Stewardship Principles:

• Value and respect the health of our local environment and natural resources 

• Foster our local spirit, our values, our sense of place, and the wellbeing of our community—residents, employers, employees, and visitors alike  

• Ensure that benefits of the visitor economy are shared equitably by people of all races, ages, gender identities, sexual orientations, abilities, income levels, and by Summit County’s communities  

• Enable Summit County’s tourism industry to lead by example, championing tourism’s benefits, mitigating its impacts, and harnessing its regenerative power for the community and the environment   

• Be bold, creative, and action-focused, supporting transparency and measurable outcomes

Seven Key Objectives:

The following objectives represent the high-level categories of work our community is undertaking to achieve its vision of sustainable tourism. Each one supports multiple Stewardship Principles and United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

Objective 1 - Cultivate local pride and respect for the Park City & Summit County experience. The strength and longevity of our visitor economy is in part connected to local support of tourism. The initiatives within this objective seek to grow local pride and character, deepen the connection between the local population and the visitor economy as it evolves, and seek to maintain a high level of local engagement.

Objective 2 - Implement sustainable transportation, housing, water, energy, and waste management policies and initiatives. This objective fosters the successful development and implementation of regional plans that support sustainable infrastructure in and surrounding Summit County, including land use, development, and sustainability policies at the local and state level that impact a sustainable visitor economy.

Objective 3 - Protect and manage our natural environment to enable sustainable outdoor recreation. Park City and Summit County’s visitor economy relies on our beautiful natural resources, which are threatened by environmental changes such as wildfires, drought, and changing snowpack. This objective creates initiatives to support the preservation of these all-important natural assets.

Objective 4 - Ensure the long-term resilience of the Park City & Summit County economy. The travel industry is one of the larger components of the Park City and, to a lesser extent, the Summit County economy. However, the dual global experiences of the pandemic and climate change have demonstrated that no community is buffered from the impact of external forces. If visitation declines, the $1B industry will be at risk, affecting direct travel employment in accommodations, retail, restaurants, and resorts, and indirect travel employment across other sectors. Preparing for uncertainty by developing resilience plans will help facilitate responsiveness in the face of change.

Objective 5 - Equalize the economic benefits and mitigate impacts of the visitor economy. The positive contributions of visitation to Summit County’s economy have been significant and undeniable, but they have also tended to concentrate within a small subset of the community. Additionally, some unintended consequences of the visitor economy have disproportionately affected residents and workers with lower household incomes. This objective seeks to both better distribute positive impacts and to mitigate negative impacts for all.

Objective 6 - Leverage messaging and programming to accelerate sustainable tourism. To be better positioned to carry out the work of this Sustainable Tourism Plan, the Park City Chamber & Visitor’s Bureau and community partners are reviewing general operations, media and advertising relationships, and programming to ensure they reflect the stewardship principles and sustainable vision for Park City and Summit County.

Objective 7 - Foster the development and management of Summit County’s art and culture tourism assets. In 2018, the Summit County creative community collaborated to articulate and build a road map for the future vitality and sustainability of arts and culture in the region: the Project ABC (Art, Beauty, Culture) Cultural Plan. And now, we’re building upon Project ABC to cultivate and promote Summit County’s cultural sectors.

For more information, please visit the Park City Chamber's  Sustainable Tourism Plan website.

Also refer to the Park City's Sustainability Department and Environmental Sustainability Program.

The Park City Chamber & Visitor's Bureau has created a sustainability toolkit for lodging partners to help communicate how to visit responsibly to visitors.  Lodging Sustainability Toolkit

What is green travel?

Green travel, also known as sustainable travel or ecotourism, is a way of traveling that minimizes your impact on the environment and supports the local communities you visit. It's about being mindful of your choices throughout the travel process, from transportation and accommodation to activities and food.

“At its best, green travel goes beyond just minimizing harm, to actively contribute to the prosperity of people, planet and place."

Here are the key principles of Green Travel for your next Guilt-Free Vacation:

• Reduce your carbon footprint: Choose low-emission forms of transportation like trains, buses, or bicycles whenever possible. If you must fly, consider offsetting your carbon emissions.

• Support eco-friendly accommodations: Look for hotels, resorts, and vacation rentals that are committed to sustainable practices, such as using renewable energy, conserving water, and recycling.

• Be a respectful guest: When visiting natural areas, stay on designated trails, dispose of waste properly, and avoid disturbing wildlife.

• Support local businesses: Eat at local restaurants, buy souvenirs from local artisans, and participate in tours that are run by local guides. This helps to inject money into the local economy and support traditional ways of life.

By following these principles, you can have a positive impact on the places you visit and ensure that they are preserved for future generations.