Regenerative Tourism Conceptual Foundations

Growing interest in regenerative practices within the tourism industry underscores the importance of furthering our understanding of how regenerative tourism is incorporated into theory and practice. Despite this observed momentum, diverse perceptions and a paucity of conceptual clarity remain significant challenges in the current state of the art. Regenerative tourism necessitates a more structured framework and a robust theoretical foundation to facilitate its expanding discourse and effective implementation. This scenario underscores the pertinence of the present study, which aims to consolidate and advance knowledge in this emergent field. The methodology is based on a content analysis of 43 scientific articles published in the international database Scopus, identified using the search term “regenerative tourism” and selected in accordance with the PRISMA protocol. The findings enabled the formulation of a theoretical framework comprising five core categories: Net positive outcome: Live Place Better; Evolving beyond sustainable tourism; Community-Led and Local Stewardship; Meaningful multistakeholder collaboration; and Systems Thinking and Holistic Integration. All these categories are discussed considering the literature analyzed. The discussion facilitates the understanding of regenerative practices in tourism, offering valuable insights for tourism stakeholders, particularly businesses and destination management organizations, as well as researchers seeking to develop empirical or theoretical contributions in this field.