The Ocean Foundation is granting a total of $118,266 to eight different regenerative tourism initiatives on island nations around the world through the Regenerative Tourism Catalyst Grant Program. The awards receive support from a partnership between the NOAA Climate Program Office’s Adaptation Sciences (AdSci) program, the National Marine Protected Areas Center, and the Local2030 Islands Network, along with the U.S. Department of State. The grants are intended to support island communities with implementing regenerative tourism projects and approaches as part of their broader efforts to build climate resilience and advance their sustainable development goals.
Regenerative tourism is the next step in sustainable tourism, especially in a rapidly changing climate. While sustainable tourism focuses on minimizing the negative impacts of tourism for the benefit of future generations, regenerative tourism seeks to leave the destination better than it was while improving the quality of life of the local community. It sees communities as living systems that are distinct, constantly interacting, evolving, and essential for creating balance and building resilience for improved well-being. At its core, the focus of regenerative tourism is on the needs and aspirations of the host communities.
Small islands are among the most vulnerable to climate impacts. They face compound and cascading challenges related to changes in sea levels and coastal flooding, shifting temperature and rainfall patterns, ocean acidification, and extreme events such as storms, droughts, and marine heat waves. As a result, numerous island communities, governments, and international partners are seeking ways to understand, predict, mitigate, and adapt to climate change in the context of enhanced resilience and sustainable development. As the most exposed and vulnerable populations often have the lowest capacity to respond to these challenges, there is a clear need for increased capacity to support efforts in these regions. These grants are intended to support island communities with building resilience to climate impacts through implementing regenerative tourism projects.
Learn more about the funded projects »
For more information, contact Scott Shatto.
