As an informed Parkite, you probably know the Chamber/Bureau is working toward a Sustainable Tourism Plan (STP) – a vision for a balanced economic future with specific actions that celebrate the positive impacts and addresses the pinch points.
Tourism is unique. Its opportunities and challenges affect and even shape entire communities. We have realized job creation, a glowing national reputation, excellent ski facilities, cultural and recreational amenities, dining options, and a firm economic base. But we also deal with periodic crowding, traffic, infrastructure strain and pressure on our environment.
Like tourism itself, the STP will involve everyone, including our visitors and businesses. Protecting biodiversity and wildlife, promoting voluntourism, preserving heritage and natural sites, improving transit and walkability, recognizing forced labor or human exploitation, and making art more accessible – these disparate elements are all part of sustainable tourism. It’s about cherishing Park City while acting to sustain our economic, cultural, and environmental health for generations.
Since last summer, we’ve made a lot of progress, and the finish line is in sight. To review, we commissioned an assessment by the Global Sustainable Tourism Council last year which showed our strengths and weaknesses. A follow-on situation assessment by the Coraggio Group made for compelling reading about our attitudes and challenges.
Surveys and public meetings allowed everyone to share their thoughts and ideas. And we formed a representative group of 22 residents, businesses, government and community institutions we call the Destination Stewardship Council to oversee it all. They are putting the finishing touches on a final draft plan we will present to the Park City and Summit County councils for review and approval in the next few months.
It’s an ambitious project, but Park City is already way ahead of many similar small-town outdoor destinations because our municipal and county governments are alive to the need for action; we are acclaimed nationally for our sustainability and climate goals. This Plan focuses specifically on tourism and how we can act together to balance and sustain our lifestyle, environment and a tourism-based economy – for decades to come.
What can you expect from a completed Sustainable Tourism Plan? First, you will find incredible opportunities to get involved and make a difference. You can review the Plan’s objectives and goals, see which community groups are tasked with accomplishing them, and volunteer to help. You may see objectives relating to your interests, such as volunteering to meet and engage visitors in community activities.
Throughout, you will sense a theme of togetherness and unity among Parkites, including our guests. Attracting and educating an enlightened base of visitors who enthusiastically help preserve our environment and lifestyle is something worth achieving, and the Plan will set out strategies to do just that.
By talking together, studying the data, making concrete plans, holding ourselves accountable, and reaching out to visitors with the warmth for which we are famous, I am confident the Plan will not only be a tremendous success, but will be a model for other communities. It will also stand as an achievement that marks our generation of Parkites for decades to come as people deeply passionate about our town, our neighbors, and how we live.