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?
I had this question in mind when my business partner told me about the Destination Canada event she attended last October, the International Destination Stewardship Symposium. The stewardship of destinations, Stewardship in English, is a term used in English-speaking Canada, but still absent in Quebec. By taking an interest in this subject, I realize that there is a direct link with regenerative tourism. And precisely, Destination Canada has released a study on A regenerative approach to tourism in Canada. This reading allowed me to finally grasp the essence of this vision and especially to realize that it is the most obvious way to take to perpetuate our tourist destinations. So I'm offering you these few things to think about from my reading!
Taking care of the living in a holistic way
The Destination Canada study starts with the concept of regeneration, which “stems from a vision of the world that focuses on living systems, since every living system regenerates.” It is a synonym for renewed vitality and self-healing. Regenerative ways of life are thus, by their nature, more holistic, integrated and respectful of all forms of life. They are inspired by the wisdom that is at the heart of the many world views of Indigenous peoples.
The authors of the study therefore summarize that “With this in mind, the aim of our activities is to participate in the revitalization and healing of ecosystems And human relationships on which the community, the economy and our collective well-being depend.”
This approach contrasts the world as a “machine” with the world as a “living system.” This dichotomy of vision, shown below, is a good example of the value creation generated by the regenerative approach. Sustainable development, which tends towards the absence of damage (“Net Zero”), is unfortunately an unrealistic goal according to the authors.
What does the regenerative approach mean in tourism?
Many host communities criticize the extractive and degenerative approach to tourism, which has the effect of reducing the quality of life of residents, reducing cultural vitality and impacting ecosystems. Conversely, the regenerative approach means taking care of the destination by taking actions that will have the effect of regenerating the vitality of places, populations, businesses, communities, ecological systems and ecological systems and enriching visitors.
This then goes against the traditional thinking of tourist-centered development, since priority here is given to respecting the needs of the community, not of the visitor from outside. We must therefore ask ourselves questions about the “net benefit” for the territory as a whole. And good news (but we already knew that!) , tourism can contribute to a more sustainable, inclusive and prosperous territory in several ways:
- By renewing relationships between people, across geographies, industries, and cultures;
- By bringing people closer to nature, by making us aware of our interdependence within a vast living system in order to generate wealth without extraction;
- By strengthening the role of communities of all sizes, discovering their inherent potential in order to reconcile different interests, places, populations and profits.
According to Destination Canada, a regenerative approach to tourism is based on three elements:
- Creating a deliberate and meaningful connection between people and places;
- The implementation of this shared desire by developing welcoming experiences and infrastructures that come to life thanks to local stories, knowledge and attention;
- The realization of these actions in such a way as to promote the capacities for development and the resilience of populations, businesses, communities and ecological systems.
I also like the five commitments and the ten pillars of Tourism CoLab's regenerative approach in Australia:
How to adopt a regenerative approach?
Taking care of a destination as a whole does not seem to be a role clearly identified by the DMOs. That is why it may be necessary to adopt new ways of doing things. Destination Canada has replaced the term “management” of the destination with “stewardship” (Stewardship). It is a holistic approach adopted collectively to take care of the entire living system of a place, and therefore of the host community. This involves not only a change in the organization's raison d'être, but also in its leadership and governance style. From my understanding, the organization should therefore aim to develop a collective commitment around the destination and its potential, including the local population, institutions, businesses, businesses, visitors, etc.
In its study, Destination Canada provides a basic practice framework with principles and structure. The principles identified are based on the importance of working together to discover the unique essence and potential of our places and communities. Developing collective commitment then makes it possible to take care of people and places mutually.
In terms of structure, it is based on cooperation, starting from a stewardship circle composed of various members of the community. Each of them belongs to a “passion group” that has a specialization or area of interest (climate change, health of living environments, mobility, culinary tourism, agrotourism, agri-tourism, workforce strengthening, social justice, etc.). Finally, each of the people in these groups represents a host team, made up of individuals or businesses. This is where new products, services, or contributions develop (see diagram below).
The World Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) has also just released a reference document that outlines the ten basic steps for adopting a destination stewardship approach, the Destination Stewardship Starter Kit.
Regenerative tourism and stewardship seem to be the words of the hour. But beyond these terms, it should above all be seen as a paradigm shift in the approach to the development and management of our tourist destinations. The intended result is more than exciting, since it conveys the promise of better tourism, which is at the service of a community to help it thrive, now and over time.
A big thank you to Véronique Lévy from the firm Ellio in Montreal for shedding light on this approach!
Other resources on the subject: - Destination Stewardship Center - Tourism CoLab | Case studies of destinations that have taken this approach: - Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association (British Columbia) - Crown of the continent (Alberta, British Columbia, and Montana) | Featured image: Logan Swayze. Squamish Lil'wat Cultural Centre, Whistler, British Columbia/Aboriginal Tourism Canada..
POSTED
12/7/2023