Nordic Regenerative Tourism

Vision Statement

Nordic Regenerative Tourism invigorates communities and fosters landscapes by ensuring that locals and visitors gain satisfaction from its success.

We contribute to the revitalisation, re-energising and wellbeing of our environment, our neighbours and ourselves.

Through principles of regenerative tourism we are empowered to work with our communities and natural environment, in balance with the unique and wonderful characteristics of our home region.

What is NorReg?

NorReg is a Nordic pilot project, aimed at developing and providing relevant, interesting,
and accessible tools for small and micro-sized tourism operators in destinations in the
Nordic countries. The pilot phase of the project is scheduled to be completed in 2022.

The objective of the project is to establish operational tools for businesses that want to
adopt relevant, accessible, measurable, and participatory practices that visibly contribute to
the regeneration of natural and cultural resources within the destination, for local residents
and visitors alike. We focus on SM i E businesses (Small and Microsized Businesses), rather
that SME’s (Small and Medium Sized Businesses), in line with the realities of tourism in our
participating regions.

In this first phase, the methodology of the approach will be pilot tested and tried out. We
design our first vision statement and define our priorities through a participatory workshop
approach and explore approaches to measure regenerative tourism, based on the different
characteristics of participating regions. In the project lifetime we will test run training workshops for business operators, and define and develop Citizen Science products, aimed at fulfilling our
visitors quest for giving back to the communities and environments they visit.

The project is funded by the

Nordic
Council of Ministers.

The Icelandic Ministry of Culture and Business affairs is the owner of the project, and the
Icelandic Tourism Cluster is responsible for administration on their behalf.

Project Leader on behalf of the Icelandic Tourism Cluster is Ólöf Ýrr Atladóttir

Projects Priorities

People

Local value

Local value contributes enormously to the establishment of healthy communities, and is essential for peoples’ wellbeing and sense of belonging. Healthy communities are attractive for young people, a magnet for new residents and stimulate local youths to return, even after educating themselves elsewhere. The diversity of services, such as educational and cultural, offers and events and increased local services add value to both visitors and locals and make a positive difference for the local communities.

In our vision, regenerative tourism contributes to preserving traditions and local culture in an authentic way. We want communities to be both, an attractive home for locals, and an inspiring experience for visitors.

Participation/Involvement

Our communities offer room for active participation and involvement. Local collaborations and networks are accessible and transparent. Through the active inclusion of visitors into the community, locals and visitors interact on various levels. The demographic diversity in our communities enables network formations on business and individual level.

Environment

Balance

Healthy ecosystems require balance. By converting our energy consumption into green energy use, by consulting experts and scientists to reclaim our biodiversity, by targeted, knowledge- and place-based citizen science projects we contribute to revitalizing natural attractions, landscapes and ecosystems.

Diversity

In order to help our nature to renew itself, we build on awareness and local initiatives and feeling of responsibility. In our vision of regenerative tourism, the particular local communities feel both aware and responsible for the interplay between them and nature. By increasing the local knowledge of and pride in nature and landscape, we aim at preventing shortsighted growth-oriented development and loss of biodiversity.

Business

Holistic

Regenerative tourism contributes to establishing a holistic business ecosystem, where businesses support each other locally. We especially focus on the development of local services and infrastructure from which both locals and tourists benefit. A holistic business ecosystem contributes to overcoming effects of seasonality and empowers locals to operate all year around.

Revitalizing (quality, creative)

The concept of regenerative tourism implies local as default. Our task hereby is to communicate the value and awaken the awareness of local value to both the local community and the tourists in a creative way.
In our vision, entering the regenerative tourism business scene is accessible to every local who is interested and can start small-scaled. We especially focus on the development of local services and infrastructure from which both locals and tourists benefit.
Through focused product development business contributes to community revitalization.

Partners and participants

The main beneficiaries of the projects are local SME‘s in regions characterized by rural
communities and/or outdoor, nature and adventure attractions. Regional Destination
organizations or clusters participate as regional stewards, and academic partners have been
recruited to provide insights into the monitoring of tourism‘s impact on tourism‘s natural
and cultural resources.

Strategic Partners:

Visit Lofoten local DMO – Norway

Innovative Opplevelser / Cluster – Norway

Visit Skåne DMO – Sweden

Visit Greenland DMO – Greenand

Visit Faroe Island DMO – Faroe Island

Snæfellsnes Svæðisgarður local DMO – Iceland

Action partner

Behaviour Smart – The First Mile – Milena Nikolova

Academic Partners:

Aalborg University Copenhagen, Denmark, Carina Ren – Associate Professor

Nord University, Norway, Dorthe Eide – Professor