Welcome to my personal website.  

I created this site after a decade working as a social entrepreneur in sustainable tourism and realized the value in sharing my experiences and knowledge with others working in the industry.

I have been very fortunate to travel around the world helping develop and market tourism experiences that support biodiversity conservation, cultural heritage preservation, and support the well being of local residents.  I have seen first hand when developed and managed correctly, how tourism can be a powerful tool to grow local economies while ensuring cultural and natural attractions are protected for future generations to enjoy.  However, I have also seen too many examples of where tourism destroyed some of the most incredible places in the world.  This has become my life mission and I will continue to look for ways to use a business led approach to solving our world's biggest challenges.  I believe in the idea that businesses can be more then corporately responsible, they can actually be built and driven by a social mission that can also generate a profit.  That is why I started Solimar International, and why I work with and develop sustainable tourism businesses across the globe.

This site is designed to highlight my work and the organizations I support, but it's main purpose is to showcase my presentations and writing on sustainable tourism, marketing, and social enterprises.  My goal, as I enter my second decade working in sustainable tourism, is to share these experiences with as many people as I can.  I would love to speak at your next event, in your classroom, or contribute to your blog or article.  If you are interested please contact me on the form below.

Solimar International is a tourism development and marketing firm that believes in the transformative power of sustainable tourism. Through innovative partnerships we deliver integrated solutions that create jobs, build businesses, protect ecosystems and celebrate and preserve local culture. Our work enhances destinations and inspires travelers to visit them.

Visit Solimar's Website to Learn More >

Tourism Cares
Chris serves on the board of Tourism Cares, an organization that is dedicated to preserving and enhancing the travel experience for future generations. We channel the philanthropic passion and commitment of the travel industry to protect and restore valuable destinations we all care about—and to support those destinations as engines for prosperity, civil society, and pride in their communities.
Visit Tourism Cares Website to learn More >

11th Street DC
Chris helped form the 11th Street Business Alliance, with a group of  independent businesses located in Solimar's neighborhood.  The alliance is marketing the destination, organizing events, providing advocacy and support to the local businesses while fostering a community dialogue within the neighborhood.
Visit 11th Street DC to learn More >

SAVE Travel Alliance
The SAVE Travel Alliance is a leader in the development of the Scientfic, academic, Volunteer, and Educational market niche and in helping countries to benefit from the SAVE trend. Chris serves on the board and is helping create a network of networks designed to connect global travel destinations to scientific, academic, volunteer and educational markets.
Visit SAVE Travel Alliance to learn More >

SBAIC
Chris serves on the executive committee of the Small Business Association of International Companies (SBAIC), a membership forum established to promote the meaningful utilization of U.S. small businesses (SB) at USAID. Members are for-profit SBs in good standing with a solid track record of providing services to USAID and other Federal agencies across the globe
Visit SBAIC Website to learn More >

Chris is a frequent public speaker invited to conferences, brown bag sessions, and classrooms to discuss his experiences and insights.

Topics include:

- Sustainable Tourism
- Destination Marketing
- Branding
- Social Entrepreneurism
- Impact Investing
- Digital Marketing
- Social Media
- Geotourism with the National Geographic Society

Each presentation is tailored to the audience and strives to entertain, inform, and provide take-aways that can be applied in their own business or professional career.

Contact Chris today to discuss your speaking engagement.

Chris contributes to several blogs. Below is a summary of his recent posts: 

Taking a Business Approach to Conservation: Three Examples from Africa

How to involve locals in Destination Management and Marketing

5 Takeaways on Destination Marketing from the DMAI Conference 

Understanding the Role of Tourism Development in Tourism Marketing

Are Tourism Marketers Bad at Dating?

Tourism Trade Shows, Roadshows, B2B Exchanges: Are They Worth It?

Introducing a Completely New Approach to Destination Marketing

5 Reasons Why I Love 11th Street