Sustainable Tourism Strategist
SONJA GOTTLEBE
Trainer, Auditor, Destination Development
35+ years of hands-on tourism experience, helping destinations, businesses and communities turn sustainability into action
Madagascar • Indian Ocean • Africa • International
From experience to impact
I bring the perspective of a practitioner to the work of a consultant
For more than three decades, I have worked at the heart of tourism — building businesses, developing ecolodges and tourism products, working with communities and contributing to destination development in Madagascar.
Today, I bring this field experience to sustainable tourism strategy, training, certification and international development projects.
How can I help
SUSTAINABLE TOURISM & DESTINATION STRATEGY
From ambition to practical action.
Strategies and action plans helping destinations, institutions and tourism businesses seeking meaningful and measurable sustainability transformation.
TRAINING & CAPACITY BUILDING
Building knowledge that leads to change.
GSTC training, masterclasses, coaching and Training of Trainers designed for tourism professionals, institutions and local stakeholders.
CERTIFICATION & SUSTAINABILITY READINESS
Turning standards into opportunities.
Preparing tourism businesses and destinations for internationally recognised sustainability standards, certification pathways and evolving international market requirements.
Cross-cutting expertise
Community-Based Tourism • Product & Experience Development • Market Readiness • Responsible Marketing • Tourism Value Chains
Selected Experience
From Madagascar to the Indian Ocean, Africa, Europe and the Pacific, my work combines decades of field experience with international sustainable tourism frameworks.
MADAGASCAR — THREE DECADES OF TOURISM ENTREPRENEURSHIP
Three decades building and managing tourism businesses, ecolodges and responsible tourism experiences across Madagascar — the field experience that continues to shape my work today.
Entrepreneurship • Ecolodges • Responsible Tourism • Destination Development
GSTC — sustainable tourism training
GSTC Trainer delivering professional training and capacity-building programs in French and English, including assignments in Canada and French Polynesia.
GSTC Training • Capacity Building • International Standards
TRAVELIFE — TOUR OPERATORS
Coaching and auditing tourism businesses on their journey toward internationally recognised sustainability practices and certification.
Certification • Coaching • Sustainability Management
IPD — INTERNATIONAL MARKET READINESS
Coaching tourism businesses from emerging destinations to strengthen their international market readiness and B2B positioning.
Market Readiness • B2B Tourism Product Development • International Markets
SOLIMAR INTERNATIONAL — MADAGASCAR & REGION
Tourism specialist supporting sustainable destination development and connecting international expertise with the realities and opportunities of Madagascar and the Indian Ocean region.
Destination Strategy • Sustainable Tourism • Technical Assistance
BLUE TOURISM — COMOROS
Capacity building and community-based tourism support in the Mitsamiouli Marine Park, connecting conservation, local livelihoods and visitor experiences.
CBT • Marine Tourism • Capacity Building
Let’s work together
Looking for practical expertise to move sustainable tourism from ambition to action?
I work with destinations, tourism businesses, institutions and development partners on tailored assignments, training and technical assistance.
