Early BEST Case Studies

Business Enterprises for Sustainable Travel, an initiative of The Conference Board in association with the World Travel and Tourism Council, developed a series of case study publications. These highlight successful business practices utilized by travel and tourism companies that advance their business objectives while enhancing the social and economic well-being of destination communities. Examples featured in this series were drawn from BEST’s extensive and ever-growing database of the latest sustainable travel and tourism practices.

General

• Executive Travel: Traveling Green
  Keywords: business travel, CO2, carbon offsetting
  

Accommodation Facilities

• Las Terrazas Complejo Turistico: Thriving with Nature (and Tourists)
  Location: Cuba
  Keywords: resource conservation, guest involvement, green building, community engagement

• Punta Cana Resort and Club: A Sustainability Model in the Caribbean
  Location: Dominican Republic
  Keywords: tourism development, resource conservation, educational and research affiliations, biodiversity

• Vilamoura Resort: From Mass Tourism to Sustainable Destination
  Location: Portugal
  Keywords: environmental accountability, CSR, partnerships, community relations, resource conservation, heritage protection, environmental awareness

• The Ka’anapali Beach Hotel: Instilling Cultural Awareness Among Employees and Guests
  Location: Hawaii, USA
  Keywords: cultural identity, cultural awareness, employee satisfaction, guest experience, human resources, common values, goodwill

• Turtle Island Resort: To Be a Vital Resource to its Community
  Location: Fiji
  Keywords: community relations, resource conservation, cultural audit, guest involvement
  

Tour Operators

• Conservation Corporation Africa: Making Tourism Work for Africa’s Developing Economies
  Area of Operation: Africa
  Project Location: Botswana, Kenya, South Africa, Tanzania, Zimbabwe
  Keywords: marketing, customer satisfaction, customer retention, human resources, community relations, government relations

• Lindblad Expeditions: Tour Operator Taps into Travelers’ Philantrophic Impulses
  Area of Operation: Worldwide
  Project Location: Galapagos Islands, Ecuador
  Keywords: marketing, customer satisfaction, customer retention, human resources, community relations, government relations

• Shaw Heritage Tours: A Vibrant Community Shares a Rich Historical Legacy
  Location: Washington D.C., USA
  Keywords: cultural heritage, community, economic development, neighborhood participation, cultural equity
  

Transportation

• BAA plc: A Business Case for Corporate Citizenship
  Type: airport company
  Location: UK
  Keywords: corporate citizenship, stakeholders, shareholders, community relations, partnerships, social accountability

• Great Canadian Railtour Company: Caretakers of Canada’s Passenger Rail Heritage
  Type: railroad
  Location: Canada
  Keywords: customer satisfaction, staff motivation, heritage protection, environmental awareness, community support, partnerships
  

Other Providers

• Aspen Skiing Company: A Multifaceted Approach to Sustainability
  Type: ski resort
  Location: Colorado, USA
  Keywords: corporate citizenship, environmental accountability, social accountability, community relations, green building, resource conservation, employee involvement