Turn passion into policy: How to advocate for tourism in your region and be heard

In today’s travel economy, passion is not enough. You may run a charming eco-lodge, a curated food tour, or a heritage homestay, but if your voice is not influencing tourism policy, you are leaving your business vulnerable to decisions made without you in mind. For small and medium enterprises (SMEs), advocacy is a survival strategy. You don’t need a lobbying firm to make a difference. Grassroots advocacy, local, direct, and informed, can turn your passion for travel into real policy change. From shaping local infrastructure investments to influencing marketing strategies and sustainability mandates, your voice can help create a thriving tourism landscape. Here are some ways to make sure it gets heard.

Step 1: Build a coalition

Start by forming or joining a local tourism alliance or business group. These coalitions amplify shared concerns and goals, offering strength in numbers. Think beyond your niche, partner with cafes, transport providers, artisans, tour guides, and other tourism-adjacent businesses. Together, you can collectively represent the micro-ecosystem that powers your region’s travel experience.

Create regular meetups to share updates, strategise, and align on policy asks. This is also your space to identify mutual pain points, such as is the region missing a signage, or is public transport underdeveloped. These issues are your starting point.

Step 2: Speak the language of policymakers

You love your business and you care about your region, but it won’t move the needle with policymakers unless it is backed with hard data.

Collect stats that reflect your impact on how many tourists your business attracts per month, how many local jobs you support, and what your business’s contribution is to the local economy. Use customer surveys to demonstrate visitor demand for authentic, small-scale, local experiences. Show rising Google searches or online reviews. Use tools like Google Trends, TripAdvisor insights, or regional tourism data portals. Partner with local colleges or economic development organisations to help generate more formal research or impact reports.

Step 3: Find and influence the right people

Identify your local tourism officer, economic development board, chamber of commerce, and municipal council members. These are your access points. Set up meetings. Attend public consultations. Request inclusion in working groups. Share your data-backed recommendations via policy briefs or presentations. Keep communication focused, respectful, and solutions-oriented.

Start with a compelling real-life example on how a small change in signage helped a local café double walk-ins, or how a government-sponsored training helped a guide increase earnings.

Step 4: Make it easy for them to say yes

Policymakers are busy. The easier you make it for them to act, the more likely they are to do so. Avoid vague requests like ‘support small tourism businesses.’ Instead, be specific, such as introducing a local tourism micro-grant fund with simplified application processes for businesses under five years old, including SMEs in the official regional tourism marketing plan, or creating a seasonal tourism task force that includes small business representatives.

Offer to lead or co-create these initiatives. Grassroots leadership shows initiative and reduces the government’s burden, making them more likely to support your ideas.

Step 5: Leverage media and public support

Public pressure moves mountains. Write op-eds, participate in radio shows, and start a social media campaign spotlighting how small tourism businesses transform communities, preserve culture, and create employment.

Encourage customers to support advocacy efforts and ask them to share their experiences, sign petitions, or attend town halls. The more the public aligns with your vision, the more difficult it becomes for policymakers to ignore it.

Use ‘tourism moments’ to your advantage. World Tourism Day, election seasons, or local festivals are perfect hooks to push for policy reforms and grab media attention.

Step 6: Follow through and stay the course

Stay consistent and celebrate small wins like being included in a local tourism council or getting funding for a community tourism map. Track what is working and what is not. Share updates with your coalition and build case studies that show positive policy outcomes. The more success stories you build, the more leverage you will have in future discussions.

Your advocacy does not just benefit your business; it builds a tourism ecosystem that values fairness, sustainability, and inclusivity. Small businesses are the soul of tourism, and the future of tourism is built by bold entrepreneurs who dare to advocate for what is right. Be that entrepreneur.

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