Part of the Research, Conservation, and Exploration division of National Geographic Mission Programs, the Center for Sustainable Destinations (CSD) is dedicated to protecting all the world's distinctive places through wisely managed tourism and enlightened destination stewardship. The core strategy for achieving this mission is geotourism, defined as tourism that sustains or enhances the geographical character of a place—its environment, culture, aesthetics, heritage, and the well-being of its residents. Working with many allied organizations, both global and local, CSD helps develop and disseminate information for adopting the geotourism approach—by destination communities, by tourism professionals, and by travelers themselves.

Contact Us
sustourism@ngs.org
+1 202 828 8045
1145 17th St. NW
Washington, DC 20036


Jonathan B. Tourtellot, Director, and Geotourism Editor, National Geographic Traveler

Editor, writer, public speaker, self-taught geographer, and sometime photographer, Jonathan B. Tourtellot has served as a National Geographic Society senior editor since 1980 and became the Society's first Director of The Center for Sustainable Destinations in 2001. He is also the geotourism editor for National Geographic Traveler magazine, where he supervises feature articles on tourism issues and writes the DestinationWatch (formerly TravelWatch) column.

Mr. Tourtellot originated the concept of geotourism and is primary author of the Geotourism Charter (PDF). He helped develop the study Geotourism: The New Trend in Travel (PDF). He initiated and supervised Destination Scorecard surveys reported in National Geographic Traveler magazine. In helping to expand Traveler's coverage of tourism and destination management, he wrote the magazine's first two feature stories on the topic, "The Two Faces of Tourism" (July/August 1999) and "The Tourism Wars" (October 2000), both of which won awards, as well as authoring the July/August 2006 piece, "The Climate Bomb."



James E. Dion, Associate Director

Prior to joining National Geographic in February 2005, James directed international ecotourism programs for conservation NGO's in Mexico, Central America, and Asia, and lectured at the Technical University of Graz in Austria. James' interest in linking tourism to conservation and community development is an outgrowth of his over 15 years of experience as a professional river and wilderness guide/outfitter. He founded and developed locally-run, sustainable tourism businesses in Europe and in North, Central, and South America.

Telephone: +1 202 828 6671
Email: jdion@ngs.org

Ana Tinsler, Administrative Coordinator

Ana has worked at the Association of American Geographers and served as a Program Assistant at Foreign Policy magazine. She holds a B.A. in History and Geography from Michigan State University and has performed field studies in Kenya, Spain, and Peru focused on tourism and development. She has lived in Egypt, Costa Rica, Peru, Spain, and Florida.

Telephone: +1 202 828 8045
Email: atinsler@ngs.org