Meanwhile, travel agency Soliderrance offers‘ solidarity and regeneration’ holidays in destinations such as Colombia, where visitors can participate in mangrove restoration projects. The itinerary combines a commitment to the environment with canoe trips, encounters with villagers, and Afro- Caribbean cookery classes. Other agencies, such as Wild Frontiers, a certified B Corp, design immersive programs in remote destinations, with homestays including participation in daily household activities.
Aparté
Behind the scenes
Regenerative tourism in action
In Mauritius, ecolodges such as La Vieille Cheminée and Laferm Coco could potentially claim the title of regenerative operators; both lodges offer products grown on site without pesticides, are fully integrated into a circular economy, and participate in reforestation efforts.
In England, the county of Gloucestershire provides another example. Post-pandemic, the region has chosen to refocus its tourism strategy on the well-being of the community. Faced with an exodus of the young, the county has invested in improving living conditions for its residents( transport, connectivity, employment):‘ Making Gloucestershire a great place to visit begins with making it a great place to live’, declares the tourist office.
Regenerative tourism is not without its pitfalls, found particularly in certain forms of voluntourism. Since the 1990s, various associations have invited feepaying travellers to undertake voluntary work in developing countries. Building a school or looking after orphans looks like good intentions made real, on the surface, but the reality is more complex, and as The Guardian points out, if an NGO hired local people to do these tasks, it would need to spend money; if it uses volunteers who are paying to be there, it collects money.
Despite the excesses of mass tourism and the downsides of voluntourism, there is a happy medium when it comes to responsible travel. Isn’ t it first and foremost our responsibility, as travellers, to make the right choices, and ensure that we respect the places and people that bid us welcome?
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