2009 Press Releases
National Geographic Society Director to present lecture on “Sustainable Development Planning” in Town Hall Meeting at The College of The Bahamas
October 8, 2009
The United States Embassy in collaboration with The College of The Bahamas (COB), is pleased to announce a lecture by Mr. Jonathan B. Tourtellot, Director, Center for Sustainable Destinations, National Geographic Society and Geotourism Editor, National Geographic Traveler, in a town hall meeting to be held at the Performing Arts Center at COB on Wednesday, October 14, at 6:00 p.m. Mr. Tourtellot will speak on the topic “Sustainable Development Planning”. The lecture is open to the public. Earlier in the day Mr. Tourtellot will address the same topic at a ‘green bag’ luncheon geared to sensitize COB students on the issue. During his 2-day visit to The Bahamas Mr. Tourtellot will also meet with officials from the Bahamas National Trust.
Mr. Tourtellot has served as a National Geographic Society senior editor since 1980 and became the Society's first Director of Sustainable Destinations in 2001. He is also the Geotourism Editor for National Geographic Traveler magazine. He is a writer, tourism consultant, self-taught geographer, and sometimes photographer. He originated the concept of geotourism, defined as "tourism that sustains or enhances the geographical character of a place - its environment, culture, aesthetics, heritage, and the well-being of its residents."
He is the primary author of the Geotourism Charter, a set of principles now being adopted by various countries and regions around the world. He helped develop the study Geotourism: The New Trend in Travel, the first major survey of U.S. traveler behavior and attitudes about sustainability and destination stewardship. He initiated, supervises, and reports on the Destination Stewardship Surveys published annually in National Geographic Traveler magazine.
In helping to expand Traveler's coverage of tourism and destination management, he wrote the magazine's first two feature stories on the topic, "The Two Faces of Tourism" and "The Tourism Wars", both of which won awards. He launched the column "Destination Watch" for Traveler, as well as writing other articles on tourism impacts and destination management.
He instituted National Geographic’s new Geotourism MapGuide program, unique in their requirement for participation by the communities involved. He speaks at international and national venues and continues to develop National Geographic’s Sustainable Destinations program.
He initiated the annual global online “Geotourism Challenge” conducted by Ashoka Changemakers. He represents National Geographic in the U.N. World Tourism Organization and the associated Centre of Excellence for Destinations.