Door County Tourism Leaders Launch Sustainability Pledge
Embargoed until April 20, 2021
Media contact: Jon Jarosh, Destination Door County, jon@doorcounty.com or 920-818-1133
April 20, 2021 – Door County, WI - With traveler sentiment high and indicators pointing to a busy upcoming season in Door County, tourism leaders at Destination Door County (DDC) are launching a new sustainability pledge and hope residents can help lead the way in this movement to preserve and protect Door County.
The Door County Pledge invites residents and visitors to commit to responsible behaviors such as respecting the natural environment and acting kindly while encouraging exploration of the county with purpose, mindfulness, and care. It does so by focusing on water safety, environmental stewardship, destination awareness, capacity constraints at certain locations and environmental preservation.
Beginning April 20, residents of Door County can help DDC kick off this new initiative by digitally signing the Door County Pledge at DoorCounty.com and encouraging others to do the same starting on April 22. The Pledge can also be signed in person at the Door County Welcome Center, 1015 Green Bay Road in Sturgeon Bay, or at one of nine different community information centers around Door County. Sign the Door County Pledge here.
“Choosing the week of Earth Day to launch our Door County Pledge initiative was a natural fit,” said Michelle Rasmusson, Director of Marketing & Sales for DDC and a driving force behind the initiative. “Our role as an influential steward of this destination is a key component of the tourism management efforts we’ve moved to the forefront of our list of responsibilities. While destination marketing is still a primary focus, destination management activities have a more prominent role now for us as well and the Door County Pledge is an example of the more locally focused initiatives we’ll be doing a lot more of moving forward,” she said.
“The Door County Pledge is not about limiting what our residents, and visitors, can do,” Rasmusson continued, “it’s about expanding everyone’s understanding of the county and helping us realize the role we all play in keeping it the special place it is.”
Destination Door County will use several different channels to generate resident awareness of the pledge and encourage locals to join in the movement by setting a positive example for visitors. DDC will keep an ongoing counter to show how many people have taken the Door County Pledge in the hopes of encouraging even more to take it.
An online toolkit will also be available for local organizations and businesses who wish to further support the Door County Pledge initiative. The toolkit will provide program assets such as logos, sample social media posts, sample emails, printable signs, rack cards and more. The toolkit will be available through DDC’s web site, DoorCounty.com, beginning April 20.
Visitors and the rest of the world will be invited to take the Door County Pledge beginning April 22.
An ongoing “eco-drip” campaign will continue to speak to both residents and visitors about how everyone can do their part to protect the county's natural beauty and cultural heritage, two things vital to Door County’s long-term health and viability as a place for residents to call home. Signing the Door County Pledge is really just the beginning.
The Door County Pledge is part of a larger initiative Door County tourism leaders are preparing to roll out next month that will highlight several new destination management efforts. Details about a much broader Care for Door County initiative, which includes the pledge, a partnership with Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics, a push to become a Green Tier certified destination and more will be released during National Travel & Tourism week, scheduled for May 2-8, 2021.
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For more information about the Door County Pledge, visit
https://www.doorcounty.com/Care-For-Door-County/Pledge/
