CARING FOR PEOPLE AND PLACE TREASURES

Modern health and environmental crises do not happen in isolation. Strengthening holisitic resilience (the social, economic, cultural, and environmental capacity of a community to absorb shocks) and sense of place (the emotional, cultural, and identity connection people have to a location) is critical for an island nation such as Aotearoa New Zealand. Strengthening holistic resilience and sense of place transforms recreation-tourism from an extractive industry into a regenerative catalyst for local ecosystems and communities.