Regenerative tourism
by design
Regenerative tourism
by design
OUR TEAM
OUR TEAM
Place Ecologies
& Tourism
About Us
The Tourism CoLab is a collective of regenerative practitioners from across the globe - teachers, researchers, mentors, policy advisors, innovators, and change agents with decades of experience in systems change, regenerative place-based design, and genuine community conversations.
We approach tourism through the lens of place ecologies, recognising that meaningful relationships between visitors, communities, businesses and organisations need to be reframed. Since mobility has always been part of the human condition, we're working with communities, businesses and organisations to reframe how we host, travel, and experience places in ways that honour the social, ecological and economic systems that sustain us.
What We Do
Regenerative Tourism Practitioner Training
We help you develop all the skills and competences to become a changemaker in regenerative tourism practice. As thought leaders and practitioners, we understand the theory and how it translates into practice. It's a 20 week program based on 30 years of research and practice and award winning curriculum design practice.
Regenerative Business Development
How is regenerative practice integrated into my business? How do I avoid greenwashing and move towards genuine regenerative practice and ways of being? We host a regenerative business development program, to help you host and design your business for a changing world.
Retreats and Experiences
Based on living systems and regenerative thinking, we help you unpack what ecological leadership looks like in your organisation? We offer place and organisation-based workshops, retreats, and learning journeys where you can truly focus on learning and integrating regenerative practice in your organisation.
Learning
Now more than ever, we need to find our place and dig in. Learning, reflecting, and doing differently is the key to adapting and building resilience in a changing world. In addition to our own expertise in tourism and environmental design, we draw from neuroscience, human development, living systems, and a deep passion for good conversations in all our courses.
Research, Experiments, Coaching and Mentoring
Looking for alternative, out-of-the-box thinking? Looking to unpack the complex challenges you face and not fall back into the trap of simple solutions? With extensive experience in research, policy analysis and advice, design, we can help you address your sticky wicked problems while walking alongside you.
Our Community of Practice
This is more than just another online space – this is a global community of practice for everyone who believes that tourism can be a force for regeneration, connection, and positive change in our world.
Whether you're a seasoned practitioner, a curious newcomer, or someone who's been quietly questioning how we can do tourism differently, you belong here.
CASE STUDY
Regenerative Living Lab
FLINDERS ISLAND, TASMANIA
Islands are natural laboratories that provide important insights into the nature of systemic change and opportunities for bioregional innovation.
Triggered by a perception that overtourism would bring irreparable damage to the Island, its environment and way of life, The Islander Way commenced as a 2-year project, in September 2021. In 2025, it received an additional funding for 3 years to activate a place based community-led approach to tourism and future flourishing.
Why is being independent
important?
Space for creative action
Now more than ever, we need to think in curious, creative and innovative ways so that we can learn and adapt to new, emerging, and quite possibly, unanticipated conditions. The CoLab is always seeking to reach 'outside the box', think in curious and connected ways, and work in the gaps.
We can't solve the challenges of the future with yesterday's thinking
Tourism policies and institutions insist on making us reach for goals that were relevant in decades past but will be less and less relevant in the future. We are moving into an uncertain future with tools and thinking built from 20th century goals. The CoLab is always developing new skills and experimenting with new ways of thinking.
The power for ecological systems thinking
The metacrisis is the confluence of many different drivers of change, all joining force in unpredictable and ever-changing ways. We need to think and make sense of our world through different lenses and move beyond working in silos. The CoLab takes you on a learning journey through shared stories, communing and learning together, building our readiness for the change ahead.
Cutting through the forest of tools and frameworks
We are increasingly finding coalitions of marketers, accreditation agencies, consultants, industry peak bodies and governments steering your thinking (and your budgets) towards their products and services. But are these the right products and services for a very different future--or is it just business-as-usual? Who really benefits from these 'solutions'? The Colab stays agnostic to 'the selling of solutions', deeply engaging and grounding in your place and your community. Your solution is bespoke.
Don't know where to start? Neither did we...
Be part of the conversation and a global learning environment, reshaping and reintegrating tourism into its wider social, ecological and economic systems.