A Literature Review of Regenerative Tourism: Paradigm Shifts for Sustainable Destination
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.51713/jotis.2025.5290Keywords:
Regenerative Tourism, Sustainable Tourism, Systems Thinking, Destination Management, Community EngagementAbstract
The global tourism industry faces unprecedented challenges including environmental degradation, cultural commodification, and social inequality (Hall, 2019; Gössling et al., 2020). Regenerative tourism emerges as a transformative evolution beyond conventional sustainable tourism, actively seeking to restore and enhance ecological, social, cultural, and economic systems (Bellato et al., 2022; Higgins-Desbiolles, 2022). This study provides a comprehensive analysis of regenerative tourism through systematic literature review covering 2021–2024. Using explanatory qualitative analysis with bibliometric and thematic components, one hundred seventy peer-reviewed articles and grey literature sources were analyzed (Page et al., 2021). Findings reveal regenerative tourism is grounded in systems thinking, stakeholder collaboration, and place-based approaches (Kokkranikal et al., 2023; Mackenzie & Goodnow, 2024). Key implementation dimensions include environmental restoration, social empowerment, economic transformation, and cultural preservation, with environmental and social dimensions showing highest prevalence in current literature (Higgins-Desbiolles et al., 2023). The analysis shows significant growth in research publications across multiple academic disciplines. While the concept faces definitional and methodological challenges, it offers promising pathways for addressing global crises (Weaver, 2020). The study provides evidence-based recommendations for policy, industry, and academic stakeholders to support implementation and advance research in regenerative tourism practices.
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