Tourism Talks

As part of our destination management planning process, Tourism Revelstoke and Destination Think created the Think Revelstoke podcast to interview and learn from leading experts in other destinations around the world. There are many ideas, innovations, and solutions being put forward to ensure positive outcomes for the tourism industry.

Our problems and opportunities as a small, tourism-based community are not unique, and we can gain valuable insights from our colleagues. Here are quick highlights from some of our guests:

Marsha Walden, CEO of Destination Canada

Marsha Walden, CEO of Destination Canada.

“Probably one of the most obvious missing pieces of the conversation for a very long time is the actual host community, the residents that live there and their stake in how this industry would impact their way of life… and what they hope to share with the world about their community. So including residents in the conversation we feel is important, not just for their sake but for the long-term sake of our industry.”

Frank Antoine, Chief of Bonaparte First Nation

Frank Antoine, Chief of Bonaparte First Nation.

“Indigenous history is a history that’s been put on the shelf, and now we’re taking that book off the shelf to use it in a way that we’re learning the true history, but also learning from it and moving forward… Our generation and the generation that’s coming is going to open up the doors and true reconciliation through tourism based on relationships.”

Damcho Rinzin, Chief Tourism Officer, Tourism Council of Bhutan

Damcho Rinzin, Chief Tourism Officer, Tourism Council of Bhutan.

“Everything we do must be in harmony with nature and for the benefit of the people. Everything we do has to have social value… environmental value, heritage. Everything has to be fulsome… if money was everything for tourism, we would just welcome mass tourism… If we have had a lot of tourists come in, there would be no space for the locals.”

Cathy Ritter, former CEO of Colorado Tourism

Cathay Ritter, former CEO of Colorado Tourism.

“If [a community] want[s] to make certain that their community retains the vibrancy of a place where people live, they have to put other strategies in place. They have to think about what people need to live in that community and be able to address that, and a lot of times, it’s possible to use the proceeds of that tourism economy to help make those priorities happen.”

Tune in to Think Revelstoke wherever you get your podcasts, or grab a cup of coffee and tune in on Stoke FM on Saturday mornings at 8 a.m. We are excited to share our findings from our colleagues around the world.