In April 2014 Jonathan Tourtellot, a renowned expert on Gateway Communities, consultant to the National Geographic Society, and founder of the National Geographic’s Geotourism initiative, came to Borrego Springs to introduce the National Geographic’s Geotourism Initiative to Borrego Springs. The Geotourism program uses a stakeholder-driven process to create communication tools for destinations, to build a local constituency of destination ambassadors and storytellers, and to work with these individuals to support stewardship and promotion of the destination.
The results of the April 2014 workshop were:
— Adoption of a Geotourism Charter
— Establishment of a forward-thinking Stewardship Council
— Commitment to a Destination Borrego Springs Geotourism-inspired Promotional Campaign
— Dedication to seeking recognition for the Anza-Borrego Desert State Park as a World Class Tourist Destination
The Borrego Valley Stewardship Council’s mission statement is as follows: “Borrego Springs seeks to be a model desert community in terms of sound economic planning, beneficial year-round tourism, world-class life-long learning, and exemplary stewardship of our cultural, social, and environmental heritage.”
The Borrego Valley Stewardship charter has been endorsed by the following institutions: the Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, the Borrego Springs Chamber of Commerce, the University of California, Irvine, the Borrego Water District, the Borrego Springs Unified School District, the Anza-Borrego Foundation, the Anza-Borrego Desert Natural History Association, the Tubb Canyon Desert Conservancy, the de Anza Country Club, and the Borrego Art Institute.
