Following nearly two years of meetings, collaboration and input, the Sedona Sustainable Tourism Appeal received the seal of approval from the Sedona City Council — with almost no fanfare.

The plan appeared on the Tuesday, March 26, council agenda under consent items, which are normally approved at one time unless a member of council asks to discuss it. Vice Mayor John Martinez did so.

The Sedona Chamber of Commerce and Tourism Bureau, in partnership with the city of Sedona, Nichols Tourism Group, Arizona State University’s Center for Sustainable Tourism and a local advisory group, have been working to create this plan. Its goal moving forward is to achieve integration of economic, cultural and environmental indicators and to guide future annual work plans and budgets for tourism management.

Martinez’s concern was who would pay for the numerous programs in the plan and whether it will fall on the city, chamber or a combination of the two.

“The first step is to decide where we want to go and what kind of tactics and strategies it will take to get us there,” City Manager Justin Clifton said. “Through future iter­ations of budgets and work plans, certainly with the chamber but also with the city’s budget, along with the other partners and orga­nizations identified in the plan, we will come up with funding solu­tions as we go.”

He added that items related to sustainable tourism will appear in both the city and chamber budgets starting in fiscal year 2020.

Achieving the plan’s goal will be done through four pillars of sustainable tourism and the objec­tives of each:

Environmental

• Implement new waste prevention, reduction and diversion strategies, particularly focused towards visitors and their impacts in the Sedona region.
• Expand programs that encourage minimal water usage and protect water quality.
• Create new programs to help businesses and visitors moderate energy use and utilize alternative forms of energy.
• Launch initiatives that lessen impacts to land including noise, air, light and better insure long-term sustainability.
• Take leadership role in educating and engaging visitors about sustainability and being a sensitive guest while in the destination.

Resident Quality of Life

• Implement new infrastructure and solutions to facilitate visitor traffic flows. 
• Recognize that tourism impacts quality of life. Continue to evaluate and protect against over-tourism.
• Expand use of shuttle systems to reduce vehicular traffic and enhance access to trails and other key destinations.
• Expand use of technology to help solve transportation challenges.
• Deepen engagement with Sedona residents, expanding their knowledge of tourism and efforts to manage it to be an effective balance.
• Develop new experiences that resonate with Sedona residents and visitors, while enhancing their understanding of sustainable practices.
• Manage current and future accommodations in ways that ensure they are in balance with long-term sustainability of destination

Quality of Economy

• Sustain adequate levels of economic activity in periods of need and disperse visitation to moderate congestion.
• Expand interagency collaboration to maximize capabilities among diverse Sedona organizations.
• Adjust tourism marketing to achieve a balance between quality of life and a healthy economy.
• Pursue innovative approaches to employee housing and training.

Visitor Experience

• Deepen understanding of existing experiences, how best to achieve them and how to apply sustainability practices while visiting.
• Work to disperse visitors across the broader Verde Valley region to help moderate congestion at key Sedona experiences.

Chamber President and CEO Jennifer Wesselhoff said there are programs that won’t cost anything to implement, while other items are already underway through the chamber. She reminded the council that this is a five-year plan.

“We don’t plan to cover all the tactics and priorities in year one, but we’re anxious to tackle the short-term priorities and include that within our budget,” she said.

Ron Eland can be reached at 282-7795, ext. 122 or by email at reland@larsonnewspapers.com