?
Destination Wayfinder is a fully integrated destination management platform and framework that turns destination stewardship into strategy and strategy into lasting impact. It combines a 71-point stewardship assessment, a capability framework and a project management tool into one intuitive technology platform helping destination organizations make smarter, more sustainable decisions.
Who is Destination Wayfinder for?
Destination Wayfinder is designed for tourism organizations of any size and jurisdiction, including destination marketing organizations; destination management organizations; convention and visitors bureaus; chambers of commerce; government-led tourism departments; and regional, national and state organizations.
The framework and platform is also available to the tourism industry at large, intentionally built to help stewardship consultants plan holistically and navigate their clients’ destination planning in alignment with global best practices.
Why was Destination Wayfinder developed?
Since the pandemic, destinations have been re-evaluating how to harness the power of tourism for the benefit of both community and visitors. As social, cultural, environmental and economic priorities continue to evolve, tourism organizations are being compelled to become more engaged advocates—requiring them to expand their role well beyond the traditional destination promotion scope of the past, and toward a community-centered stewardship approach.
However, there hasn’t been an industry-wide approach to destination stewardship. There is no common definition, clear starting point or agreed-upon best practices. Destination Wayfinder was designed to change that. Grounded in collaboration and aligned with global best practices set forth by the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) and United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Destination Wayfinder was created to help tourism organizations define where they are now and plan for where they want to be.
How was Destination Wayfinder developed?
Destination Wayfinder was built by industry, for industry through the contributions of the Global Stewardship Innovation Lab—a group of thought leaders, researchers and stewardship practitioners across the tourism sector with a diverse mix of ethnicity, culture, gender and viewpoints.
Convening in December 2023, the Innovation Lab met in Los Angeles to cultivate a comprehensive understanding of the tourism system, delving into systemic issues that all destinations are facing. The outcomes of the inaugural Innovation Lab were a shared definition and global framework and standards for destination stewardship.
After extensive research and planning, we partnered with a New Zealand technology company, 365 Ventures to build the Destination Wayfinder platform, implement the framework and apply the technology to the tourism vertical.
Who is funding Destination Wayfinder?
Destination Wayfinder is funded by Miles Partnership. It’s an example of Miles Partnership’s investment in research, strategy, innovation and technology to develop solutions that empower the tourism industry.
Demo & Trial
How do I schedule a demo?
You can schedule a demo of Destination Wayfinder by filling out the form here. Once submitted, you’ll be directed to a Calendly link where you can schedule your demo at a time that works for you.
Can I book a demo for my organization’s board?
We can plan a personalized demo of Destination Wayfinder for your advisory group, board or other key decision makers. We recommend scheduling an individual or small group demo first so we can learn more about your organization and better tailor the demo based on your goals and challenges.
What can I expect during a demo?
Our demos typically last one hour, where we share more about why Destination Wayfinder was developed, how it works to benefit your organization and what pricing and membership plans look like. During this time, we’ll also discuss your strategies, goals and challenges in order to guide you toward the right membership path for your destination.
Do you offer any free trials of Destination Wayfinder?
Each organization that schedules and completes a demo is eligible for a free two-week trial of Destination Wayfinder. We also offer longer-term and bespoke Enterprise trials for destinations on a case-by-case basis. Reach out to us at [email protected] or ask for more information during your demo.
Pricing & Plans
How much does Destination Wayfinder cost?
Pricing for Destination Wayfinder varies based on your chosen membership plan and add-ons, as well as your location. For U.S. destinations, plans start at $8,000.
We can also work with your organization to develop a flexible pricing model based on your needs, such as adjusting invoice dates or developing a fixed rate, multi-year contract. If there isn’t an option that works for your organization, we encourage you to let us know so we can find the right solution.
What are the different membership plans available?
We currently offer four different membership plans, including:
- Wayfinder Pulse: A one-time diagnostic solution with a lower-cost entry point into Destination Wayfinder’s global framework. Pulse offers destinations a diagnostic starting point and provides them with a holistic assessment and strategic review of their current destination management capability.
- Wayfinder Gateway: A low-entry annual membership level with complete, self-led access to the technology platform and associated tools.
- Wayfinder 365: A mid-entry annual membership level with complete access to the technology platform, plus bundled pricing for add-ons and guided consultation. Add-ons include Workspace Mapping, Survey Hub, Annual Verification and Working Group Assessment.
- Wayfinder Enterprise: A bespoke, high-entry annual membership level for multiple destinations under a shared jurisdiction. Enterprise provides multi-region access and aggregated data across multiple, layered accounts.
For more information about Destination Wayfinder plans and add-ons, visit our Plans page.
Can I get a price or estimate without scheduling a demo?
Pricing for Destination Wayfinder varies by country, chosen membership plan and add-ons. While we always recommend speaking with one of our expert consultants, we can provide an estimate if given enough information. Reach out to us at [email protected] for more details.
Users, Profile & Settings
How many users can I invite to access my organization?
Each annual membership plan (Gateway, 365, or Enterprise) includes unlimited users. You can invite as many team members or stakeholders as you’d like, choosing from three different user roles:
- Administrator: Has access to all areas of the Destination Wayfinder platform, including managing user access and updating the organization profile.
- Standard User: Has access to all areas of the Destination Wayfinder platform, with the exception of managing users and updating the organization profile.
- Viewer: Has limited access to the dashboard and workspace only.
What are the different organization goal levels and how do I know which one to pick?
Destination Wayfinder has three goal levels tourism organizations can track progress against, including (1) Lay the Foundations, (2) Build Balance and (3) Flourish. Organizations can determine when they have achieved their specific goal level based on the following scoring guidelines:
Lay the Foundations: Score an average of 4/6 across all elements or a DSI of 60%
At this level, the organization is in the early stages of establishing essential frameworks and strategies for destination management. Efforts may be focused on organizational development, marketing campaigns, and stakeholder engagement to lay the groundwork for future growth. The primary aim is to create a solid foundation upon which more comprehensive destination management practices can be built.
Build Balance: Score an average of 5/6 across all elements or a DSI of 80%
At this level, the organization is in the early stages of establishing essential frameworks and strategies for destination management. Efforts may be focused on organizational development, marketing campaigns, and stakeholder engagement to lay the groundwork for future growth. The primary aim is to create a solid foundation upon which more comprehensive destination management practices can be built.
Flourish: Score an average of 6/6 across all elements or a DSI of 100%
This represents the highest level of destination management maturity, where organizations are dedicated to achieving comprehensive sustainability. They excel in integrating economic prosperity with social, cultural, and environmental stewardship. Flourishing destinations are characterized by innovative approaches to destination management, strong collaboration between the community and other stakeholders, and a commitment to long-term stewardship for the benefit of both present and future generations.
Is Destination Wayfinder available in other languages?
The Destination Wayfinder framework and platform is currently available in English, Spanish, French, German and Arabic. If you’re interested in using Destination Wayfinder but don’t see your language available, reach out to us at [email protected], to discuss opportunities for translation and local adaptation.
Assessment & Framework
What is the Destination Wayfinder assessment and why do I need to complete one?
The assessment guides your destination organization through the complete Destination Wayfinder Framework, and includes 71 questions across nine core modules that represent the full spectrum of destination management functions. Questions are answered based on a six-point maturity scale that is designed to be evidence-based. By defining specific requirements your organization must meet within each of the maturity levels, such as destination strategic plans and documented policies, you can pinpoint gaps and identify opportunities for improvement—using evidence to inform decision-making and actions.
Once the assessment is complete, the Destination Stewardship Indicator (DSI) is calculated, which provides an indication of your destination’s current position in implementing a destination stewardship approach to destination management. For destinations making the shift toward destination stewardship, the DSI provides a better understanding and metric for systems-level change happening within the organization.
How long does the assessment take to complete?
Assessment completion times vary based on organization size, participating stakeholders and access to information. Facilitated assessments typically average 6-8 hours and occur over the course of three to four weeks.
Whether you’re completing the assessment on your own or via our expert facilitation, we recommend the following core actions to complete the assessment:
- Familiarize yourself with the assessment questions
- Identify and invite key participants
- Gather evidence and relevant resources
- Complete the assessment
- Build consensus (if working with multiple stakeholders)
Who should be responsible for completing the assessment?
At a minimum, we recommend core leadership at your destination organization participate in and complete the assessment. When possible, involve any team members who will regularly use Destination Wayfinder into the assessment process.
To enhance transparency, engagement and accuracy, invite internal and external stakeholders to participate in the assessment. Depending on each stakeholder’s area of expertise, assign the appropriate module questions to gather diverse and local perspectives. For example, assign your marketing team, agency, PR firm or other creative partners to complete the assessment questions from the Brand, Marketing & Communications module.
See our Stakeholder Mapping Guide for our suggested stakeholders to include by module.
Can I change an answer after I’ve completed the assessment?
Applicable to annual membership plans (Gateway, 365, or Enterprise), Destination Wayfinder leads destination organizations on a path of continuous improvement to ensure destinations realize long-term, sustainable outcomes. Designed for regular re-assessment, this means you can make changes to your assessment answers at any time—as you build capability, implement new strategies and advance outcomes for your destination, community and visitors.
However, for the initial assessment completion, we recommend finalizing all responses before inputting them into the platform. Please note, all changes to your assessment are recorded and tracked to maintain credibility. Any changes to your assessment can be viewed in the platform’s Change Log.
How do I improve my assessment results?
Included with annual membership plans (Gateway, 365, or Enterprise), each of the 71 elements or questions in the assessment framework includes a curated selection of recommended actions and resources for improving your maturity rating. These include practical steps along with links to real-world case studies and best-practice articles, research studies and reports to help you build the capability needed to reach the next maturity level. We also offer consultative services to support destination organizations at all stages of their stewardship journey.
Reporting & Benchmarking
What is the Destination Stewardship Indicator (DSI)?
The Destination Stewardship Indicator or DSI measures your organization’s overall maturity in destination stewardship and is calculated based on your assessment answers.
What’s included in a report?
Included with annual membership plans (Gateway, 365, or Enterprise), Destination Wayfinder’s dynamic reporting tool uses pre-defined templates with customizable fields to generate a summary of your assessment results relative to your organization’s goal. Each report includes your DSI score, a 12-month analysis of your progress and recommended actions for continuous improvement. The template allows space for additional context around key results and actions.
For Wayfinder Pulse, you’ll receive a one-time custom insights report with analysis from an expert consultant. Each report includes your DSI score, a summary of key strengths and opportunities for improvement, and assessment results by module and element.
What KPIs or metrics does Destination Wayfinder measure?
Destination Wayfinder doesn’t replace your organization’s KPIs but instead provides you with a benchmark DSI score measuring your overall maturity across the nine modules in the framework. Destination Wayfinder also provides the functionality and resources to help you track progress against your destination strategic plan. From your destination plan, create action items to upload in the Workspace, categorize and align action items with each of the framework modules, upload supporting documents, and add notes detailing your progress.
Miscellaneous
I’m a team of one/small team within my organization and have limited resources to implement and/or take ownership of Destination Wayfinder. Can I still benefit from the tool?
Collaboration and shared ownership are at the heart of destination stewardship, and Destination Wayfinder is a facilitator for that. The tool’s multi-user environment enables you to work with multiple stakeholder organizations and partners, giving them the ability to access resources, review action items and track progress in their designated areas.
Advancing your stewardship strategies can feel more attainable by delegating responsibilities to external partners. Instead of assigning responsibility to a single person, you can bring together collaborators on a quarterly basis, for example, and use Destination Wayfinder as your shared guide with a comprehensive view.
If you need consultative support to advance your strategies, we have various plans available. Compare plans or schedule a demo with our team to explore options that work for you.
We don’t have the local support to pursue a stewardship strategy. How can Destination Wayfinder still support my organization?
Destination Wayfinder provides you with a comprehensive view across all of your organization’s strategic efforts. Five out of nine of the framework’s modules are success enablers, which are designed to help destination organizations—regardless of whether your focus is on marketing, management or stewardship—lay a strong foundation for destination management. These include: 1) Management Structure & Framework; 2) Stakeholder Engagement; 3) Brand, Marketing & Communications; 4) Destination Development; and 5) Resiliency, Risk & Crisis Management.
With a holistic viewpoint, you can focus resources on increasing productivity in the areas that matter most to your community. So if local economic empowerment and impact is the primary focus, then let’s start there. With Destination Wayfinder, you can ground your conversations with community and key stakeholders based on shared priority areas. This not only advances responsible tourism, but also community engagement.
My organization is already advanced in destination stewardship practices, why do I need Destination Wayfinder?
Destination stewardship isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach, and it’s not something you can ever truly “achieve” as stakeholder needs and global circumstances constantly shift. Whether your organization is advanced in stewardship strategies or just starting out, Destination Wayfinder provides the most comprehensive framework for destination management paired with a technology platform designed to help you shift from fragmented success to systemic impact. Here are some of the key benefits for destinations well into their stewardship journey:
- Organization Goal Setting: Depending on your current priorities and goals, choose between three different goal levels to track performance and progress against. Destination Wayfinder will measure progress against your selected goal across all modules and elements.
- Stakeholder Communication: The more advanced your stewardship practices, the more complex they can be to communicate. Destination Wayfinder provides the framework and tools to translate stewardship initiatives and metrics into compelling, evidence-based narratives to support stakeholder communication and support funding and resource allocation.
- Global Benchmarking: Destination Wayfinder provides a global, standardized framework for destination stewardship. Once more destinations are using Destination Wayfinder, we will have the first sector-wide data to show trends, gaps and opportunities.