Meet sustainable tourism leaders
Impact Makers
SLU Video

Sustainability Leaders United is now a legacy project.

The initiative ran from 2012 to 2024 and is no longer actively maintained or updated. The website remains online as an archive of interviews, destination showcases and editorial insights created over more than a decade of work in sustainable tourism.

Founded by Dr. Florian Kaefer, Sustainability Leaders United brought together changemakers from around the world and contributed to the early global conversation on sustainability, regeneration and responsible destination development.

All content below reflects the period in which the project was active. We will integrate a small selection of destination-related stories and insights into PlaceBrandObserver.com, which is where the momentum continues 🙂

Our Impact

Some of our milestones so far:

480+ impact makers featured

We believe in sharing stories, experiences and solutions. And we love to inspire and encourage tourism professionals to embrace sustainability.

From 79 countries

We take pride in connecting changemakers around the world, across borders, languages and cultures. We can all learn so much from each other!

Engagement leaders

Over 20k professionals engage with Sustainability Leaders United on LinkedIn, share our posts and follow our newsletter. Ready to join?

Book: Sustainability Leadership in Tourism

This professional guidebook highlights sustainable tourism development and management for businesses and destinations. It presents a unique collection of expert interviews, combined with latest insights and thoughts on the most relevant topics and trends linked to sustainability in tourism, sustainable business management, and destination development. This is a book which offers inspiring personal stories and reflections, and at the same time serves as essential know-how guide for busy tourism entrepreneurs, managers, and developers who care about business resilience and the well-being of destination communities.

book

Latest Impact Maker Stories

Meet the Who is Who in Sustainable Tourism

Mark J. Spalding on Ocean Health and Blue Economy

Meet Mark J. Spalding, long-time ocean advocate and President of The Ocean Foundation (TOF). With a deep-rooted connection to the sea and over two decades of leadership, Mark has helped shape a bold vision for a sustainable blue economy. One that restores marine ecosystems, empowers coastal communities, and drives real, measurable change. In our latest […]

Zina Bencheikh on Empowering Women Through Travel

Meet Zina Bencheikh, Managing Director EMEA at Intrepid Travel and a passionate advocate for gender equality in tourism. From her early days in Morocco to leading teams across Europe, the Middle East and Africa, Zina has seen firsthand how responsible travel can change lives — especially when it empowers women and underrepresented communities. In this […]

Davina Stanford on Teaching Responsible Tourism

Meet Davina Stanford, who has played a pivotal role in shaping the next generation of responsible tourism professionals. As former Course Director of the MSc Responsible Tourism Management at Leeds Beckett University, Davina has inspired countless students to reimagine tourism as a force for good. In our latest interview, she reflects on her journey, from […]

Testimonials

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