Project
Talk at the #PRIMER21 Global Conference by The Design Futures Initiative.
Challenge
In countless places, the tourist sector is the main economic driving force, with whole regions dedicated entirely to it. The sudden decline in tourism during the pandemic and an ever more urgent and accelerated sustainability transition force us to critically rethink the futures of tourism. How can a polluting, extractive and ubiquitous phenomenon like tourism be adapted to a new world? What is future-oriented tourism? What do local communities want? How can they be part of a transformation process? And can we decide all of this collectively?
Approach
In their presentation, Elena and Kitty discuss the intersection of futures thinking and tourism. They explored the ‘Futures of Tourism’ project as a way to (re)discover the potential of a different kind of (non-)tourism, to rethink existing structures and to develop alternative visions by imagining and visualising different futures.
Outcome
- Insights into the potential of tourism as a leverage industry for a socially just and ecologically sustainable future
- First-hand experience of obstacles and good practises in designing participatory future planning processes
- Outline of the practical application of futures research methods
- Motivation and relevance of making futures thinking and big picture thinking accessible to a wide audience
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