EplerWood International works with major institutions committed to researching and designing timely and effective response mechanisms to destination management challenges worldwide.

EWI offers tools, such as holistic accounting to address economic highs and lows, enable steady recovery, protect tourism assets, and manage long-term, sustainable growth within destinations.

Our partners work with us to raise the bar in the global community to protect the earth’s most valued assets and to determine the best forms of investment in protecting business and destination value.

EplerWood International’s affiliations have been honed to lead the development of solutions that address the most pressing issues in our field:

Climate action planning using per tourist carbon impacts at destination level
Developing and structuring economic stimulus and impact investment platforms for destinations and small businesses working in a sustainable supply chain during COVID 19 recovery
Tracking and planning for the rapid changes in travel demographics and source markets
Identifying impacts of the digital economy on tourism supply chains
Developing tools to address the challenges of a growing number of overtourism hotspots

Major Affiliations

The Travel Foundation

We tackle the huge environmental and social challenges that global tourism brings. Tourism can bring much needed economic opportunities for local communities and funds for conservation. But, when not well managed, it can create long term problems for local residents and environmental damage. We aim to reduce the negative impacts of tourism and harness opportunities for local livelihoods and conservation. To achieve this, we support tourism stakeholders to create systemic change in the way that tourism is managed. This includes working with tourism businesses, destination authorities and community groups. LEARN MORE

"Working with EperWood International to develop the ‘The Invisible Burden of Tourism' research report has been a highlight of my work with the Travel Foundation. Megan leads a team that is creative and inspires new ways of thinking whilst being reliable and consummate professionals at all times. EplerWood International's work has helped shape our thinking on how to build a more sustainable future for tourism. I’m confident the Invisible Burden report will help others around the world do the same."

Salli Felton

Former CEO, The Travel Foundation

Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA)

Founded in 1951, the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) is a not-for profit association that is an internationally acclaimed membership organisation acting as a catalyst for the responsible development of travel and tourism to, from and within the Asia Pacific region. LEARN MORE

"Since first reading the 'Destinations at Risk: The Invisible Burden of Tourism' in 2019, PATA has been keen to work with EplerWood International. Now that the industry is in need of a total rebuild to prepare for the next era of post-COVID travel, this is the most opportune time to find a way to apply the lessons from EWI's work for destinations around the region."

Trevor Weltman

Former Chief of Staff, Pacific Asia Travel Association

Harvard International Sustainable Tourism Initiative

The International Sustainable Tourism Initiative (ISTI) was the first research unit at Harvard University focused on sustainable tourism. ISTI’s research program, designed by Megan Epler Wood based on her 25 years of experience in the field, was launched under the leadership of Dr. Jack Spengler in 2014 and was active in tourism climate research at the Harvard School of Public Health from 2014-2018. ISTI’s formal research program was presented at COP 22 in 2016 in Marrakech, Morocco, for the first United Nations session on tourism and climate change at a COP event. This garnered a grant from the German Government under GIZ in 2017-2018. Through ISTI’s work, Harvard researchers and students continue to explore current themes, including, Social/Environmental Enterprise Development, Tourism & Climate Change, Geodesign & Regional Planning, and Tourism Governance until Spring 2022. LEARN MORE

"Megan Epler Wood through her international company has undertaken research of global significance in association with the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Health. With support from GIZ we measured the underlying public health costs of managing tourism at the destination level on Djerba Island, Tunisia. This resulted in the formulation of the ISTI Framework, which provides a system of measurement based on both the Paris Agreement and the SDGs which will allow other destinations to measure the underlying costs of managing tourism more effectively in future."

Dr. Jack Spengler

Akira Yamaguchi Professor of Environmental Health and Human Habitation, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health

Cornell Sustainable Tourism Asset Management Program

New business models are needed to recognize the costs and impact of tourism on critical assets. STAMP is a program launched by the Center for Sustainable Global Enterprise at the Cornell SC Johnson College of Business which seeks to support the development of applied research, curriculum resources, and outreach activities that will increase collective knowledge and understanding of how to more effectively manage tourism destination assets over time in the face of endemic poverty, ecosystem degradation, and climate change. LEARN MORE

"Our unique partnership with EplerWood International has allowed the Center for Sustainable Global Enterprise to focus on travel and tourism business needs in the future. Our goal is to create practical, research-based tools to guide investment in maintaining the competitive value of critical destination assets- both natural and social -- to assure long-term value for the industry."

Dr. Mark Milstein

Clinical Professor of Management & Director, Cornell Center for Sustainable Global Enterprise