Mapping the Links Between High-Value, Sustainable Tourism & Marine Protected Areas (MPAs)
Pew Bertarelli Ocean Legacy Project
Washington DC, United States
Engagement: 2018 – 2020
The Pew Charitable Trusts – one of the world’s largest conservation and biodiversity advocacy organizations – partnered with the Bertarelli Foundation to establish the first generation of ecologically significant, large, and effective marine protected areas (MPAs) around the world.
Realizing the need for local government and private sector industry involvement to build the business case for MPAs in conjunction with sustainable economic growth and community development, the Pew Charitable Trusts engaged Twenty31 to conduct a comprehensive study of the connections between high-value, sustainable tourism and MPAs.
Benchmarking
We identified and benchmarked terrestrial, marine protected, and conservation sites according to setup, operations, and legislative and visitation management frameworks. This work included detailed review of academic, business, government, and NGO research reports and policy documents of marine and terrestrial conservation sites around the world.
Stakeholder engagement
We conducted in-depth interviews with more than 150 tourism businesses, national and local governments, conservation and environmental NGOs, national and regional tourism boards and sustainability opinion leaders around the world to identify tourism development and management challenges and opportunities in and around conservation and biosphere sites.
Site exploration
Via a series of onsite exploratory visits, we assessed tourism infrastructure and product gaps and investment opportunities to build connections with marine protected areas in key Pew focus areas: French Polynesia, New Caledonia, Baja (Mexico), and Palau.
Research results were analyzed and drafted into a ground-breaking study offering recommendations for tourism destinations looking to shift to more sustainable tourism development and implement policies targeting higher-value, sustainably conscious travel consumers in harmony with marine protected areas. In-depth analysis reports reviewing business, airline access, regulatory, and policy angles were provided for the four analysis sites. Pew’s team now uses the analysis as part of the identification and setup of their marine protected areas program.
-
![]()
Designing and Managing a Business Intelligence Program to Support Tourism Recovery
-
![]()
Developing a Model to Quantitatively Prioritise Markets of Opportunities and Optimal Investment Levels
-
![MGM]()
MGM Resorts - Defining MGM's Bold New Positioning
-
![]()
Launching North America’s First Destination Health & Safety Certification Program (Skift IDEA Award Winner)
-
![image for decoration]()
FLYR - Defining Immediate Commercial Opportunities
-
![image for decoration]()
IHG Hotels & Resorts - Internal Strategy Framing
-
![]()
Developing a World-Class Analytical Framework to Measure and Track Ras Al Khaimah’s Destination Brand Health
-
![]()
Transforming Tourism Opportunities Across Identified Tourism Development Zones in Alberta, Canada
-
![]()
Benchmarking and Tracking Dubai's Global Brand Standing and Competitive Market Positioning
-
![]()
Crafting the Global Narrative for One of the World’s Most Spiritual Sites
-
![]()
Developing a Sustainable Tourism Development Strategy for Rwanda
-
![]()
Future-Proofing South African Tourism in the Wake of Covid-19
-
![]()
Advising a DMO on How to Transition Into a High Impact Destination Management Organization
-
![]()
The PEW Charitable Trusts - PEW Bertarelli Ocean Legacy Project
-
![]()
Creating a Whole-of-Government 10-Year Tourism Strategy for Alberta
-
![]()
Building a Tourism Framework for Three of Saudi Arabia’s Most Ancient & Valued UNESCO Heritage Sites
-
![]()
Repositioning Bent’s Old Fort as a Top Historical Tourism Site
-
![]()
Guiding the Future of Tourism Development and Management in Oman’s Capital City
-
![]()
Co-Creating a Business-focused Tourism Development Toolkit for America’s National Parks
-
![]()
Building an Evidence-based Tourism Development Decision-making Culture in Sri Lanka
-
![]()
Assessing Peru’s Potential as a World-class Adventure Tourism Destination
-
![]()
Assessing the Feasibility to Create a Homeported Small-ship, Experiential Cruise Line in Guam and Micronesia
-
![]()
Evaluating Abu Dhabi’s Approach to Measuring and Tracking Brand Standing
-
![]()
Co-Creating Kingston’s Integrated Destination Strategy
-
![]()
Co-Creating the North’s First Community-led Tourism Strategy
-
![]()
Creating a Training Platform to Support Tourism SMEs Access Global Markets
-
![image for decoration]()
AIG - Market Intelligence During COVID-19
-
![]()
Development Canada’s Winter & Shoulder Season Tourism Potential
-
![]()
Putting Jordan Front and Centre in the Minds of High-Value Travel Consumers and Travel Trade Partners
-
![]()
Accelerating 'Right-fit' Tourism in Prince Edward Island
-
![]()
Developing Palau’s High-Value Sustainable Tourism Growth and Management Strategy
-
![]()
Co-Creating Halifax’s Tourism Development & Management Strategy
-
![]()
Developing an Investment Strategy to Create a National Destination Management Company
-
![]()
Identifying Opportunities to Accelerate Growth of Canada’s Culinary Tourism Assets
-
![]()
Co-creating Egypt’s New Global Brand Strategy & Go-to-market Plan
-
![]()
Adventure Gear Company - Market Sizing
-
![image for decoration]()
Destination Canada - Visual Identity Refresh
