A Flourishing Future in Edmonton
"This bold and innovative strategy is the first of its kind in Canada and a guiding pathway to a Regenerative, Resilient, and Flourishing Visitor Economy in Edmonton, by 2050."
581 ViewsQuestion
What’s inside the project that CEO and Chief Changemaker, Guy Bigwood, cites as the “the most inspiring, challenging and rewarding of all he supported in 2023?
Answer
An innovative approach to transforming tourism and events into a force for good through strategy development and engagement.
– The Explore Edmonton Regenerative Tourism Strategy, initiated as part of the 2021 Tourism Master Plan, is championed by Explore Edmonton, with support from regenerative tourism consultancies, ConnectSeven Group and GDS-Movement, launched 13 December 2023.
– It presents a bold vision, a pragmatic roadmap, and a clear action plan for how the visitor economy can help to create a thriving future for the city.
Wait, What is “Regenerative Destination Management?”
It’s “a balanced, living-systems approach to developing and managing a flourishing and equitable visitor economy. It aims to use tourism and events to transform environmental, social, and economic problems. It aims to restore and rejuvenate communities, their people, and place, rather than degrade or merely sustain conditions. It is community-centric, inspired by nature, inclusive and circular by design.”
We call it the “Ayyew approach” and we love that Edmonton is embracing it.
How this Strategy Embraces Regenerative Destination Management
The DMO developed the new strategy guided by community engagement best practices, involving more than 148 organisations including non-profits, public institutions and government. This involved a project group, document analysis, workshops, one-on-one interviews, and collaborative strategy formulation.
Here’s a video snippet about one of the workshops.
The Regenerative Tourism Strategy is designed to:
1. Catalyze Positive Social Change: Creating opportunities for the community and enhancing livelihoods.
2. Enhance Climate Resilience: Addressing environmental challenges for a sustainable tomorrow.
3. Accelerate Innovation: Fostering creativity and innovation in tourism for a dynamic economy.
4. Improve Livelihoods: Contributing to the economic well-being of our community members.
5. Restore Nature: Balancing progress with a commitment to preserving and restoring our natural environment.
Find out
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where they are today,
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where it wants to go, and
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how it will get there with its interested parties
