This is part two of Solimar’s blog series highlighting well-known and lesser-known destinations around the world that are practicing regenerative tourism. Click here to read part 1. 

The concept of “regenerative” travel has emerged as way for the tourism industry to reimagine its role in the communities and ecosystems upon which it depends. The term itself borrows principles from regenerative agriculture that embraces natural systems as the solution, in which it not only “does no harm” but actively regenerates and revitalizes the soil through its practices, producing positive outcomes for communities and economies. As discussed in the Future of Tourism Coalition’s recent report, Covid-19 has been devastating for the travel industry, but the one thing is has given us is time. Tourism leaders from destinations across the globe have spent a year reevaluating their assets and offerings, deciphering how to usher in a new age of travel that not only sustains, but also enhances culture, economy and the environment.

Regenerative tourism engages governments, tourism organizations, businesses, visitors, and most importantly, local residents, in developing a new form of placemaking with an end goal of community betterment. Solimar has always prided itself on being a world-leading sustainable tourism consultancy that incorporates regeneration into all of its projects.

Below are some examples of destinations and organizations celebrating regenerative tourism methodologies, as told by the Solimar team.

Derek Schimmel

Our muscles ached and every layer of clothing seeped with dew from the cloud forest, but we had arrived at our destination for the night: Pachute, Guatemala. After a short-time relaxing in our individual canvas tents that had been put-up by the organization’s local staff, our group of five trekkers (representing three countries) gathered around the just-constructed table to enjoy dinner cooked by the residents of this small agricultural community of roughly 120 families. A hodgepodge of music blared through the open-roofed, three-walled cement structure adjacent to camp while in the distance Volcán de Fuego erupted, leaving flumes of lava and smoke sparkling through the night sky. It was at that moment, at the tail-end of Trek Guatemala’s second day of a four-day trek between Antigua and Lake Atitlán, that I came to understand that a tangible link between tourism and community regeneration does in fact exist. Trek Guatemala has developed a tourism attraction that puts the economic and cultural preservation of the often-forgotten communities of Guatemala front-and-center, without sacrificing its ability to offer a once-in-a-lifetime travel opportunity.

Nino Chkhaberidze

I never knew horses were such smart, sensitive animals, and that they could be such amazing partners to their rider. Once you start your journey you feel so calm and free, appreciate your surroundings, you can simply slow down and enjoy the whole experience.

One of the important parts of equestrian tourism is that it allows the travelers to be closer to nature and therefore feel themselves as a part of the environment. Each horse has its own character; they make friends with each other, get to know the rider and express emotions. The characteristics of each horse is of great importance when choosing them to use them for horse tourism. The horse should not strain the traveler and should allow them to feel comfortable. Equestrian, or horseback riding, tourism is a part of eco and rural tourism and is especially good for nature, and thus can be considered as a part of regenerative tourism as well. This activity does not pollute the environment, does not require intensive use of resources and is essential for the development of sustainable and responsible tourism. Strengthening this regeneration in the tourism sector has a positive effect on both the environment and people interested in horseback riding, and has also created an avenue of additional income for local communities.

Marco Ramazzotti 

A few years ago, I would have never thought that you can visit a place and leave it in a better state than before you arrived. But then I moved to Copenhagen and found that not only is regenerative travel possible, but it can be developed everywhere with the right mindset. Among the most eco-friendly capitals in the world, Copenhagen is constantly broadening the discussion of sustainability and rethinking tourism development by creating new opportunities for responsible tourism. This is the case of GreenKayak, which rents out kayaks FOR FREE in exchange for picking up trash along the way. All my friends that did it were ecstatic about the experience, as it was not only an amazing alternative to see the city, but it made us feel like a true ambassador of the destination that were actually contributing to the critical job of reducing water pollution. The idea has quickly gained a widespread success, so much so that it is now possible to do the same in a few other cities in Northern Europe. For more info check out their official webpage and find out where you can rent a free kayak and help clean the waters.

Abrafi Ahmed

The private beaches of Mombasa in Kenya are conserving and improving the environment by adopting and promoting lifestyles that focus on the restoration of the environment by planting more trees, working with communities to improve their quality of life, and protecting the natural resources from overexploitation. I learned about the future of tourism and responsible tourism by interacting with the management of the Kizingo private beach.

Natalie Sellier

Almost a full year into COVID lockdown, I often find myself daydreaming about nearby destinations where you can combine a getaway with an incredible dining experience. One such place towards the top of my bucket list is Blue Hill Farm, which immediately came to mind as a place that has grounded itself in regenerative travel and agriculture. Opened in 2004, Blue Hill at Stone Barns is unlike any other restaurant. It’s a farm, first and foremost, that sits on 80 acres of land that also houses the Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture, a nonprofit dedicated to shaping an ecological food culture that puts the planet-protecting efforts of farmers front and center.  A true escape situated about 30 miles north of Manhattan, their thinking is pushing the boundaries of sustainable farming and the farm-to-table movement they helped create. This restaurant aims to utilize almost every component of the produce and livestock raised on their farm alongside the idea that great cooking means finding the most inherently flavorful and functional versions of ingredients possible. This partnership between a nonprofit education center and a restaurant is also rare, and together they have collaborated with breeders to update and create extraordinary new varieties of produce that are elevating vegetables to the highlight of the meal. Many of the great restaurants of our time have revolutionized how customers think about eating, and Blue Hill appears to be no exception. Through teaching visitors about the land and feeding them an incredible meal while doing so, they are truly elevating the idea of what a regenerative experience can and should be.

Prior to Covid-19 putting halt to travel globally, popular destinations were experiencing high-numbers of visitors that altered resident sentiment towards tourism. In European cities like Barcelona, Venice and Amsterdam, overtourism became a key phrase that created a sense of loss identify (and ballooning rent prices) for the people that called these places home. On the open-seas, cruise ships increasingly polluted the air and the waters in which they sailed upon, and recent research has shown that the economic livelihood of port destinations suffered when these ships unload thousands of passengers onto their shores.

The practice of regenerative tourism can act as the catalyst to alleviate the pressures being put on the environment and cultural wellbeing of destinations around the world. As an industry, we’ve had a year to re-analyze our travel systems, products and services, and as guests begin again flocking to cities, beaches, mountains, and rural destinations domestically and internationally, it is important – nay, vital – that they do so in a responsible manner that enhances and enlightens.

After all, no matter where you venture out, it is the people that make the place.

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Alongside over 150 tourism-industry organizations based in dozens of countries, Solimar will work to find regenerative travel solutions to the climate change crisis.  

Solimar International has joined its colleagues in signing up to Tourism Declares, an initiative that supports tourism businesses, organizations, and individuals in declaring a climate emergency and working to reduce the carbon footprint of the travel and tourism industry. As a leading sustainable travel consulting and marketing firm, Solimar engages with destinations and community leaders around the world to develop tourism-based initiatives focused on cultural, economic and environmental conservation. Our work in emerging countries has given us a unique opportunity to design strategic plans that empower local workforces and build destinations that are resilient to future crises, from Covid-19 to climate change.

The relationship between travel, tourism, and climate change is both complex and interconnected: while air travel accounts for approximately 2.5 percent of human-induced Co2 emissions, tourism also accounts for 1 in 10 jobs globally. From remote wildlife safaris in Namibia to scuba dives along the most biodiverse reefs on earth in Timor-Leste, each traveler to these destinations helps to fund conservation, provide alternative livelihoods, and ultimately protect the natural ecosystems that will be critical in the fight against climate change. Tourism has the power to transform people into allies and advocates for nature – but as an industry, we must work together to ensure it achieves this goal. 

The travel industry must do more to reduce its carbon footprint, from reducing aviation emissions to encouraging more sustainable practices for tourists. Tourism organizations must also actively work to prepare communities and ecosystems to face the increasing number of challenges posed by climate change. The global destinations that Solimar is honored to work with every day, from Tobago to Tanzania, have contributed the least to global greenhouse gas emissions, but will be the first to face the impacts of climate change. We must do everything we can to help them prepare, which is why we are joining in Tourism Declares a climate emergency.

Tourism must be more than just sustainable; it must be responsible and regenerative, helping to build resilience in destinations most likely to be impacted by the changing climate. While actively working to reduce our own carbon footprint as a company, Solimar is also focused on greater collaboration, support, and advocacy for our partners around the world. 

As the industry hits the reset button and reimagines its route towards a sustainable future, it is vital that ALL stakeholders are engaged in the climate change conversation. Be it a divemaster on Timor Leste’s Ataúro Island, a safari guide in Ruaha National Park in Southern Tanzania, or a museum curator working alongside the National Park Service in the United States, the future of the industry upon which these jobs depend will be forever changed as the planet warms. Travelers have a responsibility to do all they can to mitigate this impact, and organizations like Solimar have a duty to provide the tools necessary to achieve more resilient destinations, empowered by regenerative travel that celebrates and supports local cultures and ecosystems. 

As a member of the Tourism Declares initiative, Solimar International is adopting the following key-steps:

1. Developing a ‘Climate Emergency Plan’ within the next 12 months, which sets out our intentions to reduce carbon emissions–both as an individual organization and in the destinations we work– over the next decade.
2. Sharing an initial public declaration of our ‘Climate Emergency Plan’, and update on progress each year.
3. Accepting current IPCC advice stating the need to cut global carbon emissions to 55% below 2017 levels by 2030 in order to keep the planet within 1.5 degrees of warming. We’ll ensure our ‘Climate Emergency Plan’ represents actions designed to achieve this as a minimum, through delivering transparent, measurable and increasing reductions in the total carbon emissions per customer arising from our operations and the travel services sold by us.
4. Encouraging our suppliers and partners to make the same declaration; sharing best practice amongst peers; and actively participate in the Tourism Declares community. 
5. Advocating for change. We recognise the need for system change across the industry to accelerate a just transition towards carbon-free tourism.

Each member of the Solimar team remains humbled at our good fortune that allows us to work at the forefront of tourism development, and we have made a commitment to utilizing this role to help guide the industry’s ecosphere towards a future that both minimizes the environmental impact of travel and tourism and build destinations that are more resilient to climate change. Initiatives like Tourism Declares are vital in helping the industry achieve a more sustainable future, and empowering the destinations we work with and travel to face our future together. 

Please consider also declaring at www.tourismdeclares.com, and follow on @tourismdeclares on Twitter, Facebook or Linkedin

A DMO and its initiatives are only as successful as the reporting the succeeds it

After 16 weeks, Solimar has completed its first virtual DMOs Development Course which worked with representatives from six unique and growing DMOs in the Republic of Georgia. With the expert knowledge of Solimar’s CEO Chris Seek and several other experts within the industry around the world, the curriculum aimed to provide a well-rounded full circle of support for the DMOs. Over these 16 weeks, the organizations learned about and discussed the following topics:

• The role of the DMO within the tourism industry
• A DMO’s response to COVID-19 and the future in the same respect
• Governance within a DMO
• Development of a Board of Directors
• Important and available funding models for DMOs
• Destination planning and stewardship
• The visitor services a DMO can and should provide
• Branding and marketing within a destination
• Tourism information systems
• The importance and development of a DMO’s website
• Social media within and for a DMO
• The still important visitor guides and destination maps
• Private sector membership plans
• Visitor voluntary contribution fee
• The use and importance of storytelling in online marketing

As we conclude the lesson series, it is important for organizations to remember and respect the importance of quality reporting. After all the hard work that DMOs conduct on behalf of their destination, why wouldn’t they want to share the results? Although data collection sometimes seems like a daunting task, it’s important to show your stakeholders what your organization is doing, why they are doing it, and the impact it is having for stakeholders.

Destination International shares the opportunities that come with good reporting, stating,” Performance reporting is crucial to communicating the role and relevance of the DMO to its stakeholders. Effective reporting delivers not only a tremendous opportunity to tell a positive story, but also a key resource management tool for guiding sales and marketing decisions and staff development.” Clearly, reporting serves as much more than just a formality.

As discussed in week three of the series — centered around DMO Governance — DMOs should be accountable, transparent, and involve as many stakeholders as possible. There should be focus on the structure of your organization, how to make sure your work is effective, and how to use your power for good in your destination. Most DMOs report to four different types of stakeholders:

• public sector partners,
• a Board of Directors or advisory board,
• the DMO team, industry partners,
• and the general public.

As each of these stakeholders are unique from the next, and the information you provide to them in the form of a report should be the same.

In Summation

In this final session, we had the opportunity to reconnect with Jennifer Wesselhoff, who recently accepted the role of President/CEO of the Park City, Utah Chamber of Commerce|Convention & Visitors Bureau — congrats Jennifer! She emphasized the importance of making sure your DMO is reporting the correct information to the correct entity and that not every entity is going to understand or care about the same information you provide other entities. Take some time to research what information is valuable to whom.

Finally, remember that a report can benefit your organization just as much, if not more, than it benefits stakeholders. Jennifer reminded us, “Not everything works! You want to experiment, you want to try new things, you want to see if you can do a better job, or produce better results.” In this way, reporting can be of great use to a DMO.

Solimar has thoroughly enjoyed working with the various DMOs across Georgia and has loved seeing the growth from each organization. We are confident in their abilities to develop prosperous DMOs and we look forward to following their progress in the future!