On the fourth episode of the Tourism Lens podcast, my colleague in sustainable travel media and content, Shivya Nath tells us all about the new project she co-founded recently called Sustainable Cities.
Sustainable Cities serves as a digital platform and content hub that gives travelers ideas on eco-friendly activities they can book.
The idea is to also support local businesses when visiting one of the world’s major cities.
Think Bangkok, London, Graz, or Cape Town and Portland, Oregon, among others.
Created in partnership with Keith Jenkins, who leads the award-winning tourism digital marketing agency iambassador, the Sustainable Cities site kicked off with stories on exploring major cities from a resident’s point of view. There are also inspiring posts rolling in on how to explore cities in a meaningful way.
Shivya shares with us how the idea came to her, and how Sustainable Cities plans to deliver more locally driven content by partnering with tourism boards and local writers.
On the heels of a pandemic that pushed forward the need for “new tourism narratives,” this new website comes just as consumers continue to seek for alternative ways to experience destinations.
What are the challenges so far in creating Sustainable Cities? Do more travelers understand sustainability in tourism? Is the travel media landscape doing better in telling impactful stories of place?
The goal is [also] to bring together DMOs representing cities around the world with local storytellers because that’s a link that’s been missing in the travel narrative. That’s a bridge we’re trying to create.”
– Shivya Nath, SustainableCities.Travel
If you’re a writer based in a major city or a tourism board looking to create meaningful content about your city destination — take a listen to Episode 4 of the Tourism Lens podcast. Share your thoughts with us, send a message or pass it on to your circle of travelers.
You can also follow Shivya’s work online on Instagram and on her blog, The Shooting Star. And subscribe to the Tourism Lens monthly newsletter, join on Instagram and LinkedIn for a heads up on my next podcast guest.
Cover Image by Evan Krause on Unsplash.
