Why regenerative journey is the pattern that would change the world

My sons stormed towards the turquoise waters of Waikiki Beach, Honolulu. Sun diamonds reflected off the combing waves. Drake’s voice came through someone’s portable speaker; a young couple sang along as the sea licked their toes.

As I tied my bodyboard leash to my wrist, I noticed that the water looked thicker than normal and less frothy. I stepped closer only to notice that someone’s styrofoam cooler had fallen apart. Plastic pellets littered the sand and surfed into the sea with every wave. My older son called out to me to watch the jumping dolphins, but as much as I wanted to dive in, I took off my board, grabbed a bag and started cleaning the beach.

As an environmental activist, I cannot ignore the destruction of a planet I love. But my itchy feet – I’m also an experienced travel journalist – make stationary life impossible. I used to believe that the pursuit of sustainability is good enough, but after a trip to the Great Barrier Reef I saw firsthand that climate change is not theoretical and I (we) need to do better.

More than just sustainable travel

As a concept, sustainability refers to leaving a light footprint or leaving a place as it was when we arrived. If I were just a sustainable traveler on this trip to Waikiki Beach, I wouldn’t have spent my day collecting plastic pellets. On the other hand, it fits in with a newer idea that is gaining momentum: picking up other people’s rubbish: regenerative travel, which means leaving a place better than it was when we arrived.

For a trip to be truly regenerative, it must contribute to the well-being of the land, animals and people in the place, says Anna Pollock, founder of the social enterprise Conscious Travel and often referred to as the grandmother of the regenerative travel movement. This approach can include concepts like zero waste, following natural design principles, prioritizing recovery, and making sure the locals set (and enforce) the parameters.

Take Hawaii for example. Before the pandemic, many locals could hardly afford to live in their homeland or had to do three jobs, for example to teach visitors how to make lei. Recently, the Hawaii Tourism Authority (HTA) appointed a new Hawaiian leadership, President John De Fries and Director of Hawaiian Cultural Affairs and Natural Resources Kalani Ka’ana’ana, who have changed their measure of success: but whether local residents’ sentiment towards tourism in the Was generally positive.

In late 2020, the HTA and the Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau teamed up to create the Malama Hawaii program, a partnership with hotels, outfitters and conservationists. With the aim of regenerative tourism, the nationwide initiative offers visitors a variety of volunteer opportunities, including tree planting, beach cleaning and nature conservation projects such as deleting algae in old fish ponds. Selected hotels offer voluntary travelers special packages with a free extra night.

For Ka’ana’ana, a regenerating travel mentality is like a kind guest: “You don’t show up at someone’s place without offering something – sometimes it’s time and talent, [and] sometimes it is curious, modest generosity. ”

He adds, “If you’re a marketer, you can go to the fish cart you love and offer social media help or check out a fish farm to find out how Hawaiians traditionally eat.” not after vacation, but as environmentally conscious global citizens we have to act differently. “If you come to be part of the community you need to know that you have a role to play. It’s not about flying in, spending money and flying out, ”says Ka’ana’ana. At its core, regenerative tourism works like traditional Hawaiian culture, where you first give (aloha aku) and then receive (aloha mai).

This is how you put regenerative travel into practice

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Instead of being guilty of what you don’t do, start small: for example, you can volunteer to clean up a beach or support indigenous businesses. When you have to fly, buy carbon offsets – but don’t just rely on them. Think about how you can double your positive impact elsewhere and offset CO2 in your own way: if possible, plant trees in the place you visit, or explore whenever possible by bike instead of a car rent; For longer adventures, like driving the Road to Hana in Maui, hire a local driver.

Over time, you can take more ambitious measures such as: For example, being selective about where to stay, eat and play games by thinking holistically about the environmental impact – such as what kind of materials were used to build a resort or where the water comes from. Before you know it, you may feel motivated to devote your time, energy, and skills to the places you love.

Changing my own thinking wasn’t that hard when I realized that improving a place makes travel more enriching. I might miss a full day surfing in perfect waves, but what if there is a more impactful experience? When my sons got out of the water in Waikiki that day, they saw me bend over and pick up all the trash, tossed their boards in a heap, and joined me. By making Waikiki like home, we’ve done our small part in maintaining a place we love.

The star understands travel restrictions during the coronavirus pandemic. But like you, we dream of traveling again and publish this story with future trips in mind.