Regenerative tourism
by design
Regenerative tourism
by design
OUR TEAM
OUR TEAM
The Tourism CoLab
Redesigning tourism
Working at the level of systems change, our mission is to redesign tourism for a regenerative future. We do this by working in and on the system to dissolve boundaries and build the capacity of individuals, business, organisations and communities to understand and navigate the disruptive change ahead.
Our Purpose
We wholeheartedly believe in the power of collaborative learning and action with an open heart and mind. Our purpose is to design, create and facilitate regenerative projects and journeys that actively and courageously transform tourism. Working at the level of place, respecting nature and listening to the vast knowledge that resides in communities underpins our purpose. It's about scaling down to the level where regeneration can be effectively implemented then growing momentum through learning and collaboration.
Our Values
We bring our whole selves to our work with communities and place. We bring the entire sum of our experience in design, place management, environmental planning, research, education, policy, regional development and community wealth building. We are boundary spanners, interdisciplinary and creative thinkers. This combination of skills and experience where we have worked from global to local levels is quite rare.
We also bring a commitment to connect because we know that change happens through relationships, connections, sharing, and growing together. Generous collaboration is our way of being in the world.
We are not consultants, dropping in and leaving with the knowledge and expertise. That old model of consulting is dead. We invest in your community, build skills and confidence. We reframe challenges, think differently and unlock potential. We build trust and confidence in lived experience and local knowledge because it is equally, if not more important, than expertise 'from away'.
Our commitment is to make sure your communities, organisation, and place are better off as a result of us walking together on this journey. This new networked co-created way of working opens space for new and alternative ways of working as if people, places, communities and nature mattered.
To learn, share and thrive together is our core.
Drawing from our practical and applied approach and globally recognised thought leadership, we bring together a range of learning, coaching and mentoring opportunities to help you understand and navigate the shifts that are taking place. We offer journeys into regeneration, mindset change, storytelling and more.
WHO
We are a social enterprise dedicated to unlocking alternative thinking, research, education, and practice in tourism. The CoLab was established in 2018 after the founder left behind a successful career as an internationally recognised professor of tourism, policy and regional development. Her ambition was to be the change and assist others in their journeys.
In a time of greenwashing, hidden agendas and incentives, The Tourism CoLab prides itself on its independent thought leadership and honest, balanced treatment of the wicked problems of which tourism is a part.
WHAT
The Tourism CoLab works to redesign tourism and visitor economies for a regenerative and resilient future for all. We specialise in:
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Innovative community-led approaches to destination management and governance.
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Innovative community engagement.
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Connecting to people, place, communities and nature.
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Developing the resilience, confidence, and capacity of local communities.
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Co-design of place-based, community-led and nature-based solutions.
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Nurturing diverse economies, innovative purpose-led business models, local economic activation, and community wealth building.
WHY
For the last 40 years not much has changed in tourism. It's a kind of 'stuckness' and resistance to change that suggests the industry is less adaptable and more fragile in the face of change. But change is on the horizon. Local communities are questioning the social licence of the industry, greenwashing is on the rise, and solutions weak. While travel is part of our human condition, we need to ensure that we stay within our ecological and social limits.
At the Tourism CoLab, we believe education, walking the talk and experimenting are essential steps in creating new and regenerative pathways.