Destination Stewardship - Story of Visit Issaquah

Last month we announced that we would be sharing the story of Visit Issaquah’s transformational journey in the weeks ahead. Here is the first part of the story! 

The City of Issaquah's regenerative and transformative tourism learning journey has begun, with a group of 15 tourism leaders from Issaquah, Washington participating in our Destination Stewardship Leadership Training program. The cohort is comprised of representatives from the Snoqualmie Tribe, the City of Issaquah (including the mayor and economic development department representatives) Issaquah History Museums, Friends of Lake Sammamish State Park, Issaquah Alps Trails Club, Friends of Issaquah Salmon Hatchery, Village Theatre, Issaquah Arts Network, Hilton Garden Inn, Visit Issaquah and the Port of Seattle. 

The Destination Stewardship Leadership Training program was designed to equip tourism leaders with regenerative tourism and transformative travel knowledge, concepts and tools that will help them lead their community in this direction of sustained, inherent positive impact tourism. 

After taking our Transformational Travel Design Program virtual course, Visit Issaquah Executive Director Christy Garrard, in partnership with the City of Issaquah Mayor and Economic Development Department, gathered Issaquah’s tourism stakeholders together to discuss openly what they want their future in tourism to be. The group was unanimous that they wanted to embrace community-based tourism using regenerative development principles and co-create a tourism industry that embraces the transformation economy and gives back to the community and place. 

“Issaquah is an ideal location to create a transformational travel destination in the region. Combining the natural beauty, variety of outdoor recreation options, and our arts and culture scene into a curated library of unique itinerary experiences that address the consumer’s demands and entice meeting planners, tour operators and leisure travelers.” Christy Garrard - Executive Director, Visit Issaquah. 

Their first step is expanding the tourism leadership’s knowledge of regenerative development and transformational travel through the leadership program, and they are well on their way!   

In the first session - an orientation and overview - the cohort were asked to reflect where they are as a community and why they do tourism. During the second session - Regenerative Tourism Deep Dive - the cohort learned about Inner Development Goals, and regenerative principles of life, tourism and decision making. They were asked to reflect where they want to go, and how these tools can support taking them there. 

Despite some hiccups with a hybrid virtual and in-person format, as well as busy leader schedules, the transformative process is unfolding nicely. Stay tuned for more as the learning journey continues.