What is Regenerative Travel?
There’s no hiding it. This year has been catastrophic for travel. COVID-19 has cost the industry upwards of $3.4 trillion and eradicated countless jobs in the process.
But it’s not all doom and gloom. The pandemic reminds us that life, and our world, is precious. At Travelling Whale, we believe our sustainable travel adventures can help usher in a new dawn for global tourism that the pandemic has helped rather than hindered. Now more than ever, travellers are conscious of the impact their travelling makes – with 67% stating their desire to travel sustainably in 2021.
Nevertheless, with 2020 set to be the warmest year on record, it’s become clear that stopping travel cannot halt the relentless march of climate change. As a result, new emphasis is placed on trying to reverse these effects through Regenerative Travel, which translates to ‘leaving a place better than you found it’.
Regenerative travel demands that we improve and restore ecosystems, rather than just doing less damage. This is not a meaningless travel marketing slogan, but a new way at looking at the world and our part to play in it.
What is Regenerative Travel?
Regenerative travel encourages a deeper connection with a location, its ecosystems and communities. As regenerative means to ‘to give new life or energy’, the goal is to build a collaborative relationship with nature that helps ecosystems flourish and evolve and to create a better quality of life for everyone.
This means putting a destination’s desires and needs before your own, deliberately picking hotels and experiences that play a vital role in creating a holistic ecosystem in their respective communities. Proactively looking to help the location and its people. For example, looking to improve problems like animal poaching or poor education, preserve historical monuments, ensure local suppliers are supportive of each another, or contribute to a project that helps the local area and residents.
Regenerative Travel vs Sustainable Travel
The simplest way to describe sustainable vs regenerative travel is damage limitation vs restoration, or rather – ‘the difference between treading water and learning how to swim’. While sustainable travelling involves meeting our own needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet theirs, regenerative travel probes deeper. Amanda Ho (Co-founder and director of Regenerative Travel), tells us the focus is on ‘rethinking about how we deal with problems and issues so that we’re not just dealing with the symptoms, but we begin to look at the cause.’
There is not a black and white difference between the two: regenerative travel takes sustainability and bumps it up a notch. Instead of treading lightly, a regenerative approach actively looks to help a destination thrive. Its intention of ‘leaving a place better than you found it’ sparks change in mindset. According to Regenerative Travel pioneer Anna Pollock – ‘It aims not just to do less harm, but to go on and restore the harm that our system has already done to the natural world’.
This is an ambitious claim. Whether too ambitious, we shall see. Nevertheless, by changing the way one looks at the world, regenerative travellers believe they can forge a path to reverse the effects of climate change.
Inspired? Here are some regenerative travel destinations that encourage you to make a positive social and environmental impact that will its ecosystems thrive.
Regenerative Travel Destinations
Playa Viya in Juluchuca – Mexico
Bursting with wild natural beauty, the town of Juluchuca on the south-west coast of Mexico is an excellent regenerative travel destination. In particular, the hotel Playa Viya. Guests can contribute to regenerative farming, help out at the local turtle sanctuary, and volunteer in projects that aim to boost the area’s educational, economic and health systems. The hotel considers itself a steward of the land: looking after the surrounding 200 acres, its beaches, the bird-filled estuary, ancient ruins, and local schooling.
Chile
With environmental problems such as deforestation water, air and land pollution, plus the threat of extinction to plants, fish and animals (especially birds like the peregrine falcon, the Chilean Woodstar, and ruddy-headed goose) – Chile calls out for regenerative travel efforts. Much local volunteering is an option here, especially in Santiago and Patagonia.
Belize
Belize has quickly become one of the best places in the world for regenerative travel, largely because it’s home to the Belize Barrier Reef (the second-largest coral reef in the world and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In an effort to regenerate the ocean and local fishing industry (which sustains the community), ‘Belize Gold’ seaweed farms help reduce the ocean’s acidity, protect fish habitats, and provides fishermen alternative employment that reduces overfishing. Learn about the ancient Maya civilisation (from 2000 BC), stroll along sandy beaches, and take in local wildlife. Immerse yourself in beautiful Belize.
Zimbabwe
With the ‘canned hunting’ (keeping animals for the sole purpose of killing them for goods) of lions and elephants in practice, regenerative travellers must touch down in Zimbabwe to preserve these precious animals and the surrounding environment. The ecosystems deserve to thrive – and so a visit to Zimbabwe offers an opportunity to leave a place better than you found it. Regenerative style.
Sri Lanka
Local communities need support. A history of tragedies (the 2004 tsunami, 2009 civil war, and 2019 terror attacks) have resulted in Sri Lanka becoming prime destination to direct sustainable regenerative efforts. The sea turtles and elephants also need protecting here, with threats to their extinction as a result of tourism. Throw yourself into local eco-restorative projects here. You won’t regret it.
by Ollie Poole
Freelance travel & culture writer
