Shedding Light on the Regenerative Approach in Tourism

Editorial of December 19, 2023

The end of the year is always a good time to slow down our hectic pace and to refocus on the essentials, taking care of ourselves and those around us. What if we took the opportunity to adopt this posture for our destinations, all year round? It would therefore be a question of taking care of them, in a more holistic way than the sustainable approach. We then speak of regenerative tourism, which aims to regenerate the vitality of places, populations, businesses, communities, ecological systems and to enrich visitors. This is the subject of our new article, which you will discover below!

Taking care of our destinations also means mitigating the effects of climate change on our territories and populations, while adopting adaptation measures. A large inventory of climate action has recently been carried out and shows progress, but also the long work that remains to be done.
Taking care of our destinations also means ensuring that tourism generates a net benefit and not negative damage. An Economist Impact study demonstrates the potential of the tourism industry to catalyze progress in terms of gender equity and social tolerance.

Tourism often gets bad press, criticized from all sides for its negative effects. It is up to us, as an actor in this industry, to play an ambassador role and to demonstrate that it can be part of the solution to environmental and social challenges. With that, the Touriscope team wishes you a good read and a very happy holiday season!

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Original TourScope article

Taking care of your destination through a regenerative approach

In the media, regenerative tourism is often presented from a visitor perspective, in the sense that the visitor is invited to “leave the destination in a better condition than when they arrived.” But is it only his responsibility to revitalize our territories? How can local actors take action and adopt a regenerative approach? What is the role to play by DMOs and what should they change in the way they “manage” the destination? Discover without further delay our article on this subject, which, in addition to demystifying this term, it offers a framework of practice for tourism organizations!

Elsewhere on the web

Measuring the impacts of tourism at the local level

Economist Impact recently published theThe Destination Always study which assesses all the positive and negative impacts of tourism at the local level. Based on a benchmark of 38 destinations around the world, the study identified those that benefit the most from the economic advantages while generating significant social and environmental benefits.

The study succeeded in identifying some of the benefits associated with the influx of tourists, including improved gender equity and greater social tolerance. Moreover, despite the general belief that tourism increases the cost of living for the local population, the study shows that this is generally not the case. Indeed, the correlation between the number of visitors and the price of rent is only made in major tourist destinations.

State of play of climate action in tourism

The Tourism Panel on Climate Change, a group of 60 experts from over 30 countries, published a study which provides an inventory of progress and gaps in climate action in tourism. Several dimensions were assessed: mitigation, adaptation, policy and financing. They were able to see that, at present, no country, destination or sector of activity has succeeded in significantly reducing greenhouse gas emissions related to tourism. Although it is a collective responsibility, the study highlights the importance of the role of tourism policies and tourism education programs in developing tourism that is more resilient in the face of climate change.

Case study: Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association

Under the visionary leadership of its managing director, the Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association (TOTA) in British Columbia has adopted a more holistic management approach over the past several years. The association, certified Biosphere, is a pioneer and is often cited as an inspiring example. This article presents its various initiatives. In particular, we learn that no resource is in charge of sustainable development, since it concerns the entire team and is at the heart of TOTA's strategy. She created an interdepartmental committee that includes representatives of the 17 SDGs. In addition, the association operates under the “stakeholder” model, i.e. it no longer requires paid membership from members. Learn more about its practices by reading this article.

An interactive map for more sustainability!

The Paris Institute created an interactive map with the objective of supporting small and medium-sized enterprises in the tourist accommodation and travel sector in the implementation of sustainable practices. Several fields of action and solutions are explored and proposed, such as energy and water saving, waste management, responsible purchasing and consumption, mobility, CSR and many others. Designed as a toolbox, the actions are presented as follows: - The description and scope of the practice - The operational steps to follow - The stakeholders to be involved - The economic aspects to consider - The evaluation and monitoring of the practice - A level of difficulty of the practices What are you waiting for to take a look at it? ;)

Our projects

A mountain plan to adapt to the climate - Tourisme Montérégie

Following a request from the Quebec Ministry of Tourism, Tourisme Montérégie carried out a diagnosis for its mountain plan in order to guide tourism development actions in a perspective of transition towards more sustainable and responsible tourism, which benefits local communities. The Touriscope team was very happy to support ATR in this beautiful project, by carrying out an inventory of the six mountains in the region, by collecting the needs of visitors as well as actors in the region and by organizing a workshop of reflection with organizations present in the region. As a result of the study, Montérégie Tourism has launched a call for projects to finance initiatives promoting the tourism development of these six mountains!