Ottawa Tourism is putting its best eco foot forward as part of its latest tourism strategy. The bureau is prioritizing sustainability, which it will showcase at IMEX America, which will take place from 8 to 10 October in Las Vegas.
During IMEX America, Ottawa, Canada’s Capital, will highlight its continuous efforts to bolster responsible tourism, particularly in large-scale business events, conferences, and congresses.
Ottawa’s sustainability stage has already been set this year with various progressive initiatives aimed at reducing the environmental footprint of business events, enhancing the economic vitality of local communities, and preserving the city’s unique cultural heritage.
In May, Ottawa Tourism launched a food recovery program in partnership with La Tablée des Chefs, which tackled food waste and food insecurity in the community. The program ensured large-scale event venues in Ottawa had the resources to donate surplus food to local organizations. This partnership, the first between La Tablée des Chefs and a destination organization, is already proving fruitful. Since the program’s inception, participating venues have avoided over 10,000 kg of food waste, saving approximately 40,000 meals.
Ottawa Tourism’s goals are in alignment with Ottawa’s Destination Stewardship Plan. Led by Ottawa Tourism in collaboration with multiple community partners to benefit the whole community, this Plan outlines the necessity for the tourism industry to elevate sustainability and social responsibility. The plan’s focus on sustainability takes a triple-bottom-line approach to the development and management of tourism:
- The planet: where the environmental footprints of business events are minimized and the use of ecological resources, which constitute a crucial element in tourism development, is optimized.
- The people: Where events hosted in communities help preserve and sustain local cultures — including the conservation of their built and living cultural heritage and traditional values, and inter-cultural understanding and tolerance.
- Prosperity: Where both host communities and local businesses benefit from events, and communities maintain their independence and have access to financial resources to meet their needs.
Ottawa Tourism is committed to balancing these pillars by enhancing regenerative business tourism experiences. As one of the 16 Canadian destinations participating in the Global Destination Sustainability Index (GDS-I) benchmarking process, the destination is measuring its progress and actively driving sustainability to ensure continued growth and meaningful impact.
“At Ottawa Tourism, we are committed to meeting – and even exceeding – expectations in sustainable meetings, events, and tourism,” said Lesley Mackay, Ottawa Tourism’s Vice President, Meetings and Major Events. “We believe wholeheartedly in making Ottawa a premier destination for environmentally responsible business events, which is how we can make a meaningful impact on both environmental and social fronts towards the broader wellbeing of our community.”
IMEX America attendees can expect Ottawa to deliver insights on its journey toward long-term sustainability that goes beyond the singular bottom line profit, considers costs and benefits environmentally and socially as well as economically, and seeks to find a suitable balance between the three dimensions to ensure long-term sustainability. The city’s efforts will be further amplified through storytelling and communications strategies as Ottawa Tourism continues to reduce tourism’s impact on our planet, enrich the lives of people who work in the industry, and generate a fair profit for stakeholders, partners, and the community.
For more information about Ottawa Tourism’s sustainability initiatives, visit the team on stand D3017 at IMEX America.
