Our most visionary and game-changing project involves regenerating Victoria’s most iconic natural asset and positioning world-class river baths and floating saunas along its banks. Regen Projects has teamed up with Swinburne University PhD candidate Loretta Bellato and the Yarra Riverkeeper Association to map out a pathway towards a swimmable Birrarung / Yarra River by 2030.

During Semester 1 2021, Great Victorian Bathing Trail strategy author Matt Sykes team up with Professor Sidh Sintusingha of the Melbourne Design School‘s Landscape Architecture program. Together they supervised two Masters students, Janice Jiang and Yifan Guo, who focused on hot springs development proposals. At the end of their final semester, the students presented their work to bathing and tourism industry leaders from across Victoria.

Watch Janice’s proposal for hot springs in Portland – here

Watch Yifan’s proposal for forest bathing and hot springs in Traralgon – here

This collaboration between the Young Tourism Network, Monash Sustainable Tourism Association and Regen Projects, profiles insights on young people’s perspective of the Australian tourism industry at a pivotal time of change. In the context of COVID-19, it emerged as a wakeup call for industry leaders to reconsider their relationship with young professionals within tourism, hospitality and events. Recommendations have now been put forward at industry, operator and government levels to facilitate new intergenerational conversations and collaborations as we look towards the regeneration of tourism in Australia.

View the full report here

View the summary here

Through the support of Australia’s Victorian Tourism Industry Council and Peninsula Hot Springs, Matt Sykes assembled the 2030 vision for a 900km hot springs and bathing tourism route along Victoria’s southern coastline. The Great Victorian Bathing Trail strategy is based on global research through Japan, China, the Nordic region, UK and USA. It is designed as a scaleable model for regenerative tourism, demonstrating how the visitor economy can be a catalyst for ecological, social, cultural, economic and intellectual growth. 

Read the full strategy here

Regenerative reporting is about facilitating and measuring transformation. It requires a wholistic and thorough reporting process, aligned with standards in the global reporting community, to bring benefits for businesses and their diverse stakeholders. Our first reporting guide was led by Olivia Salsbery in partnership with graphic designer Cat Martin. It’s designed as a tool for the CEOs of progressive startups, Impact Managers within established firms and curious minds.

Access the guide here