Destination Management Organizations’ Roles in Sustainable Tourism in the Face of Climate Change: An Overview of Prince Edward Island

Abstract

Globally, destination management organizations (DMOs) are becoming increasingly known for their sustainable practices. Despite the importance of destination management organizations’ sustainability initiatives in the face of climate change, minimal research has been undertaken on the topic in Canada. DMOs on PEI can inform tourists better if they know what other adaptive strategies are taken into consideration around Canada. Our work included host-community interviews and perceptions on DMOs’ roles in improving tourism in the face of climate change. The interviews concluded that tourism officials in Prince Edward Island are becoming more conscious of climate change, but more has to be done to slow down the effects of the phenomenon. This paper also identified challenges facing DMOs in the area of sustainable tourism in the context of climate change. One of the recommendations was that DMOs should have access to techniques for mitigation and adaptation in addition to incentives that are sensitive to local situations. They may successfully advocate for climate change in this way and inform visitors if they are staying in risky places because of the consequences of climate change. The information on the standard operating procedures that DMOs use was intended to be useful to travelers, DMOs, and enterprises involved in the tourism industry. Future implications should discover new approaches for sustainability projects and to achieve a better understanding of how to enhance processes within the tourism industry, and more research on DMOs’ sustainability practices in the face of climate change could help improve this field.