Sarasota, FL–September 18, 2024–On World Tourism Day (September 27, 2024), Destination Wayfinder will appear at the 24 Hours of Travel Innovation event. Kristin Dunne, Director of Destination Wayfinder, will speak about tourism’s shift from destination management to destination stewardship and how destination leaders can navigate their stewardship journey. An international audience of travel and tourism professionals will also have the opportunity to learn about the Wayfinder, a destination management tool helping destination organizations to measure, monitor and improve stewardship capabilities and outcomes.

An innovator in destination management, Dunne has previous experience leading Tourism Bay of Plenty in New Zealand. During her tenure as Chief Executive, she developed a world-leading destination stewardship plan that balanced the benefits of economic growth with the social, cultural and environmental impacts on the community. Later on in the event, Dunne will be joined by Executive Chair and CEO of 4VI Group, Anthony Everett to discuss practical insights and lessons learned while advancing stewardship in Vancouver Island, Canada.

“A destination stewardship approach is imperative to creating positive and lasting impacts for our communities and propelling tourism to be a force for good. But this transformation doesn’t come without its own set of challenges, including the fact that there is no shared definition of what destination stewardship is, where to start or what best practices look like,” says Dunne. “With the Wayfinder, we’re providing tourism organizations with a destination management framework that helps define their role as stewards, responsible for improving quality of place to improve quality of all life.”

24 Hours of Travel Innovation, as the name suggests, will showcase 24 hours of keynotes, panel discussions and case studies about the latest innovations for tourism, travel and communities. This event unleashes the best knowledge and proven solutions from around the world to take on challenges that the tourism industry manages, including:

  • Forming coalitions to transform travel for the good of people and the planet,
  • Leading a destination with community values,
  • Attracting visitors who support those values,
  • Preserving the things that draw visitors for future generations,
  • Helping the community be heard and find the benefits and positivity from tourism,
  • Navigating emerging situations that may be disruptors or risks to tourism,
  • Providing ideas to the tourism industry to reduce operating costs,
  • Addressing housing and social equity concerns,
  • Measuring the success of adopting the latest innovations.

Travel and tourism professionals and those working to create changes in their own communities are invited to attend. Registration for this online event is free.

Destination Think is producing 24 Hours in Travel Innovation through a powerful collaboration with destination leaders that harnesses collective experience and expertise in identifying and implementing improvements in travel.

To learn more about how the Wayfinder can help tourism organizations build vibrant and flourishing communities, go to DestinationWayfinder.com.

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About the Wayfinder
The Wayfinder is an industry-led, evidence-based destination management framework built around a tried and tested platform, guiding destination organizations through a continuous improvement pathway that measures, monitors and improves destination stewardship capability and outcomes. The Wayfinder is transforming destination management, allowing tourism organizations to strengthen their role in stewardship and accelerate the pace of change for destinations and the communities they represent.