Peru Geotourism Stewardship Council

Photo © Jim Dion

A Geotourism Stewardship Council is formed with an eye to ensuring its collaborative leadership role in the community. The council serves to stimulate residents and visitors to contribute to the sustaibabiity of the area. Members represent all aspects of geotourism – they might work for historic preservation, conservation, and environmental nonprofits, or in private-sector businesses and organizations that legitimately support and practice geotourism. They are united by their desire to enhance and sustain the natural and cultural attributes of their place, so to benefit the local community.

There is no formal, prescribed method for choosing council members or for funding a council's activities. These vary considerably from one place to another, and each place must tailor an approach appropriate to local circumstances.

Local collaborators and advisers potentially include:
• Geotourism innovators—guides, innkeepers, restauranteurs, tour operators, etc.
• Local arts, craft co-ops, music groups, or other heritage groups
• Agricultural cooperatives, historic preservation groups, conservation organizations (including ecotourism leaders)
• Community leaders or individuals with deep knowledge of the area’s heritage, especially older individuals
• Church groups, school associations, universities, volunteer/charity organizations
• Local geographical or historical author who covers the region
• Historians, naturalists, librarians
• Local minority or heritage groups and experts
• Specialists in locally based food and drink
• Business people with profitable and sustainably appropriate operations

The council engages in actionable projects that foster the long-term overall health and welfare of local tourism assets. For example, a council may spearhead the in-depth process of Geotourism MapGuide production, which may take a year or more to complete. One major task of the council is to help nominate sites for the MapGuide. Thus, the alliance is a bridge between locals and NGS, gathering information on sites nominated and consulting with NGS on selection.

For more information, contact the Center for Sustainable Destinations at (202) 828-8045 or CSD@ngs.org.