Destinations International opens registration for the second cycle of the “Tourism for All” program
Destinations International has opened registration for the second cycle of the
Tourism for All certification program, a six-month virtual education program intended for destination organizations, tourism boards, convention and visitors bureaus, and professionals who manage destination development. According to the organization’s currently available data, the second cycle of the program runs from
June 5 to November 30, 2026, while registration is open to members and non-members of Destinations International. The program is designed as a practical framework for creating tourism destinations that are accessible, inclusive, and focused on the well-being of the local community, and not only on growth in arrival numbers or short-term promotional indicators. In this way, Tourism for All fits into the broader shift of the tourism industry toward a model in which a destination’s success is increasingly measured by the quality of the experience, the relationship with residents, the accessibility of services, and the ability of local stakeholders to jointly manage change.
Destinations International describes the program as a virtual, self-paced certification program and a proven framework that helps destination leaders align local businesses around shared values. At its core is the idea that a “culture of welcome” can be both a social value and a competitive advantage for a destination. The first cycle of the program was launched on March 3, 2026, and runs until August 31, 2026, while the second cycle begins at a time when discussions about more responsible, more accessible, and more resilient tourism are increasingly being connected with long-term destination management. The cost of participation, according to published information, is 795 US dollars for Destinations International members and 995 US dollars for non-members.
A program that views tourism through the visitor experience and the quality of life of residents
Tourism for All is not conceived as a classic short online course, but as a six-month cohort experience in which participants go through expert modules, practical exercises, and the development of local action plans. The program’s distinctive feature is that it does not view destination organizations only as marketing offices, but as local coordinators that can bring together the public sector, entrepreneurs, cultural institutions, event organizers, transport providers, hospitality businesses, accommodation facilities, and other stakeholders. The goal is for the principles of accessibility and welcome not to remain at the level of promotional messages, but to become part of the destination’s everyday way of working.
In this sense, the program builds on a trend that is becoming increasingly pronounced in tourism: destinations can no longer build their reputation only on attractions, campaigns, and the number of overnight stays. Competitiveness is increasingly linked to how safely and with dignity different groups of visitors can move around, obtain information, participate in events, use services, and feel accepted. Equally important is the question of how tourism affects residents, local jobs, small entrepreneurs, public spaces, and social cohesion. This is precisely why Destinations International’s program emphasizes shared benefit for visitors and residents, thereby moving away from the old model in which tourists and the local community were often viewed as two separate groups with different interests.
Four pillars: jobs, visitor experience, partnerships, and promotion
The program framework is based on four pillars:
jobs,
visitor experience,
community partnerships, and
marketing and promotion. The first pillar deals with creating safe, supportive, and inclusive business environments for employees and associates. In tourism, where service quality is directly connected with the people who provide it, working conditions and organizational culture have a direct impact on the destination experience. If employees are not trained, included, or protected, it is difficult to expect the destination to credibly build an image of openness toward visitors.
The second pillar relates to the visitor experience, including safety, accessibility, and a sense of welcome for different groups of guests and members of the local community. This can include the physical accessibility of spaces, clear information, digital accessibility, staff sensitivity to different needs, as well as the removal of communication and social barriers that discourage some people from traveling. The third pillar, community partnerships, is focused on collaborations that strengthen local well-being and economic vitality. The fourth pillar deals with marketing and promotion, but not in the sense of superficial displays of diversity; rather, it involves developing authentic strategies that responsibly represent the community and attract people of different backgrounds, abilities, and interests.
From certificate to local implementation
According to the published structure of the program, during the first six months participants go through an onboarding phase and the “train the trainer” model. This means that destination leaders do not acquire knowledge only for their own organization, but are prepared to later transfer the program to local partners. Participants must develop an action plan and a community implementation plan and submit them for approval in order to receive the Tourism for All certificate. After completing the program, certified participants should be able to guide local businesses and partners through the same framework and adapt it to the specific needs of their destination.
Such an approach is important because inclusive tourism cannot depend on a single institution or a single campaign. If a destination wants to be truly accessible and open, changes must reach multiple touchpoints: the way information is communicated, transport availability, employee training, event design, the relationship with local residents, cooperation with minority and vulnerable groups, digital channels, crisis communication, and the way the destination is presented in the market. Destinations International therefore emphasizes that participants retain access to program materials, a peer network, virtual and in-person meetings, and expert support even after the formal part of the education has ended.
Expert partners and an emphasis on measurable change
External expert partners, which Destinations International refers to as “impact experts,” also participate in the program. Among them are HospitableMe, Tripadvisor, Tourism Cares, The Culturist Group, and Wheel the World. Their role is to provide specialized tools, practical examples, and advisory support in areas such as accessibility, inclusive communication, responsible business, multicultural marketing, and the creation of experiences for travelers with different needs. The Culturist Group, for example, pointed out that it brings to the program its own framework focused on representation, relevance, resonance, and reach, with the goal of helping destinations assess whom their messages include, and whom they may not reach or convince.
This emphasis on tools and implementation shows that Tourism for All is trying to position itself beyond general declarations about diversity and inclusion. In the tourism industry, a gap often appears between promotional messages about openness and the actual experience on the ground. A destination may emphasize a welcome for everyone in a campaign, but if information is not accessible to people with disabilities, if local partners are not educated, if certain groups are not portrayed credibly, or if residents experience tourism as a burden, the reputational value of such messages quickly weakens. The program therefore directs participants toward action plans, local facilitation, and long-term stakeholder alignment.
Why inclusive tourism is increasingly considered an economic issue
The broader context of the program shows that accessibility and inclusion are no longer only matters of social responsibility. According to data from the World Travel & Tourism Council, travel and tourism generated 11.6 trillion US dollars in contribution to global GDP in 2025 and represented 9.8 percent of the world economy, with 366 million jobs. In a sector of such size and economic importance, the question of who can travel, who feels welcome, and who benefits from tourism development becomes directly connected with the sustainability of business models and the long-term stability of destinations.
UN Tourism, the United Nations specialized agency for responsible, sustainable, and universally accessible tourism, has in recent years further emphasized the need to remove physical, informational, and organizational barriers. In guidelines for tourism enterprises published in 2025, it highlights the importance of inclusive corporate strategies, accessible tourism experiences, and employment policies that benefit both service users and workers with disabilities. Such documents show that accessibility is not an isolated niche topic, but part of professional management of quality, risks, market reach, and reputation.
Destination organizations as community stewards
In its current thematic priorities for the 2026–2027 period, Destinations International highlights areas such as advocacy and impact, resilience and readiness, place shaping and community alignment, innovation and storytelling, and organizational excellence. Tourism for All fits precisely into that logic: destination organizations are no longer viewed only as promoters of places, but as institutions that must prove the value of tourism for the community, manage relationships with stakeholders, and help destinations cope with disruptions, changes in demand, and social expectations.
In practice, this means that tourism organizations need to have credibility in conversations with local residents, entrepreneurs, public institutions, and the civil sector. If they want to be understood as neutral coordinators, they must show that tourism serves not only visitors and large businesses, but also quality of life, local identity, job opportunities, and access to public spaces. Tourism for All therefore emphasizes the role of destination leaders as conveners and facilitators, and not only as campaign creators. This is an important change in thinking because it shifts the focus from the message “come to us” to the question “how does the destination function for everyone who uses it.”
The second cycle comes at a time of heightened expectations for tourism destinations
The opening of registration for the second cycle of the program comes in a period in which many destinations are facing simultaneous pressures of growth, labor shortages, climate risks, changes in traveler behavior, increased operating costs, and increasingly vocal debates about the impact of tourism on housing, public space, and local everyday life. In such circumstances, inclusion is not an isolated communication topic, but part of the broader issue of destination management. Destinations that do not understand the needs of different users, that do not include local partners, or that do not develop the resilience of their services may lose the trust of both visitors and residents.
This is precisely why the Tourism for All program uses the language of competitive advantage, and not only social obligation. Welcome, accessibility, and credible representation of the community can increase the quality of the experience, reduce reputational risks, open the destination to a wider circle of visitors, and help local businesses better prepare for different market needs. At the same time, such an approach can help destinations avoid superficial campaigns that are not accompanied by real changes on the ground. If the program is implemented consistently, its value will not lie only in the certificate, but in the ability of participants to initiate concrete changes in their own communities.
What participants can expect
According to Destinations International’s information, the program is open to both members and non-members of the organization, and is intended for destination leaders, local businesses, and community partners. Participants go through online modules, practical assignments, the development of local plans, and preparation for facilitating the program after certification. The program includes instructional materials, tools related to the four program pillars, expert insights, and the possibility of connecting with colleagues from other destinations. Receiving the certificate requires more than passive participation: participants must prepare and submit an action plan and a community implementation plan.
For destinations considering registration, the key value of the program could lie in the fact that it offers a structure for topics that are often fragmented between different departments and partners. Accessibility is sometimes treated as a technical infrastructure issue, inclusive promotion as a marketing task, and community relations as a separate communication function. Tourism for All connects these elements into a single framework, starting from the assumption that visitor experience, work culture, local partnerships, and the public image of the destination are mutually dependent. The second cycle of the program, which runs from June to November 2026, will therefore be a test of its ability to transform from an educational format into a more broadly applicable tool for destination management at a time when tourism is increasingly expected to be both economically successful and socially responsible.
Sources:- Destinations International – official Tourism for All program page with dates of the second cycle, prices, structure, and description of the four program pillars (link)- Destinations International – press release on the opening of registration for the Tourism for All Certificate Program and description of the program goals (link)- Destinations International – registration page with a description of implementation, the action plan, and local facilitation of the program (link)- The Culturist Group – announcement on the role of expert partner in the Tourism for All program and the application of inclusive marketing frameworks (link)- WTTC – data on the global economic impact of the travel and tourism sector in 2025 (link)- UN Tourism – guidelines and publications on accessible tourism and inclusive tourism experiences (link)
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