Destination Stewardship Center

What Destination Stewardship Center does

Destination Stewardship Center (DSC) is a volunteer-driven nonprofit knowledge center that operates as a global hub for destination stewardship practitioners, sustainable tourism advocates, and responsible travelers. The organization was established in 2020 as an extension of the former National Geographic Center for Sustainable Destinations, inheriting the Geotourism framework and a network of practitioners across destination management organizations, tourism boards, academia, and local communities. DSC's core products are content-based: the quarterly Destination Stewardship Report (D.S. Report) e-mailed newsletter produced in collaboration with the Global Sustainable Tourism Council and Center for Responsible Travel, the Destination Watch section featuring the National Geographic survey ratings of 440 global destinations, an extensive directory of Stewardship Resources, a collaborative blogging platform open to volunteer contributors, and the Geotourism Approach framework with codified principles and a code for enterprises. The organization also offers a small line of fee-bearing professional services including Destination Stewardship Workshops, Video Storytelling, Media Training, and Speaking & Presentations.

DSC's business model is nonprofit and content-centric. All core knowledge products — the newsletter, website resources, blog, and case studies — are distributed free of charge, with no pricing tiers or transactional revenue. The organization is funded through unspecified grants, donations, sponsorships, and in-kind volunteer contributions, with revenue streams not publicly disclosed. Its go-to-market is community-led: DSC recruits editorial interns, apprentices, retired editors, and subject-matter volunteers who receive public credit for contributions, and amplifies content through partner networks including the Future of Tourism Coalition (which DSC co-founded with five other nonprofits), GSTC, CREST, Green Destinations, ITCA, and state-level tourism offices. The editorial team is small, led by Executive Editor Jonathan B. Tourtellot, Managing Editor Ian Vorster, Webmaster Tim Greenleaf, and approximately eight editorial contributors. The organization's operating geography is explicitly global, with documented engagement across the United States, Scotland, Sri Lanka, Brazil, Thailand, Greece, Germany, and Tunisia.

Name

Destination Stewardship Center

Legal name

Destination Stewardship Center

Website

https://destinationcenter.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Destination Stewardship Center is a volunteer-driven nonprofit knowledge center that curates and publishes global destination stewardship content, including the quarterly Destination Stewardship Report newsletter, the Destination Watch monitoring section, and stewardship resource directories, serving tourism practitioners, academics, and responsible travelers worldwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sustainable Tourism Knowledge Center

NAICS

Convention and Visitors Bureaus (561591)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Permitting, Reservations & Visitor Information Services (Passes, Booking, Visitor Centers) (THAAAGAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Recreation & Activity Services (Hiking, Boating, Climbing, Fishing—Guided/Authorized) (THAAAGAF), Wildlife Sanctuaries & Rescue Centers (Visitor Operations) (THAAAFAA)

Keywords

• Sustainable tourism resources
• Destination stewardship consulting
• Geotourism knowledge center
• Community tourism education
• Travel impact research

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Not publicly disclosed: The Destination Stewardship Center is a nonprofit organization. Specific revenue streams are not explicitly disclosed in available materials. The organization mentions seeking partners, sponsors, and business-development volunteers, suggesting reliance on grants, donations, and volunteer contributions rather than commercial revenue generation.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Destination Stewardship Center is a nonprofit knowledge center that curates and publishes the quarterly Destination Stewardship Report newsletter, maintains stewardship resource directories and a news monitoring site (Destination Watch), and operates a collaborative blog for practitioners. It also delivers for-fee Destination Stewardship Services such as workshops, speaking engagements, video storytelling, and media training, and serves as a co-founder of the Future of Tourism Coalition.

Product overview

Destination Stewardship Center operates as a knowledge center and content platform offering a suite of interconnected products: the core Destination Stewardship Report (quarterly e-mailed newsletter), Destination Watch (news monitoring with Destination Monitor news feed), Stewardship Resources (resource directories), the Geotourism Approach (sustainability framework), DSC Collaborative Blog (contributor platform), and Destination Stewardship Services (professional workshops and training). The organization extends the work of the former National Geographic Center for Sustainable Destinations and serves as a co-founder of the Future of Tourism Coalition.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Destination Stewardship Report (D.S. Report) A free, quarterly e-mailed periodical newsletter providing practical information and insights on improving destination stewardship, published in collaboration with the Global Sustainable Tourism Council and the Center for Responsible Travel.
• Destination Watch A news monitoring section presenting stewardship news from around the globe, including profiles of exemplary destination stewardship councils and National Geographic destination survey ratings of 440 destinations graded A to F.
• Stewardship Resources Directories of information and resources to help destinations improve authentic distinctiveness, sustainability, and responsible tourism practices, covering managing destinations, tourism types, geotourism, academia, and funding sources.
• Destination Stewardship Services For-fee professional services including Speaking & Presentations, Destination Stewardship Workshops, Video Storytelling, and Media Training offered to destinations and organizations seeking to develop destination stewardship programs.
• The Geotourism Approach A holistic sustainable tourism framework defined via National Geographic as tourism that sustains or enhances the geographical character of a place, encompassing environment, culture, geology, aesthetics, heritage, and resident well-being.
• DSC Collaborative Blog A collaborative blogging platform where registered volunteers and contributors can submit articles on destination stewardship topics, with editorial guidelines and content indexing available.
• Destination Monitor A curated news feed providing ongoing selections of stewardship news stories from around the world, featuring links to original reporting on sustainable tourism developments.

Quantifiable outcome

• Featured case studies from Green Destinations Top 100 winners including Fernando de Noronha dolphin protection (35 years of continuous operation, 25,000+ students educated, 4,000 course participants), Chiang Khan Thailand community tourism revival, Sigiriya sustainable destination certification with 200+ enterprises trained, and Colorado statewide stewardship initiative with 1,000+ stakeholders consulted.

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Center for Responsible Travel (CREST)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 November 2025Co-organized the 2025 World Tourism Forum on Cape Cod with Care for the Cape and Islands, producing the Sustainable Transformation Charter (Cape Cod Charter) as a model for destination stewardship conferences globally.
• Care for the Cape and IslandscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 November 2025Co-organized the 2025 World Tourism Forum on Cape Cod with Center for Responsible Travel, resulting in the Sustainable Transformation Charter - a guiding framework for tourism destinations addressing governance, livability, environment, visitor behavior, and innovation.
• Future of Tourism CoalitioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDSC is one of six co-founders of this global coalition of nonprofit organizations devoted to sustainable tourism and improving destination stewardship. The coalition represents a flagship strategic alliance for advancing shared goals in sustainable tourism development worldwide.
• Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborates with DSC on producing the Destination Stewardship Report, which seeks to provide practical information and insights useful to anyone involved in improving destination stewardship. This partnership combines GSTC's standards expertise with DSC's knowledge aggregation capabilities.
• Keep Pinellas BeautifulminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNonprofit affiliate of Keep America Beautiful leading the Hospitality Eco-Partnership program in Florida, focusing on hotel sustainability, volunteer cleanups, and environmental education. USF students work as interns in program development.
• Keep Pasco BeautifulminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNonprofit affiliate leading the Companies for a Cause sustainable tourism program, helping local hospitality businesses transition to sustainable practices through education and promotion.
• University of South Florida Sustainable Tourism ProgramminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic program serving as consultant and academic partner for Florida destination stewardship programs. Students from the program work as interns developing sustainable certification programs and community initiatives.
• Indigenous Tourism Collaborative of the Americas (ITCA)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerITCA consolidates hundreds of resources to help destination leaders plan for sustainable indigenous tourism. DSC reviews and promotes the eLibrary as a resource for ethical guidance in indigenous tourism representation.
• Colorado Tourism OfficeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerState tourism office implementing a comprehensive Destination Stewardship Strategic Plan developed with input from 1,000+ stakeholders. DSC documents and shares Colorado's statewide approach as a model for other destinations.
• Green DestinationsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerOrganization running the Top 100 Destination Sustainability Stories competition. DSC regularly features winners from this competition in the Destination Stewardship Report, providing editorial synopses of selected stories.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Center for Responsible Travel (CREST): CREST co-produces the Destination Stewardship Report with DSC and co-organized the 2025 World Tourism Forum on Cape Cod. Both are research-and-advocacy organizations focused on responsible tourism policy and destination stewardship best practices.
• The Travel Foundation: The Travel Foundation is a UK-based charity working with tourism businesses and destinations to develop sustainable tourism practices. It shares DSC's destination stewardship mission and serves a similar constituency of DMOs and tourism professionals.
• Sustainable Travel International: Sustainable Travel International is a nonprofit working to advance sustainable tourism through destination stewardship, traveler education, and advocacy. It directly competes with DSC in serving tourism boards, DMOs, and travelers seeking responsible tourism resources.
• Future of Tourism Coalition: DSC is one of six co-founders of the Future of Tourism Coalition, a global coalition of nonprofit organizations devoted to sustainable tourism. The coalition shares the same mission and constituency as DSC, making it a directly comparable peer organization.
• Green Destinations: Green Destinations runs the Top 100 Destination Sustainability Stories competition that DSC regularly features in its newsletter. Both organizations curate destination sustainability best practices and operate certification/recognition programs for sustainable destinations.
• Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC): GSTC is a core partner of DSC and co-produces the Destination Stewardship Report. It sets global sustainable tourism standards and criteria, directly overlapping with DSC's mission of providing destination stewardship knowledge and resources to practitioners.
• Tourism Cares: Tourism Cares is a nonprofit that advances responsible tourism through community impact programs, traveler education, and industry engagement. It serves a similar audience of tourism professionals and destinations as DSC and operates comparable educational and advocacy programming.

Broad incumbents

• World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC): WTTC is a global industry council that represents the travel and tourism private sector and publishes influential sustainability research and initiatives. While broader in focus than DSC, it is a comparable incumbent in shaping sustainable tourism agendas.
• UN Tourism (UNWTO): UN Tourism is the United Nations specialized agency for tourism and the largest international body shaping sustainable tourism policy and standards. It operates at far greater scale than DSC but works in the same broad policy and destination stewardship space.

Emerging players

• Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA): ATTA serves adventure travel operators and destinations with events, research, and sustainability resources. While more focused on adventure tourism, it intersects with DSC's work on sustainable destination management and provides overlapping educational content for practitioners.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/geotourism
• Facebookfacebook.com/care4places
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/destination-stewardship-center
• Instagraminstagram.com/destination_stewardship_center

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Destination Stewardship Center