Sustainability Starts Here: How Forward-Thinking CVBs Protect What Makes a Place Worth Visiting

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Sustainability Starts Here: Equipping CVBs to Protect What Makes a Place Worth Visiting

Convention & Visitors Bureaus do more than bring people to a place—they help define what that place is, and why it’s worth the journey. In a world where destinations can rise or fall on the quality of their visitor experience and the health of their environment, sustainability is no longer a side project. It's central to the mission.

But sustainability can feel like a vague concept. For a CVB that’s busy chasing leads and booking rooms, what does it look like in real terms? The answer begins with giving them the right kind of information.

1. Map the Impact, Not Just the Footfall

Most CVBs know how many visitors came, where they came from, and how long they stayed. That’s baseline. What they often lack is insight into how those visitors affected the destination.

Data partners and local universities can help measure environmental pressure points—like trail overuse, downtown congestion, or waste volume during major events. When CVBs can see beyond heads in beds to hearts in neighborhoods and footprints on trails, they can shape more thoughtful strategies.

2. Show the Power of Visitor Education

Many CVBs still approach marketing as a one-way megaphone: sell the sizzle. But today’s visitors—especially younger ones—want to do the right thing when they travel. The CVB can become an educator, not just a promoter.

Provide them with examples of soft messaging campaigns (“Leave No Trace” style guidelines, support-local prompts, or signage that tells the story behind protected areas). Offer templates. Case studies. Show them how other destinations have turned visitor education into loyalty, not limitation.

3. Encourage Local Collaboration

Sustainability isn’t something a CVB can champion alone. They must build coalitions with parks departments, city planners, historical societies, and environmental nonprofits. Then, share those stories—visibly. When a destination’s values are clear and local pride is front and center, visitors are more likely to support the place they’ve come to experience.

4. Reframe Success

If the only goal is year-over-year growth in visitor numbers, sustainability loses every time. CVBs should rethink success in more meaningful terms—visitor satisfaction, community sentiment, length of stay, repeat visitation, and quality over quantity.

The CVB can create the narrative to talk to stakeholders. Show them how to build messages around balance, stewardship, and legacy. Their value isn’t just in numbers—it’s in the long-term health of the destination they protect.

CVBs are often asked to do everything—drive traffic, raise awareness, boost the economy. But they also carry the quiet responsibility of making sure the places we love stay lovable. The best way to to redefine success? Provide the tools, examples, and partnerships that support sustainability not as a burden, but as a badge of honor.


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