Project Regenerative Tourism

Promoting Regenerative Tourism

“Project Regenerative Tourism” is an initiative led by the Sustainability and Resilience Institute (SRI) | Tourism Advisory, New Zealand. Its primary aim is to promote research and experiential opportunities related to regenerative tourism, encouraging visitors to actively participate in the ongoing discourse around this concept. The project has achieved significant outcomes, including the publication of various scholarly works and the development of a comprehensive “Regenerative Tourism Model” and “Regenerative Tourism Framework."

Regenerative Tourism Definition

“Regenerative tourism fosters ongoing rejuvenation and innovation in tourism systems, focusing on restoring and enriching social-ecological systems. It surpasses mere impact reduction, thriving amid changing trends and shocks with a focus on economic stability, minimal social and environmental impact, and the creation of authentic experiences.

Asif Hussain, PhD

Director, Sustainability and Resilience Institute (SRI) | Tourism Advisory, New Zealand

Integrated Regeneration

The Regenerative Tourism Model

The Regenerative Tourism Model advocates for the integration of all components of a social-ecological system into a cohesive, self-organising structure that embraces uncertainty and adapts to global shocks and emerging trends. It recognises the interconnectedness of social and environmental factors and emphasises the need for regenerative practices in tourism. Furthermore, the model has established a set of indicators to evaluate the extent to which a tourism product or service contributes to regeneration and sustainability.

Strategic Framework

The Regenerative Tourism Framework

The Regenerative Tourism Framework serves as a roadmap for achieving regenerative tourism by prioritising destinations and people in the policymaking process. This framework incorporates indicators of regenerative tourism from both the supply and demand sides, encompassing overarching characteristics that should be present. To assess the degree of regenerativeness of a tourism product, a Likert scale (ranging from 1 to 10) is employed, providing a quantitative measure.

Indigenous Wisdom

Indigenous Knowledge and Regenerative Tourism

One of the key recommendations of the project is the holistic appreciation of indigenous knowledge. Rather than cherry-picking specific elements that align with current tourism discussions while ignoring the broader context, the project advocates for a comprehensive understanding of indigenous knowledge. This knowledge represents a way of life involving dynamic decision-making processes, continually adapting to cycles of growth, accumulation, restructuring, and renewal of resources. Indigenous wisdom emerges from an intricate understanding of specific contexts and times, serving as a steward for the physical, social, and historical environments.

Project Regenerative Tourism Publications

  1. From Fryer to Footprint: The Role of Fish and Chips in New Zealand’s Coastal Tourism, Sustainability, Regeneration, and Local Economies
  2. Co-creating regenerative tourism: stakeholder perspectives and pathways from Banks Peninsula, New Zealand
  3. The Routledge Handbook of Regenerative Tourism
  4. Frameworks for Measuring Regenerative Tourism: Supply and Demand Indicators with a Dynamic and Holistic Approach
  5. Preparedness and response to climate change in a nature-based tourism destination: an exploratory case study of Banks Peninsula, New Zealand
  6. Regenerative tourism-measuring to manage
  7. Regenerative leisure and tourism: a pathway for mindful futures
  8. Climate Change Commitments and Challenges to Achieve Regenerative Tourism: A Case of Aotearoa New Zealand
  9. Host Communities: The Foundation of Regenerative Tourism
  10. Human Relationship with Nature, Indigenous Ways of Living and Regenerative Tourism Framework
  11. Regenerative Tourism Model: Challenges of Adapting Concepts from Natural Science to Tourism Industry
  12. Regenerative tourism futures: a case study of Aotearoa New Zealand
  13. Enhancing regenerative tourism based on authenticity: marketing identity of visitor experiences in New Zealand
  14. A future of tourism industry: conscious travel, destination recovery and regenerative tourism
  15. Government Response to Covid-19 and Gender Discrepancy: Tour Operator Perspective from New Zealand
  16. Conscious travel paradigm and the future of tourism: The case of regenerative tourism
  17. Post-Pandemic Recovery: A Case of Domestic Tourism in Akaroa (South Island, New Zealand)

Recommended Publications on Regenerative Tourism

  1. Tourism in the Pluriverse: Bridging theory and practice for regenerative futures in the Pacific
  2. The road to success: Tourism social entrepreneurs’ quest for regenerative tourism
  3. Regenerative Tourism: Opportunities and Challenges
  4. Regenerative tourism: a state-of-the-art review
  5. The Regenerative Lens: A conceptual framework for regenerative social-ecological systems
  6. What is regenerative tourism, and how can it be implemented?
  7. Managing Aotearoa New Zealand’s greenhouse gas emissions from aviation
  8. Regenerative tourism: a conceptual framework leveraging theory and practice.
  9. The reciprocity of soil, soul and society: the heart of developing regenerative tourism activities.
  10. Guest editorial: Transformation and the regenerative future of tourism.
  11. Regenerative tourism: the challenge of transformational leadership.
  12. Regenerative tourism: transforming mindsets, systems and practices.
  13. Transformative roles in tourism: adopting living systems’ thinking for regenerative futures.
  14. Linking Regenerative Travel and Residents’ Support for Tourism Development in Kaua’i Island (Hawaii): Moderating-Mediating Effects of Travel-Shaming and Foreign
  15. Gender equality boost for regenerative tourism: the case of Karenni village Huay Pu Keng (Mae Hong Son, Thailand)
  16. Theoretical approach to Api-tourism routes as a paradigm of sustainable and regenerative rural development.
  17. Recognising the regenerative impacts of Canadian women tourism social entrepreneurs through a feminist ethic of care lens.
  18. Circular economy, circular regenerative processes, agrowth and placemaking for tourism future.
  19. Joanna Van Gruisen on Regenerative Tourism in India.
  20. Rural Entrepreneurship Skill Development Through Regenerative Tourism in Channapatna, Karnataka.
  21. Building regenerative futures: A more-than-tourism agenda for post Covid-19 recovery.
  22. Anchoring “tourism value” within a regenerative tourism paradigm–a government perspective.
  23. Ecotourism, regenerative tourism, and the circular economy
  24. Inclusive and regenerative urban tourism: capacity development perspectives
  25. Inclusive and regenerative urban tourism: capacity development perspectives.
  26. Advancing a regenerative tourism system in New Zealand: an analysis of an Indigenous tourism operation and the Tiaki Promise destination pledge.
  27. Thoughts on how New Zealand could progress as a more regenerative tourism host.
  28. Regenerative tourism needs diverse economic practices.
  29. Creative tourism development models towards sustainable and regenerative tourism

Past Projects & Achievements

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