Fostering community wellbeing via regenerative destination planning: An Aotearoa New Zealand case study

Abstract

In response to growing calls for tourism to enhance community wellbeing, this exploratory study examined the early stages of destination planning for community wellbeing in New Zealand. Using qualitative content analysis, the study analysed proposed community wellbeing, aspirations, strategies and indicators from 29 regional tourism destination management plans. Three primary approaches to destination planning were identified: Regenerative, Values-based and Sustainable. The findings revealed a shift towards more holistic, place-based and indigenous conceptualisations of community wellbeing. However, while most destination management plans had clear community wellbeing aspirations (n = 22), strategies and associated measurement tools were generally underdeveloped. Notably, destination management plans which engaged with regenerative or values-based tourism were more likely to include innovative strategies and indicators, in contrast to those using more traditional sustainable approaches. The study identified the need for diverse and measurable indicators of community wellbeing that can be benchmarked across destinations, while still reflecting local values and priorities. These insights provide a grounded understanding of the evolving nature of destination planning for community wellbeing, highlighting a process that is context-specific, often aspirational, and shaped by governance structures and conceptual paradigms. The findings are translated into a proposed conceptual model for regenerative planning that offers valuable insights for global destinations seeking to move towards more regenerative-informed destination planning models focused on community wellbeing.