“There’s no way we can have a regenerative tourism industry without decarbonization.” – Ann Lockhart, Steering Committee Liaison in Queenstown Lakes

What happens after mass tourism, and which people and places can inspire the world toward regeneration?

Welcome to the second season in our podcast series. We are reintroducing the podcast with a new name, Travel Beyond, to reflect our goal of uncovering the world’s best stories of regeneration. We aim to connect people with ideas and places that are using travel to improve their communities and have a positive impact on the climate.

Our first season focused on Revelstoke, British Columbia, its 50-year destination management plan, and the community behind it. We shared the story of tourism’s impact on this booming ski town and the choices ahead for residents as they imagine the future.

This season we travel to Queenstown Lakes, Aotearoa New Zealand, where the tourism industry has committed to reaching carbon zero by 2030. Ann Lockhart, who helped steer the destination planning process, tells us how the community made this decision. She speaks with Rodney Payne about the significance of collaboration in achieving this ambitious goal and the driving forces behind the community’s efforts.

In the first episode of the season, you’ll learn: 

• How a unique collaboration between two Regional Tourism Organizations (RTOs) and the local government – during the pandemic – led to one of the most ambitious regenerative tourism plans anywhere. 
• Why the community is so committed to the goal of reaching carbon zero by 2030.
• Why decarbonization benefits the tourism industry and the entire community.
• Which critical barriers local leadership overcame to commit to the goal, and why it was possible politically. 

Subscribe to Travel Beyond through Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favourite podcast player.