with Tourism Impact Services
Greenville, South Carolina
Bobby Chappell is a respected thought leader and practitioner of destination stewardship, with more than 23 years’ experience in visitor use management, conservation ecology, ecotourism, and sustainable destination development. Bobby's strategic planning initiatives have made significant contributions to national tourism policies, visitor capacity management, and the establishment of sustainable tourism standards in notable global destinations like Jamaica, Seychelles, Panama, and Norway. Drawing on his extensive knowledge of sustainable tourism best practices, Bobby has successfully guided destinations such as Vail, Breckenridge, and Jackson Hole towards international recognition and multiple sustainability accolades. He has also played a key role in advancing corporate responsibility agendas for IMBA, G Adventures, Royal Caribbean, and Hostelling International. Bobby is a trusted advisor for state tourism offices in Colorado, Oregon, and North Carolina and an invited speaker to demonstrate how destination stewardship can be a transformational model for destinations focused on improving quality of life, enhancing visitor experiences, and a safeguarding sense of place. Bobby is President of Tourism Impact Services, an innovative tourism planning firm, and the lead architect and senior destination advisor for Mountain IDEAL, a destination stewardship assessment and planning framework specifically designed to support resort, rural, recreation, and gateway communities on their path towards sustainable destination management. Bobby is often visiting gateway communities and camping on public lands with his family. He is an avid fly-fishing (Tenkara) enthusiast and a passionate advocate for making the outdoors more accessible to all.
Current Destination Planning and Implementation Projects: Contracted by Visit North Carolina to research, recommend, and develop a series of flagship programs for the state tourism office to distribute to local destination managers. Program areas include: destination stewardship, responsible visitation, and accessible outdoors. Contracted by Colorado Tourism Office and Travel Oregon to provide technical assistance to tourism communities throughout the state(s). In Colorado, projects have included: strategic planning to establish a regional destination stewardship alliance; developing a land manager engagement plan, responsible visitation program framework, and social media messaging; developing an outdoor recreation stakeholder sentiment survey, analyzing data, and providing an interpretation report; and creating a tourism supply inventory for a scenic byway corridor. In Oregon, projects have included: facilitating community-led destination planning workshops; leading multiple asset mapping projects; and developing asset and attraction stewardship communication materials. Senior consultant hired to develop Sustainable Destination Strategic Management Plan(s) for Teton County, WY and Ketchikan, AK. Responsibilities included conducting a sustainable destination assessment and leading strategic initiatives for visitor use management and tourism impact monitoring. Regularly advise city, county, and federal officials on the planning and development of sustainable destination policies in line with the Mountain IDEAL standard and mentor destinations through certification procedures.
483 views • posted 06/08/2023
