Project Description
The Project is a partnership between researchers, tourism operators, social and environmental non-government organisations, and an industry body. The aim of the project is to develop and disseminate a models of transformation that creates the type of tourism the world needs, a model that is applicable at an enterprise,
local, national and regional scale. How can the tourism sector be transformed from its current state to one that is sustainable, regenerative and conscious? By sustainable, we mean tourism that seeks to balance economic, social and environmental needs, by regenerative, we mean tourism that restores ecological and societal harms, and by conscious, we mean tourism that encourages a deeper understanding of people and place.
Project Personnel and Beneficiaries
The project supports our local partners share, learn and collaborate around best practice tourism through a Community of Practice (CofP). Initial activity benefit starts with understanding the desires and aspirations of local people and the role of tourism in generating livelihoods and understanding the impacts, challenges and benefits. Our partnerships support and empower local in-country researcher associates to work with us and to identify ‘best practice’ tourism models that generate sustainable, regenerative and conscious tourism outcomes for people and place.
Outcomes to Date
We have identified context and ‘place-based’ tourism aspirations across Fiji, and the Cook Islands and will engage in understanding areas in Vanuatu and Solomon Islands going forward. A critical ‘theoretical’ framework is being developed for regenerative tourism for Island settings which will form the basis of our other research and practical contributions.
Project Significance
The SDGs aim to find ways to achieve the development aspirations at the global scale that are more sustainable within finite planetary
boundaries. Sustainable tourism is widely recognized as a key
sector for achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), given its major potential to contribute to jobs and wealth in the developing world. The aspiration is that tourism can be a mechanism for improving the economy through providing decent work and human capital growth opportunities, reducing poverty, enhancing social inclusion and improving the sustainability of the natural and cultural environment. SDGs 8, 12 and 14, in particular, are viewed as genuine avenues for tourism to build momentum in sustainable livelihoods in developing economies, including our project countries. SDG 8 (target 8.9) is central to achieving sustainable livelihoods because it pushes to devise and implement policies to promote sustainable tourism that creates jobs and promotes local culture and products. Similarly, SDG 12 (target 12.B) aims to develop and implement tools to monitor sustainable development impacts for sustainable tourism that creates jobs and promotes local culture and products. And under SDG 14 (target 14.5), the aim is to increase the economic benefits to Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and least developed countries
from the sustainable use of marine resources, including through sustainable management of fisheries, aquaculture and tourism.
Related Link
External link to https://www.griffith.edu.au/institute-tourism/our-research/pacific-islands