COMMUNITY-LED REGENERATION: CAUTHE 2026 CONFERENCE PAPER

This conference paper introduces the Roots & Resilience Regenerative (R³) Tourism Framework, a community-led approach to regenerative futures presented at the CAUTHE 2026 Conference. The research responds to growing recognition that sustainability alone is insufficient, exploring how tourism can become a catalyst for regeneration when communities are empowered to lead change grounded in place, values, and lived experience.

Developed through doctoral research in collaboration with the community of Lunawanna-alonnah / Bruny Island, lutruwita / Tasmania, the framework integrates systems thinking, participatory design, and regenerative evaluation tools. It brings together design thinking workshops, Q methodology, and the VVE-5 Regenerative Potential Index—an original compass developed in this research to help communities assess and prioritise initiatives based on their regenerative impact.

Co-designed with local participants, the approach ensures that community priorities shape outcomes, enabling tourism initiatives that revitalise livelihoods, rewild ecosystems, and strengthen local governance. Presented at CAUTHE 2026, the R³ Framework offers a practical and scalable pathway for destinations seeking to move beyond sustainability and co-design regenerative futures.

This research forms part of a broader PhD thesis on Community-Led Regeneration and Regenerative Tourism