Tourism-related taxes are one of the few recurring, place-based revenue streams connected to the assets and systems on which tourism depends. The question is whether that revenue can do more than fill annual budget holes. Can it shift to become the backbone for more durable financial tools? That is where the real opportunity lies.

Want to reduce energy costs? Start with water. Sounds counter-intuitive, but for many municipal governments water utilities are the single largest source of energy cost and emissions (30%-40% of municipal energy use). We need to focus more resources on the water / energy nexus. The good news is there are technical assistance programs and low-cost financial tools to do just that.