Future of Tourism Coalition

What Future of Tourism Coalition does

Future of Tourism Coalition is a private, non-governmental coalition founded in June 2020 by five established sustainability NGOs — Center for Responsible Travel (CREST), Green Destinations, Tourism Cares, The Travel Foundation, and Destination Stewardship Center — to advance sustainable tourism globally. Its core offering is a set of 13 Guiding Principles developed collaboratively by the founding NGOs and recognized against the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) standards, alongside a curated Toolkit organized into four categories (Destination Stewardship, Metrics & Measurement, Supply Chains, and Climate Action). The Coalition also runs a Signatory Program that recruits destinations, tour operators, accommodation providers, OTAs, NGOs, governments, trade associations, investors, academia, and media to align with the Principles and access resources.

The Coalition operates as a digital-first, community-led platform: its website (futureoftourism.org) serves as the central hub, supplemented by LinkedIn, email newsletters, blog content, webinars, town halls, regional workshops, and the Future of Tourism Summit. Engagement is maintained through these channels rather than a sales team. The official headquarters, announced in January 2023, is in Málaga, Spain, hosted by the City of Málaga, Málaga Chamber of Commerce, Province of Málaga, and the Regional Government of Andalusia (Junta de Andalucía), serving as an activity hub for projects across Spain, Europe, and the Mediterranean basin.

The Coalition's business model is non-commercial. Signatory membership and Guiding Principle alignment are free; revenue figures are not disclosed and the Coalition does not appear to generate commercial revenue. The pricing notes indicate that future activities such as trainings, knowledge products, and events may eventually require funding to support the NGO Coalition's time and resources, implying a potential shift toward monetization of select programs. Current operational scale is small (1-10 employees), with capacity supplemented by the five founding NGOs and Spanish governmental hosts. The Coalition monitors signatories and reserves the right to exclude those demonstrating blatant disregard for the Guiding Principles, giving the framework quasi-regulatory weight within its signatory community.

Name

Future of Tourism Coalition

Legal name

Future of Tourism Coalition

Website

https://futureoftourism.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Future of Tourism Coalition is a non-governmental coalition of five sustainability NGOs (CREST, Green Destinations, Tourism Cares, The Travel Foundation, Destination Stewardship Center) that promotes 13 Guiding Principles and a curated Toolkit to help destinations, tour operators, OTAs, and accommodation providers advance sustainable tourism globally through free signatory membership.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sustainable Tourism Advocacy and Coalition Services

NAICS

Social Advocacy Organizations (8133), Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Sustainability Training, Consulting & ESG Advisory (Operational Playbooks, Staff Training) (THAAANAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Community-Based & Indigenous Tourism Enablement (Local Ownership, Benefit-Sharing) (THAAANAI), Impact Monitoring, Verification & Reporting (MRV) Tools (Impact KPIs, Compliance Reporting) (THAAANAN), International & Local Implementing NGOs (HLAJAKAD)

Keywords

• Sustainable tourism coalition
• Destination stewardship
• Tourism guiding principles
• Tourism sustainability toolkit
• Responsible travel advocacy

Headquarters

HQ city

Leiden

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Future of Tourism Coalition is a non-profit coalition of five NGOs that maintains 13 Guiding Principles for sustainable tourism and offers a free Signatory Program inviting destinations, tour operators, accommodation providers, OTAs, NGOs, governments, and other stakeholders to commit to those principles. Signatories gain access to a curated Toolkit of research, resources, action plans, and programs organized into four categories (Destination Stewardship, Metrics & Measurement, Supply Chain, Climate Action), along with events, webinars, and a global peer network.

Product overview

The Future of Tourism Coalition offers a coalition-plus-toolkit model centered on its 13 Guiding Principles—sustainable tourism guidelines developed collaboratively by six NGOs (CREST, Green Destinations, Tourism Cares, The Travel Foundation, and Destination Stewardship Center). The core offering is the Toolkit, which provides signatories and tourism stakeholders with curated resources organized into four categories: Destination Stewardship, Metrics & Measurement, Supply Chain, and Climate Action. Supporting offerings include a Signatory Program for organizations to commit to the principles, an Events Program (forums, workshops, webinars), and a Blog/News section. The Coalition also operates a Malaga Headquarters as a local activity hub for projects in Spain, Europe, and the Mediterranean. This is not a technology product but rather a coalition and knowledge-sharing platform focused on advocacy, guidance, and resource sharing for sustainable tourism transformation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Guiding Principles A set of 13 guiding principles that drive sustainable tourism worldwide, helping protect destinations, uplift communities, and ensure long-term benefits for travelers and locals alike. Available in English, Spanish, and French.
• Toolkit A curated collection of research, resources, action plans, and programs organized into four categories (Destination Stewardship, Metrics & Measurement, Supply Chain, Climate Action) to help signatories advance their sustainability goals.
• Signatory Program A commitment program inviting destinations, tour operators, accommodation providers, NGOs, and other stakeholders to align with the 13 Guiding Principles and join a global network for sustainable tourism. Free to join.
• Events Program Virtual and in-person engagement opportunities including global forums, regional workshops, webinars, and roundtables for stakeholders to learn about and advance sustainable tourism.
• Malaga Headquarters A physical headquarters in Malaga, Spain, serving as a central meeting point for global collaboration, innovation, and action, and an activity hub for projects across Spain, Europe, and the Mediterranean basin.

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Center for Responsible Travel (CREST)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCREST is one of five founding member NGOs of the Future of Tourism Coalition. It is a nonprofit research organization dedicated to increasing the positive global impact of responsible tourism, assisting governments, policy makers, tourism businesses, nonprofit organizations, and international agencies with solutions to critical issues confronting tourism.
• Green DestinationscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGreen Destinations International is one of five founding member NGOs of the Future of Tourism Coalition. It leads the world's largest community of destinations committed to sustainability, with over 600 destinations in 60 countries having joined its programmes. It provides tools, certification pathways, and destination support programs.
• Tourism CarescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTourism Cares is one of five founding member NGOs of the Future of Tourism Coalition. It unites the travel industry to advance its positive impact for nearly 20 years, bringing members from around the globe together to create connections and drive action through its Meaningful Travel Summit, Sustainability Workshop Series, and Meaningful Travel Fund.
• The Travel FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Travel Foundation is one of five founding member NGOs of the Future of Tourism Coalition. It is a leading global charity working in partnership with governments, businesses, and communities to develop and manage tourism to maximize benefits for communities and the environment. Founded in 2003, it has worked in nearly 30 countries.
• Destination Stewardship CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Destination Stewardship Center is one of five founding member NGOs of the Future of Tourism Coalition. It is a volunteer-driven nonprofit dedicated to protecting the world's distinctive places by supporting wisely managed tourism and enlightened destination stewardship, building a global community and knowledge network.
• City of MálagacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe City of Málaga is one of four local hosts for the Coalition's official headquarters in Málaga, Spain. It provides a central meeting point for global collaboration and action. The headquarters serves as an activity hub for broader projects across Spain, Europe, and the Mediterranean basin.
• Málaga Chamber of CommercecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Málaga Chamber of Commerce is one of four local hosts for the Coalition's official headquarters in Málaga, Spain. It supports the Coalition's operations in the region and facilitates business engagement.
• Province of MálagacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Province of Málaga is one of four local hosts for the Coalition's official headquarters in Málaga, Spain, supporting regional operations and engagement.
• Regional Government of Andalusia (Junta de Andalucía)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Regional Government of Andalusia (Junta de Andalucía) is one of four local hosts for the Coalition's official headquarters in Málaga, Spain, providing regional governmental support for the Coalition's activities.
• Tourism DeclaresminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Future of Tourism Coalition and Tourism Declares created a climate action blueprint for partnership in January 2021, collaborating on climate action resources for destinations. The Coalition also called for the industry to join the Glasgow Declaration in November 2021.
• MEP Josianne CutajarminorOthersMEP Josianne Cutajar became a Future of Tourism signatory in March 2021, representing political support for the Coalition's mission within the European Parliament.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Travalyst: Travalyst is a non-profit sustainable travel initiative backed by the Duke of Sussex and major industry players, focused on making sustainable choices easier for travelers. It overlaps with the Coalition on advocacy but emphasizes traveler-facing tools and booking-flow integration.

Direct peers

• The Travel Foundation: The Travel Foundation is a founding Coalition member and a UK-registered charity working with governments, businesses, and communities on sustainable tourism. Its destination-level project work and NGO structure closely align with the Coalition's mission and operating approach.
• Green Destinations: Green Destinations is one of the five founding NGO members of the Coalition and operates the world's largest community of destinations committed to sustainability (600+ destinations in 60 countries). Comparable mission, methodology, and target audience make it both a member and the closest operational peer.
• Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC): GSTC is the leading global standards body for sustainable tourism, maintaining the GSTC Criteria against which the Coalition's 13 Guiding Principles are explicitly recognized. Both organizations certify and convene tourism stakeholders around sustainability frameworks, making them the closest direct peer.
• Destination Stewardship Center: Destination Stewardship Center is a founding Coalition member and a volunteer-driven nonprofit supporting wisely managed tourism and destination stewardship globally. Its knowledge-network and destination-stewardship focus is essentially one of the four pillars of the Coalition's Toolkit.
• Tourism Declares: Tourism Declares is a climate-focused tourism coalition that partnered with the Future of Tourism Coalition to create a climate action blueprint in January 2021. Both are coalition-style advocacy initiatives aligning tourism stakeholders around sustainability commitments.
• Tourism Cares: Tourism Cares is a founding Coalition member that unites the travel industry around positive social and environmental impact through programs like the Meaningful Travel Summit and Sustainability Workshop Series. Its event-driven engagement model parallels the Coalition's summit and workshop strategy.
• Center for Responsible Travel (CREST): CREST is one of the five founding NGO members and a nonprofit research organization focused on increasing the positive impact of responsible tourism. It advises governments, policymakers, and tourism businesses — directly mirroring the Coalition's policy-oriented advocacy role.

Broad incumbents

• World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC): WTTC is the global industry council representing the travel and tourism private sector, producing widely cited sustainability and ESG frameworks. It operates at a much broader scale than the Coalition and competes for institutional mindshare on tourism sustainability standards.
• UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO): UNWTO is the United Nations specialized agency for tourism, setting international policy and sustainability guidelines for the sector. As the most authoritative global tourism body, it overlaps with the Coalition on international sustainable tourism advocacy and standards.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/future-of-tourism-coalition

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Future of Tourism Coalition