NS34 Session 7

This session aims to share, present and discuss learnings from and experiences with implementing and applying regenerative tourism actions and activities in local contexts. The aim is a reaction to what we see as a dominating conceptualization/theorization of regenerative tourism which, so far, has characterized much of the research literature. In comparison, grounded work and experiences are much less reported, challenging a natural bridging of the conceptual and theoretical work with actual introductions and implementations of regenerative tourism in local communities. In this session, we therefore wish to take a step away from the conceptual/theoretical discussions and instead focus more on ‘hands-on’ work on and experiences (positive as well as negative) with regenerative tourism that increasingly more stakeholders at local levels are undertaking. These stakeholders include for example DMOs and various individual or group-based tourism actors, but also local citizen groups and associations, and even whole communities. Many of these local stakeholders find the concept regenerative tourism intriguing and potentially helpful, but also difficult to apply and work with in their local contexts. One reason is the notorious difficulty in understanding the at times very abstract nature of and content in regenerative tourism. Another reason is what we see as a lack of a shared knowledge base containing practical experiences, wherefrom local stakeholders can learn - both from each other and between various settings and geographies; essentially, a toolbox and best practice knowledge base. Hence, in this session, we encourage scholars as well as practitioners within the industry to share, present and discuss practical learnings and experiences from their local context. With this we hope to collect enough cases and examples across the Nordic geography and beyond to discuss a possible future Special Issue on the topic in The Scandinavian Journal of Hospitality and Tourism. 

Keywords 

Regenerative tourism; implementation; application; practical knowledge; local contexts 

Abstracts

Title: What Makes Tourism Regenerative? A Resident-Based Quantitative Model of Regenerative Tourism Experiences and Net-Positive Outcomes in the UAE
Author: Yuhanis Aziz, College of Business & Administration, University of Sharjah

Regenerative tourism has emerged as a compelling response to the limits of sustainability, shifting the focus from minimizing harm to actively restoring the ecological, cultural, and social systems that enable destinations thrive. Despite its growing popularity, regenerative tourism faces significant conceptual and practical challenges. Quantitative empirical evidence from resident-based remain limited. Existing research primarily focuses on visitor views, qualitative narratives, or conceptual frameworks, leaving a major gap in understanding how residents experience, evaluate, and profit from regenerative tourism practices. This disparity is particularly obvious in the Gulf region, where rapid tourism expansion combines with diverse sociocultural dynamics, ambitious governmental goals, and fragile desert ecosystems. This study addresses these concerns by developing and testing a resident-based quantitative model of regenerative tourist experiences and net positive consequences in the UAE. The study has three objectives: (1) to identify the experiential, environmental, cultural, and governance dimensions that residents associate with regenerative tourism; (2) to investigate how these dimensions influence perceived net positive outcomes for communities and ecosystems; and (3) to model the relationships between regenerative tourism experiences, community wellbeing, ecological stewardship, and future tourism support. Drawing on survey data from resident across different emirates, the study uses structural equation modelling to evaluate a context-specific framework based on living systems thinking and community-centered development. The findings are expected to contribute to theory by expanding regenerative tourism scholarship into quantitative research, advancing place-based models of socio-ecological wellbeing, and enriching community support for tourism theories with concepts such as regeneration, reciprocity, and ecological consciousness. Contextually, the study is one of the first empirical investigations into regenerative tourism in the UAE, offering policymakers and destination managers with evidence-based ideas for developing tourist policies that have net beneficial impacts on both people and the environment. By focusing on resident perspectives, this study reframes regenerative tourism as a measurable, community-based approach to transforming the UAE's tourism future.

Title: Operationalizing Regenerative Destination Development: Living Lab and Action Research in Practice
Authors: Anne Wally Ryan, Nord University, Maria Bogren, Albina Pashkevich, Jorunn Grande, and Anne Haga

The tourism industry has become increasingly dynamic and complex, shaped by the interplay of economic, technological and social drivers. This development has been accompanied by a growing shift toward more responsible and community‑embedded forms of tourism development. Against this backdrop, this study explores how the Living Lab (LL) approach can serve as an effective tool for supporting a regenerative orientation in destination development, in which the social, cultural, and ecological values of local communities are placed at the core. In this context, the development of the regenerative tourism practices in our case is conceptualized as a transformative process that moves beyond sustainability by enhancing the regenerative capacity of communities and ecosystems through stewardship, co‑creation, and reciprocal value creation.

Empirically grounded in a regional Norwegian context, the study applies the use of Living Lab approach with action research to enable active engagement of a range of key actors including destination management organizations, municipal public authorities, tourism entrepreneurs, representatives from voluntary organizations, and academia. The application of the action research in real‑life settings helps to ignite an iterative co‑creation process allowing researchers to examine the ways of regenerative principles of tourism development are translated into practice. Methodologically, this study demonstrates how the integration of Living Lab and action research constitutes a practice‑embedded and transferable approach to operationalizing regenerative destination development through sustained multi‑stakeholder collaboration.

Keywords: Living Lab, Regenerative, Destination Development, Norway, Action research

Title: Towards a Regenerative Future in Tourism – A Case Study from Finnish Lapland
Authors: Heidi Kaihua, Lapland University of Applied Sciences, Petra Paloniemi, and Maarit Tihinen

Finnish Lapland is an increasingly popular travel destination known for its nature, Northern Lights, and unique arctic experiences. Beyond traditional attractions, travelers are seeking more meaningful and transformative experiences. This study presents a case study in Finnish Lapland that indicates that tourism is evolving toward regenerative luxury tourism, where individual experiences are intertwined with the narratives of local communities and the region.

The concept of new luxury in tourism shifts the focus from material abundance to values such as nature, locality, and authentic encounters. Regenerative tourism extends this further by emphasizing a socio-ecological system in which tourists actively engage with nature and local communities, contributing to collective well-being. In this context, sustainability and new luxury are complementary, enabling meaningful and responsible travel experiences.

Although academic interest in regenerative luxury tourism is growing, practical examples of its implementation remain limited. This study addresses this gap by asking: What principles and practices of regenerative luxury tourism do tourism entrepreneurs consider central in Lapland?

Using the qualitative case study approach, data were collected through in-depth thematic interviews and participant observation. Three managers of the tourism companies that strive for sustainable and regenerative tourism practices were interviewed. Systematic and participative observation provided additional insights into real-world practices.

The findings contribute a practical framework and identify best practices that support the implementation of regenerative luxury tourism, advancing the transition toward a more just, sustainable, and regenerative tourism future. The study is part of the EU-funded project (ERDF) “Innovation of New Luxury Service Pathways (LUPPO)”.

Keywords: regenerative tourism, new luxury, tourism companies, case study, Finnish Lapland

Title: Destination Campaigns as Enablers of Regenerative Tourism: Lessons from CopenPay
Authors: Matias Thuen Jørgensen, Roskilde University, and Jordi Vegas-Macias

Tourism destinations increasingly seek to operationalise regenerative principles, yet individual enterprises often lack the inspiration, incentive, resources, or know-how to initiate regenerative activities independently. This paper argues that destination-level campaigns can function as institutional enablers that lower the threshold for enterprise engagement with regenerative tourism, providing legitimacy, a shared platform, and a clear mission that individual enterprises are less likely to generate on their own.

Drawing on data from a broader research programme examining CopenPay, a campaign launched by Wonderful Copenhagen in 2024 that rewarded tourists for climate-friendly actions, the paper presents empirical evidence of this enabling function in practice. Demonstrating how CopenPay mobilised a diverse range of enterprises around regenerative activities through a combination of top-down coordination and bottom-up self-organisation.

At the same time, the paper foregrounds the risks that accompany this model. When participation is voluntary and commercially framed, the line between genuine regenerative commitment and sustainability performance becomes difficult to maintain. Enterprises offering discounts without integrating regenerative practices into their operations illustrate how an enabling structure can also accommodate actors whose engagement is superficial. The paper further reflects on the transferability of the enabling conditions that made CopenPay successful, given its dependence on Copenhagen's pre-existing green image and relatively low overtourism pressure.

The paper concludes by discussing what destination managers and enterprises can learn from this model, and what safeguards are needed to prevent enabling structures from drifting into tokenism or greenwashing.

Title: A National Park Recipe on Regenerative Tourism – Experiences and Learnings
Author: Andreas Skriver Hansen, Center for Regional and Tourism Research

The presentation shows the results of a community-based project on regenerative tourism development in Mols Bjerge National Park, Denmark. The national park wants to fully become a regenerative park with a focus on contributing to the responsible development of the park in collaboration with the local area and its many citizens and stakeholder groups. Results shown in the presentation are twofold: one part focuses on the applied approach – including ways and challenges – in getting the local community involved in the work (what does it take?). This includes setting up a local work group and arranging regular discussions on the topic based on local knowledge and input. The other part shows concrete suggestions on how regenerative tourism can be introduced and organized in the national park (what can we do?). This includes ideas for new regenerative tourism content and activities that benefit the local community, while it also shows different ways that such content and activities can be organized and anchored locally, and in symbiosis with existing community activities. Ultimately, the project shows how a national park in collaboration with its local community can work on regenerative tourism for the benefit of the local area. A key point here is that tourism is not the goal in and of itself, but more a means to succeed with local community goals. The project works as inspiration for other areas around the country that have the same ambitions to introduce and roll out regenerative tourism in the coming years.

Title: Implementing Regenerative Tourism in Local Contexts – Comparing Bottom-Up Community-Based and Top-Down Destination-Based Approaches

Authors: Andreas Skriver Hansen, Center for Regional and Tourism Research, and Christian Dragin-Jensen

While theoretical/conceptual work on regenerative tourism (RT) thinking has evolved significantly over the past 15 years, arguably less effort has been made to report on practical experiences with implementing RT. A consequence of this is that theoretical/conceptual discussions on RT are often unsupported in terms of their real-life applicability. A crucial task therefore is to collect knowledge on the topic to increase RT literacy among tourism practitioners and academics, who in turn can make tangible shifts towards working with RT at operational, tactical, and strategic levels.

The presentation explores the implementation of regenerative tourism (RT) in two case areas: Mols Bjerge National Park and Destination Trekantområdet (Denmark). Drawing on interviews with project-managers, it compares RT implementation processes in each area; one is characterized by being led primarily by a national park community, while the other is characterized by being led primarily by a DMO. Findings provide insight into motivations behind both approaches, revealing the context-dependent nature of RT. While Mols Bjerge emphasized community engagement and local stewardship, Trekantområdet focused on testing scalable RT products with commercial potential. Based on this difference, the presentation highlights and discusses commonalities but also important differences between the two approaches. It contributes to the growing body of RT research, emphasizing a need for more knowledge about, and thus also a better understanding of, both approaches in processes of implementing RT in different local area contexts.

Keywords: Regenerative tourism; Implementation; Community-based; Destination-based; Comparison

Title: From Exclusivity to Restoration: A Case Study of Regenerative Luxury Hospitality in New Zealand
Author: Tracy Harkison, Auckland University of Technology (AUT)

As the global luxury hospitality sector faces escalating challenges from climate change and post-pandemic shifts, a fundamental reframing of luxury is underway. Moving beyond traditional hallmarks of exclusivity and opulence, contemporary high-end tourism is increasingly defined by sustainability, wellbeing, and ecological responsibility. This paper will explore how New Zealand (Aotearoa) is pioneering alternative models of hospitality by embedding Māori epistemologies specifically manaakitanga (hospitality), kaitiakitanga (guardianship), and whanaungatanga (relationships) into the design and delivery of premium experiences. Using a qualitative case study approach and interpretive analysis of secondary data, this study examines how luxury properties are transitioning from passive sustainability to active regenerative frameworks.

Preliminary findings highlight diverse models of regeneration, from the ecological restoration of degraded landscapes at Mahu Whenua and The Landing to the community centric, iwi-owned wellness and cultural immersion practices at Wai Ariki Hot Springs and Kohutapu Lodge. These ventures demonstrate that luxury can function as a space for reciprocal responsibility rather than mere consumption, restoring mauri (life force) to both ecosystems and communities. However, the study also addresses critical tensions regarding cultural appropriation and the necessity of genuine Indigenous sovereignty over tourism narratives. Ultimately, this research argues that New Zealand’s (Aotearoa) regenerative luxury model challenges dominant global paradigms, offering a blueprint for high-end tourism that prioritises environmental guardianship, cultural integrity, and social equity in a resource constrained world.