Beyond Sustainable Tourism: The Shift Towards "Regenerative Tourism" to Offset Environmental Damage

Beyond Sustainable Tourism: The Shift Towards "Regenerative Tourism" to Offset Environmental Damage

The overarching slogan of the tourism sector over the past decade has been "sustainable tourism," which focuses on minimizing the environmental and social damage caused by travel. However, with increasing talk of climate emergencies and social unrest in popular tourist destinations, the concept of "regenerative tourism" has begun to emerge as a necessary evolutionary step. This concept goes beyond simply saying "let's not do any harm"; it aspires to say "let's do good" and revitalize the places we visit. Academic analysis of this shift reveals that sustainable tourism, while important, has fallen short in some respects. "Sustainability" has often been a means of mitigating impacts (such as reducing plastic use or limiting water consumption), but it hasn't addressed the historical degradation of the environment and communities. Regenerative tourism goes further; it aims to leave a place in better condition than it was before…