Beyond Sustainability: A Comprehensive State-of-the-Art Review on Regenerative Tourism

Abstract

Regenerative tourism is an emerging concept within tourism studies, yet it remains insufficiently understood and inconsistently applied in both academic and practical contexts. This state-of-the-art review aims to enhance conceptual precision by examining the development of regenerative tourism discourse and the factors shaping its interpretation. Grounded in a systematic analysis of contemporary literature and informed scholarly reflection, the review first traces the conceptual evolution of regenerative tourism, identifying foundational thinkers and theoretical influences that have contributed to its current form.

The review divulges that regenerative tourism’s progress in scholarship is hindered by pervasive oversimplifications, particularly the narrow framing of the concept as merely “leaving a place better than it was found.” Such limited perspectives continue to reinforce tourism-centric economic growth agendas, thereby constraining the paradigm’s transformative potential to reshape tourism systems in alignment with ecological resilience and socio-cultural flourishing. Additionally, the discourse remains largely influenced by Western scientific knowledge structures, which often marginalize relational, place-sensitive, and community-rooted epistemologies integral to regenerative paradigms.

In response to these identified challenges, the review underscores the necessity of repositioning regenerative tourism as a place-centred, community-driven approach that fosters harmonious and reciprocal relationships between humans and the natural environment. It emphasizes that tourism geographers and scholars have a crucial role in maintaining the conceptual integrity of regenerative tourism by adopting ecological worldviews and integrating plural knowledge systems, including Indigenous perspectives. Advancing such a holistic and context-responsive orientation is essential for supporting the transformative ambitions of regenerative tourism and strengthening its theoretical and practical contributions to sustainable futures.