Case Study: How a Coastal DMO Reduced Carbon Footprint by 30% While Growing Overnight Stays

Hook — Reduce Footprint, Increase Value: A Coastal Case Study

This coastal DMO achieved a 30% reduction in carbon footprint while increasing overnight stays by implementing a focused set of product and operational changes. The approach balanced conservation investments with revenue-focused product design.

Background

The DMO oversees five small towns with seasonal peaks. Challenges included transport leakage, vendor sustainability, and community concern over overtourism. The DMO set two goals for 2025–26: reduce calculated visitor CO2 per stay by 30% and increase average spend per visit by 10%.

Interventions

1. Product bundling that promoted low-carbon mobility and local food, increasing per-guest local spend.
2. Supplier accreditation for verified local vendors to ensure revenue routing stayed local.
3. Operational investments in scheduling and staff routines to reduce no-shows and wasted transport runs.

Tools & Templates Used

To scale partner onboarding, the DMO used approved templates for contracts and consent forms, which dramatically cut legal processing time (Approval Template Pack).

Community Engagement

They launched a membership program for locals and frequent visitors that funded restoration projects. Members received priority access to regenerative excursions and a transparent impact ledger.

“Impact needs to be visible. We published a one-page impact dashboard and it changed the tone of conversations with suppliers and visitors.”

Operational Change — Better Routines, Better Outcomes

The DMO standardized email and coordination routines to prevent missed supplier updates and double bookings. An optimized email routine reduced staff interruptions and improved follow-through on impact initiatives (Email routine that reduces stress).

Distribution & Booking Strategy

They focused on direct channels and packaged offers that encouraged longer stays. Using landing templates and optimized booking flows reduced friction at checkout (Compose.page landing templates).

Results

• 30% reduction in carbon per stay (measured by transport and accommodation mix).
• 12% increase in average spend per overnight guest.
• Higher supplier retention due to more predictable revenue.

Lessons Learned

• Measure what matters: track both environmental and economic indicators.
• Small operational changes — clearer email routines and approval templates — unlock disproportionate gains.
• Transparency in pricing and impact builds community support.

Recommended Reading for Practitioners

• Templates for approvals and partner agreements (Approval Template Pack).
• How to speed landing page builds for new regeneration offers (Compose.page templates).
• Operational email routines that reduce stress and speed coordination (email routine guide).

Final Note

This case shows that sustainability and growth are not mutually exclusive when you design products that share value with local communities and reduce operational waste. For DMOs ready to replicate this model, start with transparent pricing, partner templates and disciplined internal routines.