Translation of the concept of sustainability into practice is fraught with problems. While policy advances in all sectors of the economy have made steps in the right direction the lack of clarity in defining what is meant by 'sustainability' has resulted in varied responses. The tourism industry, with its heavy dependence on the quality of the natural environment has, especially through the development of ecotourism products, sought to address the sustainability question. However, the translation of sustainability concepts and principles into action is slow moving. The objective of this paper is to critically examine how the notion of sustainability has been packaged and branded by The Natural Step™ (TNS) organization (Robèrt, 2002) and how, in the context of sustainable tourism development, the Resort Municipality of Whistler, as an early adopter of TNS, has built upon the foundational ideas of TNS to develop an innovative comprehensive sustainability plan for the resort.