Curtin Malaysia launches Regenerative Living Lab for Sustainable Tourism in Sarawak

Miri – 8 August 2023 – Aligning with the sustainable development goals set by the Sarawak Government in its Post-COVID Development Strategy 2030 and the Sarawak Tourism Masterplan 2035, Curtin University Malaysia (Curtin Malaysia) has taken the initiative to establish The Regenerative Living Lab for Sustainable Tourism in Sarawak, or GREGARIOUS for short.

This regenerative living lab is the first of its kind in Malaysia and possibly the whole of Asia. It aims to work with government agencies, local communities, entrepreneurs, students, researchers and other tourism stakeholders on developing and implementing ideas and initiatives for more sustainable tourism in Sarawak.

Living labs are state-of-the-art facilities that enable testing and experimentation of innovative solutions in real-life settings. In the tourism industry, living labs provide platforms for the development and testing of new products and services that enhance the tourist experience.

In 2006, the European Union established the European Network of Living Labs to connect living labs in Europe and integrate research and innovation processes in real community settings, highlighting the participatory nature of their concept.

In Asia, the Singapore Tourism Board and Korea Tourism Organisation have established tourism innovation labs to foster innovation in tourism by providing platforms for innovation between industry stakeholders, researchers and start-ups. The Singaporean lab focuses on service innovation, digitalisation and sustainability, while the South Korean lab focuses on smart tourism, customisation, and customer engagement. A Smart Tourism Living Lab run by the Taiwan Tourism Bureau focuses on the development and testing of smart tourism technologies.

Meanwhile, Curtin Malaysia’s GREGARIOUS will, in addition to adopting smart solutions, focus on more integrative developments reflecting the gregarious, colourful culture and nature of Sarawak.

According to Prof. Andreas H. Zins, the inaugural Director of GREGARIOUS, examples of regenerative living labs include the Flinders Island Living Lab in Australia, and the Regenerative Tourism Lab in Queenstown, New Zealand. The latter focuses on developing regenerative tourism practices and solutions, creating a regenerative tourism ecosystem that supports sustainable tourism practices, restores ecosystems, and enhances community wellbeing.

He said sustainable tourism is designed to be environmentally friendly and socially responsible, an approach which seeks to minimise the negative impacts of tourism on the environment, at the same time benefiting local communities and economies. Regenerative tourism, on the other hand, goes beyond sustainability by actively working to restore and regenerate ecosystems and communities impacted by tourism.

Regenerative tourism is a form of sustainable travel that aims to have a positive impact on the destination. The objective is for visitors to leave the location in a better condition than it was before their arrival. This approach goes beyond simply avoiding harm to the environment, seeking to also revitalise and regenerate it. This results in beneficial impacts on local communities and economies, known as sustainable regeneration.

“This approach will create positive impacts on the environment and local communities by actively restoring natural habitats, promoting biodiversity, and supporting local economies and cultures. It involves practices such as rewilding areas impacted by tourism, implementing sustainable farming practices, and promoting local artisanal products and crafts,” said Prof. Zins.

He said GREGARIOUS will work according to three basic strategies with relevant stakeholders, that is, Economic Prosperity, Inclusive Society and Environmental Sustainability. Among the stakeholders will be the Sarawak Tourism Board, Business Events Sarawak, Miri City Council, Sarawak Economic Development Corporation, Sarawak Digital Economy Corporation Berhad, Sarawak Research Society, other universities, the tourism sector, non-governmental organisations, and community groups.

In addition, targeted education and training will be developed together with other education providers. Students will be exposed to fieldwork and asked for their ideas and vision for sustainable development in tourism, and business ideas and concepts will be groomed to make them market-ready.

Prof. Zins has more than 35 years’ of experience working in the field of tourism management as a researcher, lecturer and consultant. He was until recently the dean of Curtin Malaysia’s Faculty of Business and is currently involved in several tourism projects in Sarawak. They include being chair of the business development group of the Miri Business Events Committee, editor-in-chief of the International Journal of Business Events and Legacies (IJBEL), a collaboration with Business Events Sarawak; and author of the Tourism Chapter of the Greater Miri Development Plan 2030.

Information on Curtin Malaysia can be found on its website at www.curtin.edu.my, or look for Curtin Malaysia on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn and TikTok.

Prof Andreas H Zins, Director of The Regenerative Living Lab for Sustainable Tourism in Sarawak (GREGARIOUS)