There is a shift in the responsibilities of Destination Marketing Organizations to encourage not only off-peak travel, but also responsible tourism in order to protect the natural land and culture of the destination. A new initiative, Pledge for the Wild, was introduced by the Lake Tahoe Visitors Authority (LTVA) at this year’s annual Tourism Forum. A concept designed to support the goal of sustainable tourism, Pledge for the Wild will proactively share outdoor principles and responsible tourism tips to create a direct channel for visitors to give back locally through online donations and text-to-donate. “Pledge for the Wild will provide opportunities to give back, whether they’re checking into a hotel, renting gear at a bike shop, or sitting down at a brewery,” Chaplin said. “The idea is to remind them when they’re out enjoying our local amenities and attractions and stimulate their thinking about how they’d like to support whatthey’ve experienced.” As a business leader you too can take this pledge to create a more responsible tourism economy for Lake Tahoe. Donations can be made to the initiative’s current beneficiary, Tahoe Fund, directly through a cellular device by texting WILD4TAHOE to 44-321 as well as online https://www.tahoefund.org.

“We’re excited to partner with the LTVA and Pledge for the Wild to make it easy for people who are enjoying Tahoe to help take care of it,” said Tahoe Fund CEO Amy Berry. “Texting or going online to participate will help us introduce innovative solutions to the challenges facing Tahoe’s wild spaces through our Environmental Venture Trust.” To learn more about Plegde for the Wild, visit www.pledgewild.com.