Facilitating Inclusive Stakeholder Engagement: Regeneration Projects and the Phillip Island Regenerative Tourism Alliance (Australia)
This analytical case is based on Regeneration Projects, an Australian consultancy for purpose-driven businesses and organizations that specializes in helping clients build partnerships with other businesses, local communities, First Nations Peoples, and governments to create solutions to the triple planetary crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution. In early 2023, Regeneration Projects collaborated with Destination Phillip Island, a regional tourism board seeking to promote regenerative tourism on Phillip Island (Millowl), Australia. Phillip Island relied heavily on tourism for its economy, attracting visitors with its natural environment. Its goal of regeneration entailed renewing and restoring the natural environment while revitalizing the social, cultural, and economic conditions on Phillip Island.
Students learn that, while collaboration across silos, or cross-functional collaboration, is essential, it can be fraught with communication barriers, conflicting interests, and differing values. They will critically assess how regenerative tourism can be implemented and how to promote inclusive engagement in complex, multi-stakeholder projects.