National Geographic geotourism maps

Travelers with a preference for environmentally sustainable practices don’t have a wealth of resources when on the road. As with travel in general, it’s often necessary to carve together information from a variety of sources—from books and magazines to online resources to word of mouth. Sometimes it’s like a treasure hunt to find the ideal place, and sometimes it’s just plain tedious.

The National Geographic Center for Sustainable Destinations (CSD) helps places to use the geotourism approach to protect a destination and attract the most beneficial (and least disruptive) forms of tourism. What’s the geotourism approach? It’s tourism that “sustains or enhances the geographical character of a place—its environment, culture, aesthetics, heritage, and the well-being of its residents.”

One of the most visible CSD programs that travelers can use is online co-branded National Geographic maps that highlight natural, cultural and historic attractions in a destination. To create these MapGuides, the CSD works with community-based local geotourism alliances.

MapGuide projects that have been completed or are ongoing are: Yosemite Gateway, California’s Redwood Coast, Central Cascades, Greater Yellowstone, Sonora Desert (Arizona, Sonora), Vermont, Appalachia, Crown of the Continent (Alberta, British Columbia, Montana), Montreal, Baja California, Guatemala and Peru. Admittedly, it’s a short list, but the Center for Sustainable Destinations is also working with geotourism alliances on projects in regions such as: Portugal’s Douro Valley, Honduras, Norway and Romania.

If you’re traveling to one of the areas where a MapGuide is available, check it out and see how it may help you. If you want to help build alliances for better destination stewardship in a place you love, take a look at the resource directory for communities to see how you can pitch in.