9.13 Chapter Conclusion
Sustainability can either prioritize economic growth or focus on protecting and restoring the environment. In tourism, this has led to two main approaches: one that seeks to sustain growth without harming the environment and another that prioritizes environmental health over financial gain. As the harms caused by mass tourism have become increasingly apparent and the number of people traveling continues to rise, many tourism leaders have begun advocating for a regenerative tourism model, which focuses on community-led efforts to restore ecosystems and promote biodiversity, moving away from growth-centered tourism. This shift reflects a broader push for more responsible, ethical practices in the tourism industry, challenging the overexploitation of local communities and resources.
This regenerative model draws heavily from Indigenous knowledge systems, which see nature as sacred and interconnected with human wellbeing. Regenerative tourism approaches destinations as living ecosystems where local communities define and manage tourism in a way that preserves cultural heritage, respects biodiversity, and promotes community wellbeing. Ultimately, regenerative tourism seeks to transform the industry and the way it engages with and thinks about tourist development. It aims to push beyond mere sustainability to embrace a living systems approach in order to address the problems facing tourism.
Approaching destinations as living systems has the capacity to heal and enhance ecosystems and the communities who inhabit them. As eloquently stated in the World Charter for Sustainable Tourism, “we need to work towards an ecosystem-based vision of tourism” (2015, p. 20). Based on “an ecosystem-based vision,” regenerative tourism integrates ecological, social, and cultural aspects to create a tourism model that is both restorative and sustainable. This sector of tourism holds particular career promise for individuals interested in environmental protection, ecology, biodiversity conservation, community-led initiatives, and preserving cultural heritage.
Further Reading
Carson, R. (1962). Silent spring. Houghton Mifflin.
Hawken, P. (2021). Regeneration: Ending the climate crisis in one generation. Penguin Books.
Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada. (2025, April 29). ITAC welcomes 1,329 members to the association. https://indigenoustourism.ca/itac-welcomes-1329-members-to-the-association/
Kimmerer, R. W. (2013). Braiding sweetgrass: Indigenous wisdom, scientific knowledge and the teachings of plants. Milkweed Editions.
Leopold, A. (1949). A Sand County almanac: And sketches here and there. Oxford University Press.
Macfarlane, R. (2025). Is a river alive? W.W. Norton & Company.
von Humboldt, A. (2014). Views of nature. (S. T. Jackson & L. D. Walls, Eds.; M. W. Person, Trans.). University of Chicago Press. (Original work published 1850)
Wulf, A. (2015). The invention of nature: Alexander von Humboldt’s new world. Alfred A. Knopf.
