Action:

Create strategies and partnerships that will make your destination more sustainable and inclusive. And tell that story to visitors

Background:

Numerous reports and studies have found that the pandemic has reinforced, even accelerated, people’s views on sustainability, with more consumers focused on helping to create a better, healthier world.

For example, 60% of travelers say that their future booking decisions would be influenced by sustainable initiatives at the property, even if it meant spending a modest premium.

Travelers’ behavior, loyalty, and values are also being redefined by the economic downturn, restrictions in day-to-day living caused by COVID-19, and flashpoint events highlighting systemic racism within our communities.

It is widely expected that the pandemic will accelerate the trend of travelers seeking “travel with a purpose,” with 67% of recently polled travelers saying they want their bookings to make a positive difference for communities affected by the pandemic.

Travelers are also now placing greater importance on pre-trip planning.

Destinations can respond to these trends by developing a shared understanding of what it means to be a sustainable destination.

For example, Sedona, AZ engaged the Global Sustainable Tourism Council to conduct a sustainability assessment of its tourism economy.

The goal was to enable the destination to design and target policies, programs, and campaigns which demonstrate sustainable destination management, maximize economic benefits to the host community, and minimize negative impacts on the environment.

Programs could include:

• Sector-wide sustainable guidelines.
• Technical assistance to small businesses to help them adopt more sustainable practices (e.g., relating to energy and water use, single use plastics and recycling, food procurement, laundry operations, and reporting).
• Destination management tools to “nudge” visitors around the city, to manage crowds, and/or to help tourists engage local communities.
• Investments in green infrastructure.
• Communicating the destination’s commitments to travelers.

Problem:

COVID-19 is wreaking havoc on many peoples’ lives. In addition to the high levels of unemployment, financial planning has become more challenging given the uncertainty of markets and asset values. Evaluating all the available sources of capital — and how best to leverage them — is daunting. In addition to financial counseling, services can include examining resumes to identify skillsets.

A financial counseling and work assistance program is critical for cities to support an equitable recovery. Studies have identified a significant gap in financial literacy between Black and white Americans. Equally important, those who have more financial literacy are more likely “to plan and save for retirement, have non-retirement savings and better manage their debt.” To work towards a goal of equity, this wraparound service is key to helping lift low-income people and communities of color, and lowering barriers for small business owners and entrepreneurs.

Action:

Cities should develop a partnership to provide a free 1-1 financial counseling program for local residents. The counseling should be integrated into other public services (e.g., assistance when applying for a microgrant).

How To Adapt this Approach:

1. Research potential partners (e.g., education institutions, non-profits, etc.) that are present in the community.
   • These partners should have some experience either with financial planning (e.g., workers in a school’s financial aid office) or have already worked in the community.
   • Identify non-profits that work in this space (e.g., United Way) and have relevant expertise
2. Understand the needs in the local community
   • Reach out to community leaders to determine who would take advantage of this service.
3. Design the program
   • Discuss with local banks and financial institutions (especially those serving low-income and communities of color) and ask for their assistance (e.g. offering the services to anyone reaching out about a loan, or facing foreclosures and other financial hardships)
   • Reach out to potential partners and propose collaborations. Some non-profits may be willing to offer funding or expertise. Partners can provide funding, expertise, and/or community reach and engagement. All are useful and should be sought.
     A successful partnership requires having these non-profits committed to this work.
     Partners will be necessary to help train counselors, promote the service, etc.
   • Determine where program should be housed
     • This will be dependent on which partners are involved. Cities may want to house the program in the mayor’s office, keep it as a standalone department, or have a non-profit take the lead and the city provide funding and support.
   • Offer 1-1 appointments and have call/email options
     • A group class is much less effective, as people are hesitant to discuss personal financial circumstances in this format.
   • Draft general information sheets on handling financial hardships
     • Have this readily available (e.g., on website, at local financial institutions) so that people can learn about the services provided
     • This should include key topics that the program can help with (e.g., debt reduction, improving credit score, increasing savings)
4. Launch program with active outreach and media campaigns in local communities
   • Promote at community meetings (e.g., religious services)
   • Ensure that banks and financial institutions provide information about the service
   • Hire staff. Size depends on % of the population that is low-income, but assume at least 2 FTE for the program.
     • Staff must be trained professionals with experience in financial counseling.
     • Make sure to have clear training standards for counselors.
   • Reach out proactively to small business owners and low-income individuals (e.g., those on SNAP) to offer the service
5. Track progress/program usage and revise as necessary (See template in resources section below)
   • Note: metrics need to be tied to improvement in residents’ lives, not merely visits/time spent (e.g., $$ debt reduced).