Agenda 2025

Informal networking and light breakfast to begin the Forum.

Opening remarks from CREST, Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce, and CARE for the Cape & Islands.

Overtourism plagues destinations worldwide, eroding quality of life for residents and fraying the social contract between hosts and visitors. Communities are raising alarms about congestion, extractive models of growth, and animosity toward tourists. This session reframes overtourism as a symptom of a “volume over value” paradigm and asks: how can we shift to visitor economies that deliver depth, equity, and authenticity?

Sustainable transformation depends on who sits at the table. This panel dives into the mechanics of destination stewardship: collaborative governance structures that bring in municipal leaders, residents, planners, nonprofits, and businesses. Case studies and lived experience will illuminate how shared governance can build legitimacy, avoid tokenism, and foster inclusive narratives that represent the full spectrum of community voices.

First collaborative session with your cross-sector team to reflect and generate actionable ideas.

Sustainability has a cost. From nonprofits and researchers to destinations and operators, how do we fund the transformation tourism requires? This conversation explores innovative financing models, destination levies, public-private partnerships, and the uncomfortable truth: if we value sustainability, who shoulders the bill?

Cape Cod and Cape Breton grapple with housing scarcity, climate risk, and tourism dependency. This dialogue brings destination leaders into conversation on what resilience looks like in practice, offering comparative lessons and bold reflections from both shores.

Housing is now one of the defining battlegrounds of tourism’s social license to operate. This panel unpacks the intersection of short-term rentals, workforce housing, zoning, and land use. With examples from coastal communities, the conversation will ask: who benefits, who is displaced, and how can destinations strike a balance that sustains both their residents and their visitor economy?

AI is revolutionizing how destinations market, manage, and even monitor visitors. Yet it also raises existential questions about labor, ethics, and authenticity. This discussion goes beyond the “prompt hype” to explore the implications of generative AI on tourism’s workforce, from reshaping operations to amplifying inequality. Experts from both tech and tourism will interrogate what a just AI future looks like.

Continue building on discussions, connecting policy and practice.

Reflecting on three decades of advocacy, scholarship, and institution-building in responsible tourism. Legacy CREST leaders share reflections and remind us that nonprofits are not just observers but catalysts for transformation, holding the industry accountable while equipping communities to lead.

Enjoy the Patio, Pool Area, and Bonfire for a cocktail hour hosted by CREST at the beautiful Pelham House Resort

Informal space to connect before the day begins.

Framing the morning’s academic-to-practice dialogue, led by the CREST Academic Affiliates Committee.

A dynamic session where peer-reviewed academic research meets practitioner experience. Scholars and local experts share cutting-edge insights in short presentations, sparking discussion on how to apply research to real-world sustainable tourism challenges.

We reflect on the Cape’s natural heritage – its fragile dunes, estuaries, and forests – and the stewardship legacies that have sustained it. This keynote challenges us to recognize natural heritage as both ecological and cultural inheritance, demanding care across generations.

Global pledges and compacts may set the stage, but the real work of climate adaptation happens on the ground. This session brings together academics, practitioners, and SME leaders who are innovating where climate change hits hardest – in the communities and destinations most dependent on tourism. From disaster preparedness to equitable adaptation strategies, panelists will explore how SMEs are often the overlooked gatekeepers of resilience, carrying both the risks and the opportunities of transformation. Rather than abstract promises, this conversation asks: what is actually being done, who is being left behind, and how can tourism systems confront the climate crisis with honesty, equity, and urgency?

Tourism’s success depends on responsible visitor and resident behavior. This discussion brings together experts in placemaking, marketing, conservation, and destination management to explore how collective messaging can inspire environmental stewardship. How can aligned communications create a ripple effect that transforms visitors and residents into advocates for place?

Deepen discussions and generate new insights with your group.

This conversation explores the realities of sustainable aviation fuels (SAFs), the political and economic drivers of growth, the airline industry’s connection to community, and the existential question: can there even be a sustainable future for air travel? Is it even possible to halt the growth paradox?

Cape Cod’s shoreline is both its identity and its greatest vulnerability. This session explores how communities, thinkers, and doers from across the Cape are advancing coastal resilience while honoring maritime heritage and sustaining the local resident & visitor economies. From shark conservation and fishing to national seashore stewardship and ecological land care, panelists will highlight the innovative ways the Cape is educating visitors about natural heritage through action, while building a more sustainable blue economy.

Water is life – and a cornerstone of tourism. This session unpacks the many dimensions of water management: quality, infrastructure, sewage, recreation, and sustainability finance. Experts will discuss how destinations can steward water resources to protect communities and sustain visitor economies.

Final structured group dialogue before drafting contributions to the Charter and prepare for Plenary presentations on Day #3.

Honoring the visionary leadership of Dr. Martha Honey and recognizing an individual or organization that embodies her legacy of responsible, community-centered tourism.

Informal space to connect before the day begins.

The Forum culminates in the unveiling of the Sustainable Transformation Charter, a living framework shaped by the insights and discussions of every participant. Rather than a rigid blueprint, this Charter distills the collective wisdom of the Forum into guiding principles and adaptable pathways for destinations everywhere. Rooted in the Cape & Islands’ experience yet globally relevant, it captures the diversity of perspectives across sectors – policy, business, community, academia, and civil society. The presentation of the Charter is both a celebration of what’s been accomplished together and a call to carry this shared vision forward, ensuring that the Forum sparks lasting impact well beyond Cape Cod.

Step out of the conference hall and into the living classroom of Cape Cod. This full-day immersion, designed and led by CARE for the Cape & Islands, takes participants to the frontlines of sustainable tourism in action. Through carefully curated site visits, you’ll meet the local leaders and innovators working to balance community well-being, conservation, and visitor experiences. From coastal resilience projects and habitat restoration, to cultural heritage preservation and community-driven initiatives, you’ll see first-hand how the Cape is tackling challenges shared by destinations worldwide. These experiences are not only inspiring but also practical – giving you concrete examples and transferable lessons to bring back to your own community or organization.