Sustainable travel has seen greater focus in the last decade as travelers have learned about the positive and negative impacts of tourism on both the environment and local communities. According to the latest research in our annual Stewardship and Sustainability Edition of the State of the American Traveler, 71% of U.S. travelers say that they “usually try to reduce the environmental and community impacts of my travels.” However, only 42% of U.S. travelers think tourism is a net positive for their own communities and believe tourism in their communities makes them better places to live.
Facing these concerns from travelers and their own communities, destination organizations and the tourism industry at large have been focusing far more on sustainable tourism planning and management. Common sustainable tourism programs include certification programs for businesses and educating visitors on responsible travel. Other tactics may include highlighting destinations’ sustainable offerings through slow food travel, sustainable transportation options including EVs and public transport and future-focused tourism taxes.
While sustainable tourism has become a well-known concept over the past decade, there is another, deeper level to tourism that’s focused on community and environmental outcomes: regenerative tourism.
What Is Regenerative Tourism?
Regenerative and sustainable tourism are inextricably linked, but they are distinct concepts. Sustainable tourism works to protect communities and the natural environment. Regenerative tourism goes further, actively seeking to restore, regenerate and enhance the environment and communities. We might think of sustainable tourism as “doing less harm” and regenerative tourism as “leaving a place better than before.”
At its heart, regenerative tourism works to create thriving destinations by supporting local economies, promoting biodiversity and fostering cultural exchange and understanding. It embraces what we already know—that tourism is part of a broader economic ecosystem—but it is also tailored to the unique needs of each destination. As Anna Pollock, founder of Conscious Travel and an early thought leader on regenerative tourism, explains: “[Regenerative tourism] simply asks that we grow the things that matter most to us in ways that benefit the entire system and never at the expense of others.”
On an immediate level, regenerative tourism actively supports local businesses and keeps profits within the community. In the long term, regenerative tourism can also make communities more resilient during crises through strategic actions, such as rebuilding sand dunes to act as a buffer against hurricanes and other ecological disasters.
Examples of Regenerative Tourism Practices
Across the globe, DMOs working with their local communities are exploring regenerative tourism. Because every destination is unique, DMOs and their communities might take a range of different approaches to align with their specific needs and pain points. Here are just some of the destinations leading the way in regenerative tourism development:
Copenhagen unveiled its CopenPay program in summer 2024, where visitors (and locals) were encouraged to bike instead of using a car, use public transit or help maintain the city in exchange for free access to cultural experiences. People could get free kayak tours while they cleaned trash out of a river, earn a free lunch from the urban farm they just worked at or get free admission to a museum after helping tend to the site’s garden.
Rikke Holm Petersen, Director of Communications for Wonderful Copenhagen, shared more about CopenPay’s inspiration and impact during Miles Partnership’s Stewardship & Sustainability Insights, Powered by The State of the American Traveler 2024. CopenPay will return to the city in summer 2025 for more regenerative opportunities.
The coastal community of Cape Cod, Massachusetts, used a new short term rental tax and other funding to invest in a wastewater treatment facility that both dramatically improved local water quality and restored major local wetlands to assist with water purification.
On Haida Gwaii (also known as the Queen Charlotte Islands) off the coast of British Columbia, Canada, the Haida Nation bought an old black-bear hunting lodge and converted it into a cultural eco-lodge. At Haida House, travelers can book multi-night packages where they become immersed in Haida culture led by Haida cultural interpreters and learn about artistic and culinary customs. The income generated by this business goes back into the Haida community.
Another, larger island off the coast of British Columbia, Vancouver Island, has been a pioneer in regenerative tourism, led by their social enterprise destination organization, 4VI.
In Kenya, the Maasai Mara National Reserve is home to the Spirit of the Masai Mara luxury lodge and the Siana Conservancy. Packages include nature walks in the conservation area where trail guides share details about the local flora and fauna, and visitors can also plant trees after their stay as a part of reforestation efforts. The Siana Conservancy benefits more than 5,000 families in the community, and the Spirit of the Masai Mara is contributing funds to build a primary school for local girls.
Finally, the New Zealand mountain communities of Queenstown and Wanaka are undertaking one of the most comprehensive regenerative tourism programs in the world. The multi-year Travel to a Thriving Future program illustrates the importance of developing a holistic plan and putting it into practice. They are involved in more than a dozen major projects ranging from nature restoration and community projects, to an ambitious program to reach net zero by 2030.
Bringing Regenerative Tourism Principles to More Destinations
Regenerative tourism’s holistic approach to addressing the needs of a destination can serve as inspiration for future efforts and become a key part of a destination’s overall stewardship strategy. DMOs and local communities can work together and take a more active role in shaping what they want tourism to look like and how it can benefit the people who live there. Ultimately, this practice benefits destinations, locals and travelers by helping local communities thrive for future generations.
