Diogo Canteras, Founding Partner - HotelInvest

The growing interest in destination management reflects deep transformations in the way we travel and occupy territories. In recent years, tourism has ceased to be merely an economic activity to become a social and urban phenomenon, with a direct impact on the quality of life of communities and the sustainability of places.

Among the factors explaining this shift are the increased value placed on leisure and tourism in the post-pandemic period, the expansion of short-term rentals and their effects on the real estate market, the significant rise in tourist flows, and the reactions of local populations to the impacts of uncontrolled tourism. Added to this is a new awareness: tourism can be a driver of development—provided it is well planned and managed.

The debate around so-called overtourism clearly illustrates this shift in perspective. Many destinations have begun to face a dilemma: how to balance visitor satisfaction, residents’ quality of life, and the profitability of tourism investments?

What’s Changing in Destinations

Around the world, more destinations are recognizing the risks of unregulated growth and adopting more responsible management practices. The focus now is not only on attracting more tourists but on improving the quality of existing tourism—reducing visitor pressure and increasing the value of each trip. It’s a logic similar to that of the hotel industry when it seeks to raise RevPAR (revenue per available room) by prioritizing the average daily rate instead of the occupancy rate. 

Common measures include constant monitoring of visitor flows and residents’ perceptions, the creation of cross-sectoral councils with goals and performance indicators, controlling tourist buses and cruise ships in sensitive areas, and implementing visitor fees or advance booking systems for high-demand attractions. Zoning policies and regulations for short-term rentals are also gaining strength, along with campaigns encouraging visits during off-peak hours and geographic dispersion of tourist flows.

Why It’s So Hard to Move Forward

Despite widespread agreement on its importance, few destinations manage to implement effective management models. Tourism is a highly fragmented sector that depends on coordination among government, the private sector, and local communities. Dedicated technical and executive structures are often lacking, financial resources are limited, and integration with urban planning and environmental management remains incipient. 

Furthermore, a culture of long-term planning and data-driven decision-making is still rare. In many cases, tourism plans exist only on paper—without effective governance or monitoring mechanisms. The absence of state and national policies supporting local management worsens the situation, hindering the continuity of actions and the consolidation of results.

A New Outlook for the Future

Destination management is, above all, a matter of vision. It’s about defining the kind of tourism one wants to attract, the acceptable pace of growth, and the role tourism should play in local development. Cities and regions that align these elements reap long-lasting benefits: income generation, cultural appreciation, environmental preservation, and improved quality of life.

The major challenge for Brazilian tourism in the next decade will not be merely attracting more visitors but welcoming them well—intelligently, sustainably, and in balance. Ultimately, to talk about destination management is to talk about the future of places and the aspiration to build destinations that both enchant visitors and make residents proud.