RTDA Launches Sustainable Leadership Training for More Responsible Tourism
Sydney, NSW, Australia, June 6, 2025 / TRAVELINDEX / The Responsible Tourism Development Academy (RTDA), a flagship initiative of the World Tourism Association for Culture and Heritage, is proud to expand its globally recognized suite of online training programs—crafted to drive positive change across the tourism industry.
With sustainability no longer a niche concern but a core business imperative, these certificated courses and workshops are equipping professionals with the knowledge, tools, and inspiration to lead with purpose.
RTDA features both in-person and online capacity building programs that can be combined where necessary to meet the needs of the destinations, industry stakeholders, donor agencies and/or NGO’s.
RTDA Online live sessions are intentionally capped at 15 participants, ensuring high-impact engagement and meaningful peer exchange. Upon completion, participants receive official RTDA certification—recognition of their commitment to shaping a more responsible and resilient visitor economy.
Featured Online Certified Courses Include:
Introduction to Responsible Tourism Development
Facilitator: Scott Michael Smith, Ph.D-TRM
An approach grounded in respect, inclusion, and sustainability. Guided by the triple bottom line of sustainable development (People, Planet, Profit), we explore how tourism can create shared value for businesses, tourists, and local communities alike.
Introduction to Leadership & Management Development
Facilitator: Phil Hook
Empowering emerging leaders with practical frameworks and insights, this course equips managers to lead with confidence, emotional intelligence, and strategic clarity.
Introduction to Culture and Heritage Tourism Development
Facilitator: Nigel Fell
Explore the powerful intersection of culture, identity, and visitor engagement in this essential session on the fastest-growing segment in global tourism.
Introduction to Culture and Heritage Tour Guiding
Facilitator: Erina Loo
This training empowers guides to become cultural custodians and exceptional storytellers, delivering rich, respectful, and professional visitor experiences.
A Customizable Approach to Capacity Building
RTDA’s modular format enables destinations, NGOs, and private sector entities to build customized training programs that align with their specific goals. Offerings range from 90-minute intensive tutorials to multi-day, in-person workshops.
The Academy’s structure reflects the tourism industry’s demand for flexible learning that blends strategic insight with measurable outcomes. All participants receive certificates of completion, and many of the courses can be stacked into longer-term development pathways.
Reimagining Tourism for a Stronger Future
The global tourism sector is at a turning point. Beyond recovery, the conversation has shifted to regeneration—and the RTDA is stepping into that space with purpose and power. The Academy doesn’t just promote sustainability as a catchphrase; it operationalizes it through practical, locally rooted, and globally relevant action.
Unveiling the cutting-edge curriculum of Responsible Tourism Development Modules, Thailand-based expert Dr. Scott Michael Smith, Ph.D. a longtime champion of sustainable travel, commented:
“Responsible Tourism isn’t just about reducing harm—it’s about building something better. These programs are designed to give professionals the tools, the mindset, and the inspiration to do just that,”
says Dr. Smith. “This is about changing the way we work, travel, and connect—with purpose.”
Dr. Smith brings decades of field experience, academic leadership, and cross-cultural insight to each session. As a certified facilitator of the 2030 SDGs Game, Travelife, and Hogan Assessments—and the first APIEM Certified Tourism Educator in Thailand—his approach blends global perspective with practical impact.
Whether online or in-person, RTDA’s learning experiences go far beyond theory. They will foster a new kind of tourism leader—one who sees travel as a vehicle for community wellbeing, climate action, and cultural respect.
All Online sessions are limited to 15 participants.
Secure your place and learn more at the Responsible Tourism Development Academy (RTDA) website.
About World Tourism Association for Culture and Heritage
WTACH seeks to establish clear goals, objectives, and strategies for the protection and preservation of cultural heritage assets (Tangible/Intangible) through more responsible and sustainable tourism plans, polices, and practices.
Working in collaboration with public, private, and specialist academic sector
organisations, WTACH determines best practice ethical principles and standards in line with the most robust global research available. WTACH was established in 2019 and is a Not-for-Profit Tourism Association based in Sydney, NSW, Australia.
