4 Ways USAID Advances Sustainable Tourism
How sustainable tourism can preserve nature and boost economies
Traveling can help us see the world with new eyes. It also strengthens economies by generating revenue and jobs. In 2019, the tourism industry employed one in 10 people around the world.
But the benefits of tourism sometimes come at a cost, particularly when local and Indigenous communities do not play a central role in the creation and stewardship of tourism activities. Unsustainable tourism generates carbon emissions, undermines biodiversity, depletes natural resources, and pollutes the environment.
Fortunately, development agencies and companies can support communities and economies by investing with those communities to build more sustainable tourism opportunities — ones that prioritize the environment, climate neutrality, jobs, and economies.
Below, we share four ways USAID has partnered with the private sector in Albania, Georgia, Nepal, and countries in Central Asia to build thriving tourism markets that generate income today, while strengthening communities and their environments long into the future.
1. Investing in Agritourism and Ecotourism in Albania
For tourists seeking to get off the beaten path at an affordable price, Albania — just north of Greece — boasts dazzling coastlines, stunning mountains, and a rich history.
From 2017 to 2020, USAID’s Dibër: Trails and Traditions project advanced sustainable tourism in the mountainous region of Dibër. Working with the Albanian Local Capacity Development Foundation, the project focused on enhancing agritourism and ecotourism by training tour guides, developing hiking trails, assisting guesthouses, and supporting the establishment of a tourist information center to promote tourism activities.
By working closely with guesthouses, tour guides, and local entrepreneurs, the project not only improved existing tourism infrastructure, but also sparked new ideas within the local business community. For example, the project team and its partners helped promote eight local festivals, which attracted around 20,000 visitors each year, as a way to promote tourism in Dibër.
During the three years of the project, more than 1,500 tourists visited the newly established tourist information center. In partnership with the Municipality of Dibër, the center continues to play a key role in assisting the growing number of visitors in the region. Overall, the project has encouraged economic growth and entrepreneurship, while contributing to the development of sustainable tourism in the region.
2. Stimulating Green Tourism in Georgia with Social Media
Georgia holds great potential as a global tourism destination: soaring mountains, thousands of mineral springs, four UNESCO World Heritage sites, and famed hospitality.
In response to the tourism disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and an overdependence on tourists from Russia, USAID and the Government of Georgia partnered with Steller, a digital storytelling platform, to bring to Georgia over a dozen travel influencers with a reputation for promoting sustainable travel.
These influencers produced hundreds of stories that engaged roughly 785,000 people with the social media campaign. The estimated campaign value, which projects how much new tourism revenue could be created by the campaign, is $2.7 million.
“The campaign is part of USAID’s broader efforts to help build a stronger and more sustainable economy with opportunities for all Georgians,” said Peter Wiebler, who served as USAID Mission Director in Georgia from 2018 to 2022. “In addition to helping Georgia elevate its international brand as a sustainable tourism destination, we are supporting family-owned businesses to upgrade their operations, increase revenues, and create new jobs in their communities.”
USAID’s tourism partnership with Georgia, which includes working with government counterparts as well as business associations and individual tourism operators, is part of our broader effort to engage the private sector to build a strong, sustainable, and modern tourism industry that creates prosperity for Georgian citizens.
3. Promoting Tourism for Inclusive and Sustainable Growth in Nepal
This year, Steller and USAID are partnering again, this time in Nepal. USAID is working closely with the private sector and Government of Nepal to catalyze new investments and partnerships that better market Nepal’s unique and diverse offerings. The country, which is home to the world’s highest mountains, adventure sports, jungle safaris, rich cultural heritage, and spiritual journeys, has the potential to be a premier travel destination.
The two-year campaign, which began in May, has already reached millions of travelers. Working closely with the Nepal Tourism Board, the Steller team will promote a stronger tourism brand for Nepal while also improving the digital media skills of local partners. USAID brought financial support and a strategic focus that is helping the board increase tourist spending and spur inclusive and sustainable growth.
USAID’s partnership with Steller aims to produce videos and photos that reach 10 million views around the globe, increasing tourist arrivals and their daily spending and length of stay, and creating new opportunities for employment, investment, and inclusive economic growth in Nepal.
4. Cultivating Ecotourism in Central Asia
Central Asia, which includes Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan, is a land of grassy steppes, high passes, and deserts and unique cultural heritage. Local governments are eager to develop tourism opportunities that can grow and diversify their economies.
USAID has partnered with these five countries since 2014 to facilitate collaboration and lay the foundation for sustainable tourism across the region.
Within one year, USAID trained more than 100 owners of homestays, boutique hotels, yurt camps, and hostels to elevate their digital marketing efforts. Through USAID’s training programs, new local guest houses joined digital platforms, such as Booking.com, Airbnb.com, and Agoda.com, that play a critical role in facilitating guest management and bookings in remote and lesser-known areas.
As a result of these efforts, popular travel guides have featured Jyrgalan in the Kyrgyz Republic as an ecotourism destination, and in 2020, Lonely Planet ranked the Central Asian Silk Road as the best region in the world to visit.
For more information on how the Agency is partnering with the private sector to build inclusive, sustainable economies, visit USAID’s Private Sector Engagement website.
About the Author
The USAID Private Sector Engagement (PSE) Hub leads the Agency’s implementation of the PSE policy to expand collaboration with the private sector for more sustainable outcomes.
