EplerWood International (EWI) offers sustainable management programs for destinations which empower local managers to improve local well-being and lower impacts
Since 2003, EWI has implemented destination development projects at scale in over 30 countries. Our company track record demonstrates that investment in sustainable tourism economies results in conservation of natural resources, improved income and infrastructure for local people, and social and environmental business opportunities.
Using 10 years of research undertaken at Harvard and Cornell Universities, we offer tested systems to:
EplerWood International offers a range of services for destinations and businesses seeking to integrate sustainability:
Megan Epler Wood works with destinations, sharing her research and engaging local stakeholders to identify destination needs. Much more than a speech, Megan collaborates with clients to facilitate conversations around tourism planning and governance.
Building on its Sustainable Destination Management practice, in 2021 EplerWood International launched DestInvest to implement sustainable destination programs for communities and regions affected by COVID-19 and tourism impacts using federal, regional, and international finance programs. Our team is collaborating with local partners to develop the needed feasibility analyses, investment plans, and governance structures to build back better, and co-creating funding proposals to facilitate this transition.
Climate Action Planning for Tourism
EplerWood International uses science-based methodologies to develop climate action plans that align with municipal, regional, and national goals. Their Holistic Environmental Accounting Tool for Destinations (HEAT-D), developed at Harvard University, measures tourism’s resource use and climate impacts at the destination level.
Megan Epler Wood has worked with thousands of lodge owners, tour operators, academics, and civil society to determine what makes ecotourism projects successful. EplerWood International supports destinations in natural capital-based tourism planning and development and works with businesses to identify how they can deliver measurable triple bottom line results on the ground. Our consultations focus on the management frameworks and key metrics required to attract and facilitate impact investment.
