Regenerative tourism is about positive mentality of tourists, prioritizing support to the local ​communities to boost their livelihood and ​ensuring their economic and social growth from tourism.  Local communities play a key role in tourism. In regenerative tourism the government and local community together plan, develop and manage tourism. This​approach fosters a sense of ownership ​among residents, leading to more ​responsible tourism practices.

In India, Goa has become first state to launch Regenerative Tourism. On the sixty-second anniversary of the Liberation of Goa December 19, 2023, the most preferred tourist state Goa Tourism is thrilled to announce the launch of a revolutionary model for regenerative tourism. The government has invested in infrastructure development to improve accessibility and connectivity to various tourist destinations in Goa. This includes improving roads, public transportation, and airport facilities. The Goan model of regenerative tourism emphasizes on promoting environmental restoration, cultural preservation, and community empowerment through four paths: spirituality, indigeneity, civilizational and cultural nationalism, and conscious tourism.

Goa support cultural heritage. It protects and celebrate local cultures, traditions, and unique identities. Major tourist attractions include Bom Jesus Basilica, Fort Aguada, a wax museum on Indian culture, and a heritage museum. Seven Churches and Convents of Goa have been declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. The culture of Goa is a melting pot of Indian and Portuguese culture. The long Portuguese rule has influenced the culture in more ways than one and many of the Portuguese traditions are reflected in the Goan culture even today. The crafts and arts of Goa also reflect Hindu, Muslim and Christian origins.

In February 2024, Government of Goa and Indian travel major MakeMyTrip (MMT) inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), to further turn Goa in a year-round destination, moving beyond its iconic sun, sand, and beaches. The one-of-a-kind public-private partnership aims to outline a series of innovative initiatives to showcase Goa’s lesser-known inland treasures, its rich cultural heritage and mouthwatering culinary traditions, is the next step ahead.

Regenerative tourism transforms the approach to travel, and it has begun to take root around the globe. By focusing on practices that restore and renew ecosystems, economies, and communities, several destinations are setting powerful examples of how tourism can be a force for positive change.

A great example of living up to these principles is New Zealand, originally known as “Aotearoa” which translates from Maori as the “land of the long white cloud.” New Zealand always practiced regenerative tourism that includes people, places, and practices can be found in the country. This small country realised long back that the key to success is in understanding and implementing regenerative travel practices.

Preserving historical sites plays a crucial role in the development of cultural tourism by enhancing visitor experiences and promoting sustainable development. Engaging local communities in activities at historical sites fosters a sense of attachment, leading to continued preservation efforts. In structural conservation technique, reinforcement work is carried out on foundations, repairs are carried out on walls, ceilings and removal of weeds from the buildings. Protects the monuments from organic and inorganic gases. Helps to eliminate moss, algae, lichens (plant like living things).

India is facing a particular challenge, as it has one of the most rapidly emerging outbound travel markets in the world, as well as a significant inbound tourism sector. Indians want to travel both domestically and internationally in ever growing numbers. And tourists want to visit India to experience its incredible cultures, histories, food and landscapes. This growth is an exciting prospect, but it comes with the need for greater accountability and action. 

The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), under the Ministry of Culture, is the premier organization for the archaeological research and protection of the cultural heritage of the nation. Maintenance of ancient monuments and archaeological sites and remains of national importance is the prime concern of the ASI.  The ASI manages and maintains historical monuments and sites and regulates the use of these sites for tourism and other purposes. It works closely with state governments and other organisations to ensure the proper management of these sites. ASI subtly helps regenerative travel in India.  Archaeological sites represent relationship with a culture or civilization that exists or has disappeared. It represents transition in architecture or technology over a span of time

The Ministry of Environment and Forest Law is responsible for implementation of policies and programmes relating to conservation of the country’s natural resources including its lakes and rivers, its biodiversity, forests and wildlife. Ministry of Environment is responsible for framing laws and regulations for environment and forests and has a key role in development of sustainable tourism. The Ministry can provide valuable guidance and direction for utilizing natural resources for sustainable and responsible tourism.

Ministry of Culture is responsible to preserve, promote and disseminate all forms of art and culture in the Country and has many Institutions and organization involved in the field of art and culture. The Ministry can contribute to the promotion of culture and heritage in a sustainable and responsible manner.

Some examples of regenerative tourism include:

Chumbe Island Coral Park in Zanzibar

This is an incredible tropical paradise on Chumbe Island, located 8 km west of Unguja in Zanzibar. This fully protected island is home to a stunning Coral Reef Sanctuary and Forest Reserve that is entirely funded through ecotourism revenue. This is a unique place of biodiversity with rare species and abundant marine and forest life at this one-of-a-kind, multi-award-winning destination.

Grootbos Private Nature Reserve in South Africa

At Grootbos, the management goes beyond simply conserving the pristine wilderness which they call home. They constantly research, innovate, and establish new ways of doing things to transform the lives of community members as well as preserve 3500 hectares of botanical and wildlife treasures.

CBT township in Myaing, Myanmar

Deep into the country’s arid, central Magway region, along the sacred Irrawaddy River lies the tiny township of Myaing. It is one of the poorest and least developed regions of Myanmar. Ironically, it is only a two-hour drive from Myanmar’s tourism superhighway, the ancient city of Bagan. But this quiet farming community is home to something innovative in its own way. It is Myanmar’s first-ever Community Based Tourism (CBT) project. CBT enables travellers to experience the local culture, local cuisine, local handicraft, it is anything from a wildlife safari to a cooking or basket-weaving class. The locals emphasize on preserving their natural and cultural heritage. For travellers, it means a more authentic experience; and for locals, it leads to an upskilled workforce, and increased employment. No matter the experience, it’s about using travel for good.

Conclusion

I think of regenerative travel as the next step in our sustainable travel journey. Sustainability is about making sure that the resources we enjoy today will still be available for the generations that follow; regeneration is about making sure that what we do now feeds back into the system from which we benefit. It’s about being proactive and intentional.

I credit film makers for making historic locations famous through their craft. Over the years viewers of cinemas have started demanding location shooting because they give a realistic outlook to a scene. Secondly, location shooting has several advantages over filming on a studio set. The expense can often be far lower than that of constructing sets in a studio. The songs and scenes in movie look more pragmatic and rousing. The real-world wear and tear, as well as architectural details, and the vastness of a background add the intensity. As cinema and television have grown, various such locations are featured in innumerable films, television serials, music videos, ads and documentaries. Filmmakers have pushed the limits of their creativity and utilised the unique palace such as architecture, courtyards and skyline to captivate their viewers, film after film, year after year.

Some of the historic Indian destinations have always been popular with our Hindi cinema makers. Some songs have become popular for their perfect backdrop and scenes. Sometimes because the camera focuses on a spotlight on a lesser known facts of some tourist destination they have become famous. Many Bollywood songs have made the tourist destinations overnight famous after release of the movie. Some of them were totally unheard of, others were already famous in their own right but after being included in iconic Bollywood songs, their fame has increased tremendously.

Here are some such songs:

Dil ka bhawanr kare pukar: Film: Tere Ghar ke Saamne, 1962: Location: Kutub Minar:

The song is picturised on Dev Anand trying to woo his love – Nutan in the song. They both climb up and down the Minar. Mohammed Rafi’s magical voice has made the song evergreen. Nutan’s flashing smile and batting her eyelashes to tease Dev Anand’s romantic appeal is mesmerising.  The song is choreographed so simply, there are no frills added to it. One great old cameraman told me that, because the cameras in that era were too big, they couldn’t be fit inside the tower’s narrow passage, and hence the song was shot inside a replica of the tower instead. But the song does show another young couple walking outside the minar. The simplicity of the choreography of the song is very appealing. Both Dev Anand and Nutan had to walk up and down the Minar, surrounded only by stone walls and a staircase.

Aaj phir jine ki tamannah hai: Film: Guide, 1965: Location: Chittaurgarh Fort.  Chittorgarh is one of the largest forts in India. It is a UNESCO World Heritage sites. The fort was the capital of Mewar. It sprawls over a hill 180 m (590.6 ft) in height spread over an area of 280 ha (691.9 acres) above the plains of the valley drained by the Berach River. The fort ground has several historical palaces, gates, temples and two prominent commemorative towers.

The song is picturised on Wahida Rehman and Dev Anand. The song and the location depict Wahida’s (the female protagonist in the movie) newly found independence from a ruthless archaeologist’s clutches. The song, written by Shailendra, is the lightest and the most heart-warming in the entire movie, music is rendered by S.D.Burman. Lata Mangeshkar has sung the song with liveliness and energy. In one of the scenes you will see the reflection of the heroine on one of the mirrors, during the song, is inspired from the legendary tale of Alauddin Khilji catching a glimpse of Queen Padmini on the same mirror in the main hall. Waheeda dances over steep walls, frequently running the risk of falling down. In one of the shots, she is almost about to miss a step, when she finds Dev Anand down below, signalling her to hold it together.

Oh mere raja: Film: Johny Mera Naam, 1970: Location: Nalanda ruins. Dev Anand seemed to be charmed by historical monuments and therefore he chose them for a lot of songs shooting. Here’s another, filmed among the excavated remains of the ancient university of Nalanda in present-day Rajgir, Bihar. Nalanda, established between the 5th and 6th century AD, was a major centre of Buddhist learning till the late 12th century, when Bakhtiyar Khalji and his troops destroyed it. According to legend, the library of Nalanda was so huge that it smouldered for six months after being torched by Khalji’s soldiers.

Dev Anand and Hema Malini sing this song as romantic pair for they try to deceive the cops, they play hide and seek in the ruins of Nalanda in Rajgir, Bihar. I had visited this heritage site last year; our guide began the tour by first telling us about the song being shot here. The song is sung by Asha Bhosale and Kishore Kumar. And, the music directors are Kalyanji-Anandji.

Tere Bina Zindagi Se Koi Shikwa, Film: Aandhi 1975, Location: Avantipur Ruins, Kasmir. This haunting melody from the movie Aandhi is shot in the backdrop of Avantipur Ruins. The song shows the hero and heroine of the movie meeting after a long gap of separation. Suchitra Sen and Sanjiv Kumar were two tremendous actors. The song is about yearning, wanting to surrender in love and about circumstantial separation. This controversial political drama had beautiful songs. This particular song just stands out in the backdrop of the ruins. It takes us through a virtual tour through the ruins of Avantipur temples. They were built by King Avantivarman, located in Kashmir somewhere between Srinagar & Anantnag. The black and gray coloured stones of the ruins add to the feel of the song. The song is written by Gulzar, sung by Kishore Kumar and Lata Mangeshkar and the composer is great R.D.Burman.

It seems the temples were discovered when British excavations were at their zenith in the eighteenth century. Not surprisingly, many of the idols were taken to museums in England.

Naam gum jayega: Film: Kinara 1977, Location: Mandu which is an ancient fort city in Madhya Pradesh. It is located in the Malwa region of western Madhya Pradesh. In the 11th century, Mandu was the sub division of the Tarangagadh or Taranga kingdom. During monsoon, Mandu is most romantic. The beauty of the pastel orange shades of the monuments of the Mughal era set off against the brilliant green scenery is doubled as it gets reflected on the water bodies present in the fort. Mandu is artistically appealing. You should visit it for the stories of incomparable love of Baz Bahadur and Rani Roopmati.

The beautiful lines of the song personify the eternal glory of this beautiful land. Kinara had a sensitive script. This song is shot on Hema Malini and Jeetendra. The duet ‘Naam Gum Jayega’ is sung by Lata Mangeshkar and Bhupinder, lyricist is Gulzar and the song is composed by R.D.Burman.