A. Project Management Assign a project manager with proven experience in sustainable tourism management. Develop a project management plan, including a timeline, milestones, monthly reports, and cost estimates. Hold regular meetings with the Planning Director and with the chair and co-chair of the Sustainable Tourism Management Task Force to discuss progress and challenges, establish clear goals for each meeting, ensuring that discussions are purposeful and aligned with the broader initiative. Develop meeting agendas and take meeting notes. B. Community Engagement1 Design a comprehensive engagement plan, including: o Consultation – Identifying interested parties and developing strategies for meaningful collaboration and input. o Public Outreach & Communication – Implementing clear and transparent communication channels, including public meetings, surveys, workshops, and digital engagement tools. o Feedback Integration – Establishing mechanisms for collecting, analyzing, and incorporating community feedback into project development and decision-making. o Equity & Inclusion – Ensuring diverse community voices are heard. o Ongoing Engagement – Maintaining regular interaction with the community throughout project implementation to address concerns, provide updates, and ensure continued alignment with community expectations. C. Framework Development Define sustainable tourism. o Establish a clear and localized definition of sustainable tourism that reflects Bar Harbor’s unique environmental, societal, and economic context. o Align this definition with sustainability best practices and with the Bar Harbor 2035 Comprehensive Plan. Understand desired resident and visitor experience. o Define quality of life standards for Bar Harbor residents. o Identify key factors contributing to a high-quality visitor experience, balancing tourism demand with local capacity. Develop an integrated economic and sustainable tourism vision. o Establish Bar Harbor’s overall economic vison building from the Bar Harbor 2035 Comprehensive Plan; and o Establish a supporting sustainable tourism development and management vision with core foundational themes. Conduct a comprehensive situational analysis. o Analyze visitor trends, including seasonality, demographic shifts, and spending patterns. o Assess the economic impact of tourism, considering direct and indirect benefits, as well as costs. o Evaluate carrying capacity by examining infrastructure, transportation, environmental limits, and public service demands.2 o Measure the effects of tourism on quality-of-life metrics, including housing, traffic, employment, and community well-being. Develop strategic goals and actionable policies. o Establish clear goals and objectives that address identified challenges and opportunities. o Create economic and land-use strategies that supports the Town’s sustainable tourism development and management vision. o Recommend tourism principles that could be integrated into zoning, development, and business regulations.
