Shifting from benefiting to serving community: a case of regenerative tourism and building cultural capital through the Children's University Tasmania

Tourism taps into the community, local cultural heritage, environmental  resources and lived cultures to provide experiences for visitors. For  the community, tourism is seen primarily as an economic resource. This  chapter ‘flips’ the discussion by focusing on advancing tourism for the  development of community in a rural regional context. We look at the  case of the Children’s University Tasmania programme. The programme aims to lift the social and economic well-being of the community by improving educational aspirations of young people. It is also a programme that provides opportunities for young people to visit tourist attractions, and learn new things, be inspired, and improve their educational outcomes. These attractions are called learning destinations. Regarding tourism attractions as learning destinations for the locals enhances local communities by increasing the cultural  capital of young people. The increased interest in making tourism more  regenerative for the community requires that the community be considered first in tourism development; this programme shows a practical shift in that direction.