“To succeed with our current nature and climate challenge, we require a philosophy that is underpinned by the understanding that the ecological and social stewardship and the right regeneration model is the optimal path for organisations and individuals to achieve their sustainable and regenerative goals.” - Kinga Monica
The regenerative tourism – the art of playing it right and leading the way
When I first started designing and promoting sustainable travel and tourism projects in the late nineties ecotourism was barely heard of. There was a tendency to see it more as a fad rather than a serious tourism model it is today. Generating $77bn in revenue according to the Centre for Responsible Travel, CREST, ecotourism amounts to a quarter of the total travel and tourism market.
The new era of Ecotourism with Regeneration and Eco-conscious Traveller as its drivers
Fast-forward to today and we see regeneration as a driver of this newly defined impactful travel. I believe that, over the next few decades, this emerging approach will be re-defining and shaping all aspects of travel and tourism. It is poised to give rise to new, more Earth and community-centric trends in the entire ecosystem of related disciplines that make up ecotourism. All things considered, we still suffer from a crisis of good travel that creates nature positive long-term impacts.
“I believe that, over the next few decades, this emerging approach will be re-defining and shaping all aspects of travel and tourism. It is poised to give rise to new, more Earth and community-centric trends in the entire ecosystem of related disciplines that make up ecotourism.”
Kinga Monica, Regenerative Coach and Sustainability Innovator
My experience tells me that transformational and regenerative tourism can and should address this challenge. In this piece I would like to share some insights and ideas relating to regenerative tourism and how this emerging realm is shaping hospitality in new exciting ways. As a delegate and a speaker at Eco Resort Network‘s annual prestigious in-person networking event, I will present my innovative work and share insights and best up-to-date practices with an international group of peers within the eco resort and glamping sectors.
Designing regenerative models that work is a collaborative process
As an independent consultant at Earthvoice with a diverse portfolio of award-winning ecotourism development concepts, projects and startups I guide you through the entire design process of making your venture sustainable and regenerative long-term.
Running a multifaceted high-end hospitality business can be a balancing act. I know this first-hand having run successful and award-winning sustainable businesses and projects in the UK and Spain: a hotel, organic restaurant, eco design and innovation centre and activity agency. My community-focused projects that led to the creation of innovative climate and culture multimedia venues in different countries gave me an invaluable insight into what works and what doesn’t. So, I apply my versatile experience to translate this know-how into a practical guidance and advisory service to help you plan, develop and instigate your own unique regeneration model that seamlessly integrates with your operation.
This can range from crafting innovative, fun and adventure activities to regenerative nature-based and wellbeing experiential offerings for your guests, through to a memorable sustainable event at your own property or external venue. All of these are tried and tested solutions that can leverage your operation by putting it on the map. In brief, together we navigate a complex world of sustainable and regenerative practices that can help you win a growing loyal customer base as well as tourism industry certifications.
In addition to designing and crafting regenerative solutions for ecologically conscious businesses, I also offer my sustainability guidance. However as an innovator of an internationally applied Integrated Sustainability Model, I work a bit differently. I provide you with a strategic sustainability toolkit so that you and your teams can create a sustainable shift within your organisation that accelerates the uptake of good practices and, in turn, commercially-viable results.
Social enterprise design that makes good business
A popular saying has it: a picture is worth a thousand words. Similarly one well executed and communicated regenerative experience or initiative will bring a bumper crop of good sales and reviews. That is far more than hundreds of well-meaning verbalisations of how sustainable your business is, or how much you support your community. Don’t get me wrong, communicating your eco credentials and climate and community engagements have their place, but only if you can tangibly show concrete examples and explain the rationale.
Today’s increasingly eco-conscious and climate savvy traveller want to see proof-points. The latest travel trends confirm this as they show the in-destination experience has a bigger impact in the overall tourist decision-making process. What’s more, Covid-19 has also altered travel trends with travellers seeking out to spend their holiday time in closer-to-home destinations. So, it is certain they will withdraw their interest if they perceive your attempts as merely business-as-usual or catchy but lacking substance promises. Therefore, it makes good business sense to invest early on by factoring this consideration into your long-term strategic development plan. My methods help you save time, energy and other resources and channel them into these integrative processes right from the onset, thanks to hard-won insights, shortcuts and solutions that my consulting provides.
Regenerative tourism- a successful planning for future foresight and emergent trends
And, if you wish to go all in, we can together develop a community-wide regenerative plan that taps into your local networks of influence thus helping your venture gain significant traction within the highly competitive eco luxury tourism market and elevate you to become a regenerative destination. Furthermore, the application of my unique regeneration template, that is realistic and scalable, presents an incredibly exciting potential for your community-oriented business to play the key role in protection and restoration of natural protected areas. After all pristine and biodiverse nature that travellers come to see is what makes all of our ecotourism work possible.
How does this nature regeneration work in practice?
I hear every day how new tourism startups include innovative rewilding schemes in their operations. My own land restoration efforts in a desert environment at my Andalusian Innovation Centre showed me how a simple act of planting a tree can have an immensely transformative power for a participant. Also it is fun if done in a coordinated and thoughtful way. You, too as a progressive venture can do this with the minimum input that can add an incredible value to your entire project.
By restoring through tree planting and other forms of rewilding we integrate many, normally, disconnected facets of our business. The sky is the limit: you can launch nature-based practices that celebrate your immediate natural and cultural heritage. As these practices become aligned with local nature and culture, they form a harmonious symphony that amplifies your project’s vision and message that you champion community and climate action.
“Having me as your regeneration coach, we together devise a plan whereby we eliminate negatives and create multiples of positives. We seek out opportunities that actually result in positive impacts and give back to the community.“
Kinga Monica, Regenerative Coach and Sustainability Innovator
By working with nature and making nature our ally we can apply the latest, most effective, tools to help nature do its best work. Having me as your regenerative coach, we together devise a plan whereby we eliminate negatives and create multiples of positives. We seek out opportunities that actually result in positive impacts and give back to the community. By this I mean the actual tangible and measurable benefits for everyone involved: your resident community with their existing and new partnerships, businesses, organisations and your guests. Like you, they all have a stake in nature sustaining them long into the future.
This article presenting the original award-winning concepts is the work of the Earthvoice editor, Kinga Monica. She is available for consulting on practical instigation of these concepts, sustainability, and ecotourism consulting, internationally.
To read more on this topic and the solutions that have helped shift some gears of the climate change action to date, please follow my articles here and on Medium.
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Featured image: Forest hiking and bathing to restore inner peace.