Step 4: Come together
Step 4
Transitioning toward regenerative destination management requires thoughtful collaboration. Co-creation involves establishing shared goals and values, identifying immediate wins, and setting long-term objectives.
This process transforms the community’s vision into a practical roadmap for action.
Organise with key stakeholders
Engage interested stakeholders from across the destination to shape the regenerative tourism strategy. An inclusive forum ensures diverse perspectives and expectations are considered. Use an experienced facilitator for best results and to avoid being seen to ‘take sides’ and follow a pre-arranged process to:
- Define a shared vision: Establish a clear, long-term vision for regeneration that reflects collective values and realities and guides all subsequent strategic planning.
- Visualise goals: Break down the vision into actionable objectives covering environmental, social, economic, and cultural themes.
- Create Key Performance Indicators: Identify KPIs that measure progress across all sustainability dimensions, ensuring continuous improvement.
Build a regenerative tourism taskforce
Form a taskforce of industry and local experts to co-create, refine and endorse the plan.
This group ensures commitment, accountability, and ongoing support. If the taskforce is effective, maintain it for regular input and advice during implementation and review stages. Here are some guidelines for building a taskforce:
- Diverse expertise: Include experts in sustainability, tourism, local business, environmental, social, and community development for an inclusive approach.
- Size and scope: Aim for 12-20 members to ensure variety while facilitating effective communication and decision-making.
- Representation: Ensure a broad spectrum of stakeholders, balanced in gender, age, race, and sexual diversity.
- Influence and commitment: Select individuals with influence and dedication to regenerative destination management principles.
- Collaborative spirit: Choose members known for productive dialogue and compromise.
- Accountability: Establish clear terms of reference outlining responsibilities, expectations, and goals, ensuring the taskforce operates effectively.
Johnson quote
It has been hugely beneficial to bring together the local and regional tourism and events community, from Newcastle and North East England, to cocreate a framework for our region’s journey towards becoming a more regenerative destination. This collaborative effort has significantly amplified our sector’s voice and enabled us to incorporate diverse ideas and perspectives. I’m sure that uniting in this way will lead to a more impactful outcome for both the visitor economy and our local communities.
Develop the plan
Align with existing frameworks: Integrate goals and initiatives that align with existing sustainability frameworks identified in Step 2, such as the 17 UN SDGs, and local and national government commitments to net-zero and biodiversity.
Quick wins: Prioritise initiatives that can be implemented quickly to demonstrate early success. Examples include developing a regenerative tourism section on the LVEP website, sharing VisitEngland sustainability resources with local tourism businesses, supporting local conservation projects, or organising a community sustainability workshop. These build momentum, showcase benefits, and help secure further support, and funding.
Case Study 2: Catalysing action (Liverpool)
Catalysing action – the Liverpool Visitor Economy Sustainability Taskforce
In 2021, Liverpool recognised the need for cohesive action in its Visitor Economy sector to address sustainability. Joining the GDS-Index revealed areas of strength environmentally and socially but exposed gaps in collaboration and leadership, particularly with suppliers and the DMO. Realising the necessity for pooled resources and collaboration, the Liverpool Convention Bureau established the Visitor Economy Sustainability Taskforce in 2023.
Comprising representatives from various sectors like hotels, restaurants, and city councils, the taskforce aimed to enhance sustainability efforts by co-creating and implementing an action plan through monthly meetings and collaborative initiatives. With no dedicated sustainability staff at the DMO, the combined expertise of the taskforce was essential in enabling sustainability improvements across Liverpool City Region.
In its inaugural year, the taskforce achieved significant milestones. A conference and exhibition during Global Goals week in September 2023 attracted over 100 attendees and featured 20 speakers covering topics such as waste management and sustainable travel. Winning the Most Improved Destination Award at the GDS-Awards 2023, highlighted the group’s impactful efforts in educating and engaging the sector.
The success of the taskforce was attributed to the collective efforts of passionate individuals from Marketing Liverpool, who led the initiative. Their commitment and collaboration drove positive change and ensured ongoing success. Moving forward, the taskforce is refining its structure, expanding representation, and developing a clear vision and more advanced action plan, exemplifying a commitment to tangible progress rather than mere discussion.
