Is regenerative Mice tourism the future?
Regenerative tourism is currently one of the market trends. To regenerate literally means to recreate, renew or restore. In other words, you leave the location you have visited in a better condition than how you found it. But what can you do to create a positive impact on your host region and give something back to the community? If you're taking a holiday for leisure, you could help clean up plastic and litter on the beach, plant a tree in town, volunteer to help with a local social project or take part in conservation at a wildlife park.
But what does regenerative tourism in the MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions) sector actually involve? It is case of organising conferences and corporate events that are not only sustainable, but also have a positive social, economic and environmental impact on the destination and its inhabitants.
A sustainable venue
The first step is to choose a sustainable location. The green roof garden with succulents at the BMCC helps to maintain a sustainable ecosystem. Its beehives house as many as 100,000 bees that produce BeeMCC honey. Could a pot of BeeMCC honey possibly be an original promotional gift for the people taking part in your conference?
The green roof also buffers rainwater that is used to water the trees on Beursplein. The roofs of the building are also home to 642 solar panels, which save 38 tons of CO2 each year. It's no wonder therefore that this brand new venue has received the Green Key sustainability label.
Eight hotels in Bruges hold the Green Key label. So be sure to choose from one of these sustainable accommodations.
Choose local
How can you involve the local community in your event? Partner with local caterers and choose local seasonal produce for lunch or dinner. Leave cod off the menu and opt for the North Sea fish of the month or a vegetarian alternative instead.
Could you use some additional staff at the registration desk or in the cloakroom? If so, get in touch with one of the city's social organisations for advice. People with disabilities would also enjoy the opportunity to get involved in your conference.
Did you know that the caterer Kopje Zwam makes burgers from fungi that are grown on the remains of coffee grounds that they collect from the local catering industry?
Together for the climate
And how about a sustainable team-building activity? Such as a Climate Game, perhaps, in which participants must achieve imposed climate goals, while learning more about ecology and renewable energy. Or why not remove litter from the canals while taking a boat ride? And what about our cultural heritage? The entire city centre of Bruges is a UNESCO World Heritage site. The conservation and restoration of heritage locations is yet another aspect of regenerative tourism. Fancy restoring or cleaning historic buildings and monuments together? Is it the bug beginning to bite yet?
Leave your car aside
And finally, once yo.u've arrived in Bruges, you can simply park your car and forget about it. All of the city's hotels, venues and attractions are accessible on foot. That is the advantage of a compact city. Need to get somewhere a bit more quickly? Then you can choose to use a sustainable mode of transport, such as the Bruges Horse Tram or simply travel by bike. Combine this with a tour of the city and you've got an activity for your conference's social programme right away!
Got any ideas of your own for regenerative MICE tourism? If so, feel free to share them with us: contact